Bacterial Infection

Bacterial infections of the skin can be categorized as primary or secondary:

• Primary bacterial infection arises over normal looking skin.
• While, secondary bacterial infections arise over underlying skin disorder such over eczemas, burns etc.

Some of the most common encountered bacterial skin infections are:

Impetigo:

Superficial bacterial infection caused by certain bacteria’s.

Young children and infants are commonly affected. They appear as pus filled lesion which burst open leading to yellow-brown crust with “stuck-on” appearance.

Sites

Face (around nose and mouth most common), around the anus, trunk, scalp, extremities.

Common boil:

Commonest bacterial skin infection

Predisposing factors could be – poor hygiene, occlusive clothing, excessive sweating, and diabetes mellitus.
They appear as tender firm reddish swelling with / without central point through which hair emerges. It is from central part pus is discharged later on, healing with scarring.

Sites: buttocks, axillae, thighs, face more commonly.

Treatment at skin and you clinic:

First step is removal of Crusts:

For thin crusts, gentle washing by Luke warm water and soap can be taken.

For thick crusts medicated compresses can be done for few minutes daily till it comes off.

Second step is eliminating predisposing factors:

Poor hygiene, malnutrition, uncontrolled diabetes, tendency to sit excessively, tight clothing, obesity has to be corrected.

Underlying skin condition has to be addressed simultaneously or subsequently.

Topical Antibiotic Application:

Medications commonly prescribedare

• Topical Antibiotics– and are available as cream, ointment and lotion, dusting powder formulations. It has to be applied over the lesion, around the lesion and continued for few days.

  Some practitioners also advise to apply these antibiotics over point of entry of bacteria in the body at nose, around mouth, perianal, fingertips, etc. so as to decrease the bacterial load over body.

• SystemicAntibiotics: indications for oral drugs are extensive infection, recurrent infection, associated fever, poor compliance for topical therapy. Commonly prescribed antibiotics are oral penicillin, erythromycin, cephalexin, amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, etc.

  It is advisable to get antibiotic sensitivity tests done in cases of recurrent infection.

Why Skin & You Clinic for Bacterial Infection Treatment?

We at Skin & You Clinic take utmost care with sensitivity and testing done to rule out bacterial sensitivity, so that cure is achievable as early as possible.