Red wind — erysipelas

Red wind (erysipelas) is an acute contagious skin disease. It is caused by Streptococcus beta-haemolyticus group A, a bacterium from the streptococcus family, which enters the skin through minor trauma and usually affects legs or head. How is the Red wind transmitted? Erysipelas is transmitted only through direct contact with an infected person, and the incubation period lasts three to four days.

Red Wind — Symptoms

The first symptom in most patients is a rapid rise in body temperature, which can be as high as 40°C, with an intense fever. At the same time, general malaise, headache, nausea and vomiting are present. After 12 to 24 hours, the skin around the affected area tightens and itches, and after 24 hours a strong reddening develops, which spreads and rises from the skin. The affected skin has sharply limited redness and is swollen with general symptoms of an infection. The infected area is warm, tense, tight, shiny, with clearly pointed edges, very red and painful.

Red wind — Treatment

A dermatologist diagnoses red wind by examining the skin lesion, its characteristics, frequency of occurrence and the symptoms accompanying it. The diagnosis is confirmed by laboratory blood analyses, showing a pronounced leucocytosis with polynucleosis, accelerated sedimentation rate and fibrinogen. Treatment of erysipelas includes antibiotics therapy — penicillin is the most effective antibiotic in therapy that should be administered as soon as possible to avoid more severe infections and spreading to other organs. If the patient is allergic to penicillin, other antibiotics or sulfonamides can be administered. When treated timely and with appropriate medications, the temperature drops within seven days while the stain on the skin becomes less red and pronounced. With the administration of therapy, other symptoms of the disease disappear as well. It should be noted that excessive alcohol consumption, poor nutrition and systemic diseases of the organism are factors that can contribute to the development of this condition.

Erysipelas — Types of disease

In addition to the typical red wind — erysipelas, there are attenuated, ambulant and recurrent forms of the disease.

Attenuated erysipelas

Attenuated erysipelas has a limited lesion spreading and minor general disorders, such as headache or nausea.

Ambulant erysipelas

Ambulant erysipelas is characterised by the spreading of skin lesions, accompanied by a raised body temperature.

Recurrent erysipelas

Recurrent erysipelas is characterised by the formation of new red spots at certain intervals, after the resolution of the previous ones. References:
Autor
Svetlana Đurišić specijalista dermatovenerologije

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