Talk:Erysipelas

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This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 2 September 2020 and 11 December 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Mathewlm9447. Peer reviewers: Millerbj1837.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 20:50, 16 January 2022 (UTC)

This page could really be improved/paired down. It reads more like a summary of S. pyogenes than a description of one of it's symptoms. Drchazz (talk) 23:20, 30 October 2009 (UTC)

Please add a Link to Wagner's page —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.195.117.83 (talk) 18:35, 24 November 2009 (UTC)

Please add under Notable Cases “Fictional” the movie, Dr. Gillespie’s Criminal Case,1943. The children’s ward breaks out in severe cases of high fevers and erysipelas, while the doctors struggle to cure them. Nzinga115 (talk) 00:53, 3 February 2023 (UTC)

Alternate names
Is this really called St Anthony's Fire? Ergotism claims that name. WhatamIdoing (talk) 20:46, 11 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Cellulitis has been referred to as "Ignis sacer," and "St Anthony's fire," more specifically "Erysipelas." ---kilbad (talk) 02:53, 28 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Yet this article indicates that this condition is distinct from cellulitis: "Erysipelas can be distinguished from cellulitis by ...". 24.128.188.152 (talk) 01:45, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Erysipelas From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Erysipelas Classification and external resources

Erysipelas of the face due to invasive Streptococcus. ICD-10	A46.0 ICD-9	035 DiseasesDB	4428 MedlinePlus	000618 eMedicine	derm/129 MeSH	D004886 Erysipelas (Greek ἐρυσίπελας—red skin; also known as "Ignis sacer", "holy fire", and "St. Anthony's fire"[1]:260 in some countries) is an acute streptococcus bacterial infection[2] of the upper dermis and superficial lymphatics. Contents [hide] 1 Risk factors 2 Signs and symptoms 3 Etiology 4 Diagnosis 5 Treatment 6 Complications 7 Deaths 8 In animals 9 See also 10 Footnotes 11 External links [edit]Risk factors

This disease is most common among the elderly, infants, and children. People with immune deficiency, diabetes, alcoholism, skin ulceration, fungal infections and impaired lymphatic drainage (e.g., after mastectomy, pelvic surgery, bypass grafting) are also at increased risk. [edit]Signs and symptoms

Erysipelas on an arm Patients typically develop symptoms including high fevers, shaking, chills, fatigue, headaches, vomiting, and general illness within 48 hours of the initial infection. The erythematous skin lesion enlarges rapidly and has a sharply demarcated raised edge. It appears as a red, swollen, warm, hardened and painful rash, similar in consistency to an orange peel. More severe infections can result in vesicles, bullae, and petechiae, with possible skin necrosis. Lymph nodes may be swollen, and lymphedema may occur. Occasionally, a red streak extending to the lymph node can be seen. The infection may occur on any part of the skin including the face, arms, fingers, legs and toes, but it tends to favor the extremities. Fat tissue is most susceptible to infection, and facial areas typically around the eyes, ears, and cheeks. Repeated infection of the extremities can lead to chronic swelling (lymphadenitis). [edit]Etiology

Most cases of erysipelas are due to Streptococcus pyogenes (also known as beta-hemolytic group A streptococci), although non-group A streptococci can also be the causative agent. Beta-hemolytic, non-group A streptococci include Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as group B strep or GBS. Historically, the face was most affected; today the legs are affected most often.[3] The rash is due to an exotoxin, not the Strep. bacteria itself and is found in areas where no symptoms are present - e.g. the infection may be in the nasopharynx, but the rash is found usually on the face and arms. Erysipelas infections can enter the skin through minor trauma, insect bites, dog bites, eczema, surgical incisions and ulcers, and often originate from strep bacteria in the subject's own nasal passages. Infection sets in after a small scratch or abrasion spreads resulting in toxaemia. Erysipelas does not affect subcutaneous tissue. It does not release pus, only serum or serous fluid. Subcutaneous edema may lead the physician to misdiagnose it as cellulitis, but the style of the rash is much more well circumscribed and sharply marginated than the rash of cellulitis. [edit]Diagnosis

