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Scabies

Scabies is an infestation caused by the scabies mite burrowing into the skin, causing intense itching that is worse at night. It is transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact or contact with infected clothing or bedding. While the mites can survive up to a month on a human host, symptoms of scabies can last months or years as the mites lay eggs under the skin. Diagnosis is usually made through examination of symptoms and rash locations on the body, though skin scrapings under a microscope can confirm the presence of mites or eggs. Treatment involves applying topical creams or lotions to kill the mites and prevent reinfestation.

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Abdullah Mascardo Barabag
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347 views

Scabies

Scabies is an infestation caused by the scabies mite burrowing into the skin, causing intense itching that is worse at night. It is transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact or contact with infected clothing or bedding. While the mites can survive up to a month on a human host, symptoms of scabies can last months or years as the mites lay eggs under the skin. Diagnosis is usually made through examination of symptoms and rash locations on the body, though skin scrapings under a microscope can confirm the presence of mites or eggs. Treatment involves applying topical creams or lotions to kill the mites and prevent reinfestation.

Uploaded by

Abdullah Mascardo Barabag
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WHAT IS SCABIES?

Scabies is an infestation by the itch mite,Sarcoptes scabiei. Mites are small eightlegged parasites (in contrast to insects, which have six legs). They are tiny, just 1/3 millimeter long, and burrow into the skin to produce intense itching, which tends to be worse at night. The mites which cause scabies are not visible with the naked eye but can be seen with a magnifying glass or microscope.

A communicable disease of the skin characterized by the eruptive lesions produced from the burrowing of the parasite into the skin.

HOW DO YOU GET SCABIES?


Scabies affects everyone regardless of age, gender, race, social class, or personal-hygiene habits. Transmission of the mites involves close person-to-person contact of the skin-to-skin variety. It is hard, if not impossible, to catch scabies by shaking hands, hanging your coat next to someone who has it, or even sharing bedclothes that had mites in them the night before. The physical contact required to contract scabies may, however, be sexual, and sexual contact is the most common form of transmission among sexually active young people. However, other forms of physical contact, such as mothers hugging their children, are sufficient to spread the mites. Mode of Transmission

The disease is also be transmitted through sleeping in an infected bed or wearing infected clothing.
Anyone may become infected or re-infected. Infestation with mites may also result from contact with dogs, cats, and small animals.

HOW LONG DOES SCABIES LAST?


The mite cannot live more than three days without a human host, but it can survive up to a month when living on a human. The mite also lays eggs in human skin, which hatch and grow into adult mites. This means that symptoms of the condition can last for months or even years. Incubation It occurs within 24 hours from the original contact, the length of time required from itch mite to (burrow) or infected skin lay ova. Period of Communicability The disease is communicable for the entire period that the host is infected.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF SCABIES?


Scabies produce small red bumps and blisters and affect specific areas of the body. Scabies may involve the webs between the fingers, the wrists and the backs of the elbows, the knees, areas around the waist and umbilicus, the axillary folds, the areas around the nipples, the sides and backs of the feet, the genital area, and the buttocks. The bumps (medically termed papules) may contain blood crusts. It is helpful to know that not every bump is a bug. In most cases of scabies affecting otherwise healthy adults, there are no more than 10 or 15 live mites, even if there are hundreds of bumps and pimples." Itching

When secondarily infected the skin may feel hot and burning but this is a minor discomfort.
When large areas are involved and secondary infection is severe there will be fever, headache and malaise. Secondary dermatitis is common.

HOW IS SCABIES TESTED AND DIAGNOSED?


Most cases of scabies can be diagnosed by describing the symptoms to the doctor and by examination of the skin. There is no blood test for scabies.

Sometimes, the doctor will do a skin scraping to make or confirm the diagnosis. This is performed by placing a drop of oil or saline on top of an affected area. Then using a scalpel, the area is scraped, and the material that was collected is placed on a slide to examine under a microscope. The doctor will look for the mite or its eggs.
The doctor may perform a felt-tip-marker test by drawing a washable felt-tip marker across the rash and then wiping it off with alcohol. This may help to identify a burrow because the ink penetrates deep into the skin. Often, there are a few mites that can be hard to find. Therefore, even if the scrapings are negative, the doctor may still recommend treatment if he or she is very suspicious that scabies is present.

TREATMENT
The whole family should be examined before undertaking treatment, as long as a member of family remains infected, other members will get the disease

Treatment for scabies consists of application of pediculicide, like permethrin cream of lindane lotion in thin layer over the entire skin surface and is left for ten to twelve (10-12) hours.
Crotamiton cream applied for five consecutive nights. Eurax and kwell lotion also prove effective to some patients. All clothes used before and during the treatment period should be disinfected by dry cleaning or boiling.

PREVENTION AND CONTROL


GOOD PERSONAL HYGIENE REGULAR CHANGING OF LINEN

KEEPING THE HOUSE CLEAN


IMPROVING THE SANITATION OF THE SURROUNDINGS

NURSING INTERVENTION
Instruct patient to apply the cream at bedtime, from neck down to toes, covering the entire body. Advise patient to report any skin irritation. Suggest the family members and other close contact of the patient be checked for possible symptoms and be treated if necessary. If patient is hospitalized, practice good handwashing technique, or use gloves while performing nursing procedure. Terminal disinfection should be carried out after discharge of patient.

WHAT IS NORWEGIAN SCABIES?


The term "Norwegian scabies" refers to a particularly severe form of scabies that is also known as crusted scabies. Crusted scabies has been called Norwegian scabies because the condition was first described in Norway in the mid-19th century. Norwegian scabies is different from traditional scabies as there seems to be a problem with the immune response to the mites, allowing for the infestation of an individual with hundreds of thousands of the mites. Crusted scabies almost always affects people with a compromised immune system and is observed most frequently in the elderly, mentally or physically disabled, and in patients with AIDS, lymphoma, or other conditions that decrease the effectiveness of the immune response. The lesions of this distinctive form of scabies are extensive and may spread all over the body. The elbows, knees, palms, scalp, and soles of the feet are most commonly the original sites of involvement, and the scaly areas eventually take on a wart-like appearance. The fingernails can be thickened

SOURCES:
http://nursingcrib.com/communicable-diseases/what-is-scabies/ http://www.medicinenet.com/scabies/article.htm

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