Skin Infections

Bacterial infections of the skin include impetigo, boils and cellulitis. These are treated with topical, oral and in severe cases IV antibiotics. The development of MRSA or resistant staph bacteria, makes early diagnosis, culture and treatment even more important.

Fungal infections include “ringworm”, “jock itch”, “athlete’s foot” and fungal nail infections. On the skin these appear as dry scaling patches. Involved nails are often thickened and crumbly. A related condition is cutaneous candidiasis which is a yeast infection often in warm moist areas like the diaper area or below womens’s breasts. These skin conditions can be treated with both topical and oral medications. The effective treatment of nail fungal infections remains a more challenging problem.

Scabies is a contagious infection caused by a burrowing mite. It affects people of all races, ages and income levels and is usually spread by skin to skin contact. Scabies causes an extremely itchy rash and can be diagnosed by a simple skin scraping. Treatment usually involves a topical prescription cream but an oral medication is available for severe cases.