Bacterial skin infections can range from mild to life-threatening.
Your healthcare provider will likely prescribe antibiotics based on the bang out and severity of the infection.
Impetigo
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CFCF / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0
Impetigois a bacterial skin infection of the epidermis.
It is highly contagious and more commonly seen in children than adults.Impetigo is triggered by bothStreptococcus aureusandStaphylococcus pyogenes.
Symptoms
Impetigo causes an oozing skin rash covered by a honey-colored crust.
CDC / Bruno Coignard, M.D.; Jeff Hageman, M.H.S. / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Treatment
Impetigo is usually treated withtopical antibiotics.
MRSA Infections
CDC / Bruno Coignard, M.D.
; Jeff Hageman, M.H.S.
Mahdouch / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 1.0
Laboratory tests are usually required to diagnose MRSA.
If left untreated, MRSA can easily spread from person to person, particularly in hospital controls.
The symptoms of MRSA can vary by the location of the infection.
Drvgaikwad/Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
MRSA can’t be treated with the same antibiotics used to treat other bacterial skin infections.
If your infection is due to MRSA, your healthcare provider may try draining the abscess first.
This might be the only treatment required.
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If the infection is more serious, there are a few antibiotics that may work.
A bacterial culture may help identify antibiotics to which the bacteria is sensitive or resistant.
One in five people hospitalized for sepsis will die as a result of complications.
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If left untreated, a furuncle can become a pus-filled pocket known as anabscess.
A furuncle starts as a tender, red or purple lump that rapidly fills with pus.
As it grows, it will develop a white head and eventually burst and drain.
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Furuncles are common on the face, neck, armpits, buttocks, and thighs.
Applying warm compresses can help drain pus.
Carbuncles
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Acarbuncleis a cluster of furuncles closely packed together.
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The infection tends to be deeper and more severe than that resulting from furuncles.
The most common cause isStaphylococcus aureusbut other causes exist, includingEnterobacterinfection.
Carbuncles are more difficult to treat and can take longer to resolve than boils.
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The risk of scarring is high as is the spread of infection to other parts of the body.
For this reason, carbuncles generally require medical treatment.
Ecthyma
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Ecthymais similar to impetigo, but it occurs in the deeper layers of the skin.
It is sometimes called “deep impetigo.”
It comes from the Greek word for pustule.
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Ecthyma is usually caused byStreptococcusbacteria, butStaphylococcuscan also be involved.
People with a compromised immune system are more likely to develop this key in of infection.
Echtyma often occurs on the legs and may begin as a superficial scratch or insect bite.
Symptoms include impetigo-like blisters that turn into a deep ulcer that crusts over.
Echtyma is usually treated with oral antibiotics, though early cases may only need topical antibiotics.
Erythrasma
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Erythrasmais a superficial bacterial skin infection caused byCorynebacterium minutissimum.
It develops where skin surfaces rub against each other.
It is most common in warm, humid climates.
Topical or oral antibiotics may be used depending on the severity of the rash.
Gentle scrubbing can help remove some of the scales.
Erythrasma or Not?
Due to its location and appearance, erythrasma is often confused withfungal infectionslike athlete’s foot orjock itch.
Bacterial Folliculitis
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Bacterial folliculitisis a relatively common infection of the hair follicles.
Symptoms include tiny, red bumps and/or white-headed pimples filled with pus.
It may be itchy.
While bacterial folliculitis usually heals on its own, severe cases may require topical or oralantibiotics.
Left untreated, folliculitis can cause permanent hair loss.
The bacteria can survive even in chlorinated water, making it tougher to kill.
People can also become infected through water slides, physiotherapy pools, or even loofah sponges.
The risk is higher in people with acne or eczema as their skin barrier has already been disrupted.
Hot tub folliculitis typically affects the chest or groin.
Hot tub folliculitis tends to heal on its own but topical silver sulfadiazine cream may help.
Severe cases may require oral antibiotics.
Erysipelas
Erysipelasis a bacterial skin infection of the dermis andepidermisthe top two layers of the skin.
It is most often due to group A Streptococci.
Minor skin disruptions likeathlete’s footoreczemacan lead to erysipelas by allowing bacteria into tiny breaks in the skin.
It can also occur when bacteria spread to the nasal passages following a nose or throat infection.
Other symptoms include areas of extreme redness and swelling with a sharply defined border.
It is common on the face and legs but can also affect the arms and trunk.
Erysipelas can be treated with antibiotics.In severe cases, the medication may need to be delivered intravenously.
The antibiotics you receive will depend on the bang out of bacteria that is causing your infection.
You may also need anti-inflammatory pain medication to reduce pain and fever.
Cellulitis
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Cellulitisaffects the two deepest layers of the skin called thedermisandsubcutaneous tissue.
Cellulitis often appears as a swollen, red area of skin and feels tender and hot when touched.
Necrotizing cellulitis is a more severe form of this infection that causes the death of tissue.
Necrotizing cellulitis causes severe pain, gray discharge, and high fever.
Seek emergency care if symptoms like these develop.
Cellulitis is usually treated with intravenous antibiotics.
You may also need pain medication such as ibuprofen to treat pain and fever.
Necrotizing cellulitis requires emergency medical care.
It can take up to 20 years for symptoms of the disease to appear.
Hansen’s disease is not very contagious and it’s easily treatable.
Most people, around 95%, have immune systems that are able to fight off the bacteria.
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Hansen’s disease affects the skin, nerves, and nose lining.
Aspirin, prednisone, and thalidomide may help with inflammation.
Some bacterial infections like MRSA and cellulitis can spread into the bloodstream, causing septicemia and sepsis.
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