Skin or Soft Tissue Infection

Skin or Soft Tissue Infection General Information

Many skin disorders are considered annoying and unaesthetic because they affect the appearance of patients. People usually focus on how they look and not on the disorder, ignoring the fact that their quality of life may be seriously damaged if the medical condition is not treated in time, before it reaches severe stages. This type of skin infection is very common and usually responds rapidly to oral antibiotics. In the case that the empirical treatment has no results, then the patient was probably exposed to unusual organisms or substances. The severity of Skin or Soft Tissue Infection varies from trivial to lethal.

This medical condition may become a considerable cause of mortality if not treated in due time. These common infections arise from bacteremia or skin branches, but occasionally, they tend to manifest as generalized infections, for example endocarditis. In rarer cases, a localized type of this medical condition affecting the skin can lead to profound systemic illnesses that are characterized by severe pain, hypotension, necrosis of the affected tissue and rapid progression to multisystem failure and even death. Because without a proper treatment, Skin or Soft Tissue Infection has high mortality rates, early recognition is essential for the patient’s future health status. Some of the most common skin disorders of such kind are: impetigo, follicullitis, cellulitis, skin abscess and furuncles, toxic shock syndromes etc.

Skin or Soft Tissue Infection Symptoms

Every person should know at least some of the most important signs and symptoms specific for Skin or Soft Tissue Infections. Knowing the main characteristics and manifestations of a medical condition may help both the patient and the doctor notice the disorder in time and treat it. The main signs and symptoms of this type of skin disorder are experienced by almost all the patients and range in severity, from mild to moderate and then to severe. Because the immune system of each patient reacts in a different way when it is attacked, some people may accuse particular and unique manifestations that are not specific for this type of disease. Also, the signs and symptoms of Skin or Soft Tissue Infection depend on the organism that caused the illness.

People may experience the symptoms all over their body, but the most sensitive locations are: the face (especially around the mouth and nose), arms, legs and abdomen. Usually, the site of the infection becomes reddish and painful. It may sometimes present swelling and it may feel tender to touch or warm. The harmful agents responsible with the occurrence of Skin or Soft Tissue Infection can cause small lesions, spots or bumps that can change quickly when they are exposed to sun.  More general symptoms include one or more of the following: sweating, fever, dizziness, rashes, nausea and vomiting, general ill feeling, chills, profound weakness, and in severe stages, shock. All these manifestations may be spontaneous or they may appear gradually, as the disease progresses.

Skin or Soft Tissue Infection Treatment

Skin disorders must be treated as soon as they start to manifest. An early diagnosis followed by the proper medical treatment increases the chances of a full recovery in a short period of time. You are strongly advised to contact your health care provider or any other trained specialist in dermatological problems as soon as you start experiencing any of the signs and symptoms that we have listed above, in the anterior chapter (those that are specific for Skin or Soft Tissue Infections). This type of infectious disease must be carefully diagnosed. During the medical examination you will be asked about your signs and symptoms and about your personal medical history. After the physical exam is done, the health care provider must perform several additional tests that help him/her rule out other similar medical conditions and the distinguish the microorganisms responsible for Skin Or Soft Tissue Infection.

Knowing what organisms are involved is important in the choice of antimicrobial therapy. The diagnosis is set on the appearance of lesions, system toxicity and degree of pain. Imaging tests, for example MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan or CT (computerized tomography) scan are sometimes very helpful. Also, tests performed on tissues from the affected area, fluids or blood may also help determine the bacterium that is causing the Skin or Soft Tissue Infection. After the diagnosis is known for sure, the health care provider must immediately proceed with the adequate treatment option. The main aims of a therapy are to kill the bacteria in time and to relieve the signs and symptoms. In most cases, powerful broad-spectrum antibiotics are the main therapy choice. These drugs are usually given into the vein (IV), in milder cases. Also, if the patient has a stable condition, home-based intravenous (IV) therapy is a perfect alternative. The most commonly used antibiotics is Penicillin IV, administrated twice a day, until the bacteria is killed. Besides this medication, specialists use Cephalexin or Erythromycin.

Some more severe cases require monthly injections Benzathine, Methicillin and so on. In some cases, the organism responsible for the occurrence of Skin or Soft Tissue Infection can develop resistance to these drugs. For example, Streptococcus Aureus is resistant to B-lactam antibiotics. Patients with a seriously damaged health status may need immediate hospitalization. In the case of toxic shock syndromes, inclusion of Clindamycin in the initial antibiotic therapy may provide a better outcome. If the tissues are seriously affected and even die, doctors will choose to apply surgery to drain the infected areas and to remove the dead skin. Transplant with antibodies (immunoglobulins) is also considered a good option to treat Skin or Soft Tissue Infections. All the prescribed medicines must be taken as the doctor ordered. You must avoid losing a dose or overdosing, as well as stopping the treatment before the right term. Otherwise, you may develop severe side effects that are harder to treat and interfere in the process of healing, delaying the expected results. Check the drug prescription and the ingredients of the drug before starting the therapy.