Skin Infections: Which Student-Athletes Are at Greatest Risk?

Skin infections are a common ailment that affect all students, with increased risk to those students participating in sport and specifically contact sports. The types of skin infections that students are likely to encounter are categorized into three types: (a) bacterial, (b) viral, and (c) fungal. All three types of infection can appear benign at onset but can grow into serious disease and illness if not correctly identified and treated in a timely manner. A strong prevention program should be in place at all schools with appropriate resources in place (human and financial) to carry out proper cleaning of facilities, on-site examination by the school nurse or athletic trainer, and sufficient education of coaches, athletes, parents and administrators.

Registered nurse assessment and treatment of skin sepsis in New Zealand schools: the development of protocols

BACKGROUND

Skin infection is the commonest medical cause of hospitalisation in school children. Disadvantaged children, usually Maori or Pacific, have high rates of preventable diseases.

AIM

To improve access to early treatment for skin infections using nurse-led school clinics in South Auckland, including provision of antibiotics under delegated standing orders.

METHOD

Evidence-based protocols for the recognition and treatment of skin sepsis were developed following a literature search. A training package was developed for health professionals involved and outcome data were collected from a pilot study in which the protocols were trialled.

RESULTS

An algorithm for diagnosis of skin infections was adapted from Steer et al (Bull World Health Organ. 2009;87:173-9). Fusidic acid ointment was recommended as first-line treatment for localised impetigo. Twice daily oral cephalexin was recommended for extensive impetigo and cellulitis, for palatability and simplicity of dosing. Fifty-six episodes of skin infection received treatment under standing orders in the first 15 weeks of the pilot study.

CONCLUSION

Robust evidence to determine optimal choice, dosage and duration of antibiotic therapy for skin sepsis in children is lacking. The algorithms described are consistent with available evidence and provide a pragmatic approach for use in registered nurse (RN)-led school clinics.

Complications of cutaneous laser resurfacing: a nursing guide

Laser use for various cutaneous conditions has advanced rapidly in the past several years. Initial background and physical history is important when determining if a patient is a candidate for laser resurfacing. Nurses must be able not only to identify appropriate candidates preoperatively, but to discuss the risks associated with the procedure. Because proper postoperative management is critical to the healing process, nurses must identify complications early in their course to provide appropriate intervention and, thus, reduce long-term side effects.

Management of chronic left ventricular assist device percutaneous lead insertion sites

Patients with ventricular assist devices must necessarily have percutaneous leads linking the internal device to the external console. In the chronic circumstance, the percutaneous lead insertion site may become the location of irritation or infection. At the University of Pittsburgh, a procedure has been developed for care of this site. Since the institution of the procedure, 30 patients have been mechanically supported, representing a total of 1688 patient days of support. Positive cultures were obtained from the lead insertion sites of four patients in this series, whose length of support ranged from 72 to 144 days. All four patients were hemodynamically unstable requiring support with the intraaortic balloon pump before institution of the ventricular assist device, and two patients had significant risk factors for infection development at the lead insertion site before implementation. Two of the infections were considered minor, and posttransplantation sequelae developed in only one patient. With current therapeutic protocols and the defined procedure for care of the lead insertion site, the occurrence of positive cultures associated with clinical signs and symptoms of site infection appears to be infrequent.

Primary bacterial skin infections

Bacterial infections are among the most frequent inflammatory skin disorders. This continuing education article describes certain aspects of bacterial infections and outlines the medical and the nursing management. A comprehensive nursing care plan is listed.

[The use of new dressing resources in the nursing consultation]

The author performed the treatment of infected or non-infected wounds with the association of papain and 2 types of synthetic dressings: activated charcoal cloth dressing and hydrocolloid dressing. Eighteen (18) patients, mean age 58.4 years, were followed during 20 dressings. The treatment period was 2 1/2 months-3 months. The infected wounds were treated with the activated charcoal cloth dressing and the non-infected wounds with the hydrocolloid dressing. The evolution of wound healing until the tenth dressing, (about 1 month of treatment) showed that area initially affected was reduced between 48.6% and 89.7% until the twentieth dressing.

Management of cutaneous reactions and mechanical complications of central venous access devices in pediatric patients with cancer: algorithms for decision making

Surgically placed central venous catheters (CVCs) facilitate the delivery of medication and nutrition support for patients with malignant disease. There is little information regarding allergic reactions to materials used for standard CVC care or about mechanical complications associated with CVC use. This study describes allergic and mechanical complications that occurred in a series of 288 CVCs implanted in 238 pediatric patients with malignant disease. There were 20 episodes of cutaneous reactions to standard central line dressing care (alcohol/povidone-iodine/TegadermTM), 13 incidents of catheter exit site infections, and 14 experiences of mechanical breakage in external CVCs. Complications were managed from algorithms that provided a systematic sequence of nursing interventions for alternative catheter dressing techniques and line repair. Only two CVCs were removed because of progressive infection, and one catheter was removed because of occlusion after repair.