ERYSIPELAS (ST. ANTHONY’S FIRE) – Causes and Risk Factors, Clinical Manifestation, Diagnosis, Treatment and Nursing Management

 

Erysipelas is a superficial infection of the skin, which typically involves the lymphatic system. Erysipelas is also known as St. Anthony’s Fire, an accurate description of the intensity of this rash. The infection occurs on the legs most of the time. It may also occur on the face.

 

CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS

This is superficial infection of skin primarily involved dermis caused by group A hemolytic streptococci.

Risk factors include:


  • A cut in the skin
  • Problems with drainage through the veins or lymph system
  • Skin sores (ulcers)


 

CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS


  • Red, hot, raised circumscribed lesion appears
  • Blisters
  • Fever, shaking and chills
  • Headache and malaise
  • Anorexia and vomiting
  • Painful, very red, swollen, and warm skin underneath the sore (lesion)
  • Skin lesion with a raised border
  • Sores (erysipelas lesions) on the cheeks and bridge of the nose)
  • Vesicles may form over the surface of erysipelas lesion
  • Erysipelas most commonly appear on face, ears, and lower legs


 

TREATMENT

Erysipelas is treated with antibiotics. A variety of antibiotics can be used including penicillin, dicloxacillin, cephalosporins, clindamycin and erythromycin. Most cases of erysipelas can be treated with oral antibiotics. However, cases of sepsis, or infections that do not improve with oral antibiotics require IV antibiotics administered in the hospital.

 

DIAGNOSIS OF ALL BACTERIAL INFECTIONS


  1. Lesion drainage and blood culture tested to identify causative organism. Drug sensitivity also checked
  2. In case of repeated bacterial infections. Culture is taken from external nares to determine carriers of bacteria (MRSA)


 

NURSING MANAGEMENT

1. Nursing Diagnosis: Risk for infection

Nursing Intervention


  1. Advice the patient to practice good hand washing and tell the patient regarding the importance of hand washing
  2. Advice the patient to early diagnosis of systematic infection: e.g. fever, chills, malaise and headache
  3. Sterile dressing applied to cover lesions. Wear gloves during change of dressing and dispose properly according to standard of wastage disposal.
  4. In case of draining lesion – cover the mattress and pillow with plastic material – clean it with disinfected daily. Bed linen, towel and clothes should be washed after each use.
  5. Patient should take daily bathe and shampoo with antibacterial soap and shampoo


 

PATIENT EDUCATION


  • Teach about importance of good person hygiene and maintaining good nutritional status
  • Educate regarding prevention of infection by hand washing and non sharing of linen
  • Teach the patient not to do squeezing and opening of lesion and avoid plucking of nasal hair
  • Take prescribed medicines daily
  • Teach about daily bathing with antibacterial soap


 

nurseinfo nursing notes for bsc,msc, p.c. or p.b. bsc and gnm nursing
ERYSIPELAS (ST. ANTHONY’S FIRE) – Causes and Risk Factors, Clinical Manifestation, Diagnosis, Treatment and Nursing Management

ERYSIPELAS (ST. ANTHONY’S FIRE) – Causes and Risk Factors, Clinical Manifestation, Diagnosis, Treatment and Nursing Management