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ERYSIPELAS
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ERYSIPELAS (a See also:Greek word, probably derived from ipvOpos, red, and 2riXXa, skin)—synonyms, the See also:Rose, St See also:Anthony's Fire—an acute contagious disease, characterized by a See also:special inflammation of the skin, caused by a streptococcus. Erysipelas is endemic in most countries, and epidemic at certain seasons, particularly the See also:spring of the. See also:year. The See also:poison is not very virulent, but it certainly can be conveyed by bedding and the clothes of a third See also:person. Two varieties are occasionally described, a traumatic and an idiopathic, but the disease seems to depend in all cases upon the existence of a See also:wound or See also:abrasion. In the so-called idiopathic variety, of which facial erysipelas is the best known, the point of entry is probably an abrasion by the lachrymal duct. When the erysipelas is of moderate See also:character there is simply a redness of the integument, which feels somewhat hard and thickened, and upon which there often appear small vesications. This redness, though at first circumscribed, tends to spread and affect the neighbouring See also:sound skin, until an entire See also:limb or a large See also:area of the See also:body may become involved in the inflammatory See also:process. There is usually considerable See also:pain, with See also:heat and tingling in the affected See also:part. As the disease advances the portions of skin first attacked become less inflamed, and exhibit a yellowish See also:appearance, which is followed by slight desquamation of the cuticle. The inflammation in See also:general gradually disappears. Sometimes, however, it breaks out again, and passes over the area originally affected the second See also:time. But besides the skin, the-subjacent tissues may become involved in the inflammation, and give rise to the formation of pus. This is termed phlegmonous erysipelas, and is much more See also:apt to occur in connexion with the traumatic variety of the disease. Occasionally the affected parts become gangrenous. Certain complications are apt to arise in erysipelas affecting the See also:surface of the body, particularly inflammation of serous membranes, such as the pericardium or pleura. Erysipelas of the See also:face usually begins with symptoms of. general illness, the patient feeling languid, drowsy and sick, while frequently there is a distinct rigor followed with See also:fever. Sore See also:throat is sometimes See also:felt, but in general the first indication of the See also:local See also:affection is a red and painful spot at the See also:side of the See also:nose or on one of the cheeks or ears. Occasionally it would appear that the inflammation begins in the throat, and reaches the face through the nasal fossae. The redness gradually spreads over the whole surface of the face, and is accompanied with swelling, which in the lax tissues of the cheeks and eyelids is so See also:great that the features soon become obliterated and the countenance wears a hideous expression. Advancing over the See also:scalp, the disease may invade the See also:neck and pass on to the See also:trunk, but in general the inflammation remains confined to the face and See also:head. While the disease progresses, besides the pain, tenderness and heat of the affected parts, the constitutional symptoms are very severe. The temperature rises often to 105° or higher, remains high for four or five days, and then falls by crisis. See also:Delirium is a frequent See also:accompaniment. The attack in general lasts for a See also:week or ten days, during which the inflammation subsides in the parts of the skin first attacked, while it spreads onwards in other directions, and after it has passed away there is, as already observed, some slight desquamation of the cuticle. Although in general the termination is favourable, serious and occasionally fatal results follow from inflammation of the membranes of the See also:brain, and in some rare instances sudden See also:death has occurred from suffocation arising from oedema glottidis, the inflammatory See also:action having spread into and extensively involved the throat. One attack of this disease, so far from protecting from, appears rather to predispose to others. It is sometimes a complication in certain forms of exhausting disease, such as See also:phthisis or typhoid fever, and is then to be regarded as -of serious import. A very fatal See also:form occasionally attacks new-See also:born infants, particularly in the first four See also:weeks of their lives. In epidemics of puerperal fever this form of erysipelas has been specially found to prevail. The treatment of erysipelas is best conducted on the expectant See also:system. The disease in most instances tends to a favourable termination; and beyond See also:attention to the See also:condition of the See also:stomach and bowels, which may require the use of some See also:gentle laxative, little is necessary in the way of See also:medicine. The employment of preparations of See also:iron in large doses is strongly recommended by many physicians. But the See also:chief point is the See also:administration of abundant nourishment in a See also:light and digestible form. Of the many local applications which may be employed, hot fomentations will be found among the most soothing. Dusting the affected part with powdered See also:starch, and wrapping it in See also:cotton See also:wadding, is also of use. In the See also:case of phlegmonous erysipelas complicating wounds, See also:free incisions into the part are necessary. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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