This disease is diagnosed mainly by the appearance of well-demarcated rash and inflammation. Blood cultures are unreliable for diagnosis of the disease, but may be used to test for sepsis. Erysipelas must be differentiated from herpes zoster, angioedema, contact dermatitis, and diffuse inflammatory carcinoma of the breast. Erysipelas can be distinguished from cellulitis by its raised advancing edges and sharp borders. Elevation of the antistreptolysin O (ASO) titer occurs after around 10 days of illness. [edit]Treatment

Depending on the severity, treatment involves either oral or intravenous antibiotics, using penicillins, clindamycin or erythromycin. While illness symptoms resolve in a day or two, the skin may take weeks to return to normal. Because of the risk of reinfection, prophylactic antibiotics are sometimes used after resolution of the initial condition. However, this approach does not always stop reinfection.[4] [edit]Complications

Spread of infection to other areas of body through the bloodstream (bacteremia), including septic arthritis. Glomerulonephritis can follow from a streptococcal erysipelas or other skin infection, but not rheumatic fever. Recurrence of infection—Erysipelas can recur in 18–30% of cases even after antibiotic treatment. Lymphatic damage Necrotizing fasciitis—commonly known as "the flesh-eating bug". A potentially deadly exacerbation of the infection if it spreads to deeper tissue. [edit]Deaths

Anne, Queen of Great Britain, 1714 Laura Bridgman, first deaf-blind American child to gain a significant education in English Patrick Clunie, Sgt., RCR, The South African War, 6 Sep 1900 Egisto C. Palmieri, California's first Italian-American State Senator, 1854–1901 Samuel Parr, English schoolmaster & author, 1747–1825 Rev. Robert Lusk, Reformed Presbyterian minister, 1781-1845, noted for his controversial ecclesiastical career. Father Solanus Casey, Capuchin monk and 20th Century spiritual figure, 1870–1957, USA[5] Charles Lamb Princess Amelia, daughter of George III Miller Huggins, manager of the New York Yankees from 1918 until his death in 1929 James A. Bailey Barry Edward O'Meara, Surgeon to Napoleon Bonaparte during his captivity on St. Helena George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, labeled as a victim of "King Tut's Curse". William H. Crawford, Secretary of the Treasury in the administration of President James Monroe. John of the Cross, Spanish poet and mystic Doc Middleton, outlaw, 1851–1913 John Stuart Mill; political philosopher most famous for his work On Liberty[6] Judith of Swabia, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III Rudolf Schmundt, victim of the attempt made by Claus von Stauffenberg on the life of Adolf Hitler. Herbie Roberts, former Arsenal footballer. Pope Gregory XVI Isaac V. Vanderpoel, NYS Treasurer 1858–1859 Mary Lyon, Educator and Founder of Mt Holyoke Female Seminary.1797–1849. John Dryden, English poet (1631–1700) Hannah Perkins Battersby, "fat lady" of the Barnum Circus (1841–1889) Édouard Lucas, (1842–1891) Famous French mathematician, inventor of the Tower of Hanoi puzzle, discovered that 2127 − 1 was prime and published 4 large volumes on recreational mathematics. John Brown, servant to Queen Victoria Ann Rogers Clark, mother of General George Rogers Clark, Revolutionary War Hero and Captain William Clark of Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery. Born 1734 Virginia, died 1799 Louisville, Kentucky Orlando Metcalfe Poe, Civil War engineer and officer, Great Lakes engineer including designer of the original Poe Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Saad Zaghloul, (1859–1927) Egyptian politician, prime minister 1924-1927. Johann Joseph Most, (1846–1906) German-American politician, newspaper editor, orator and anarchist Lieutenant Frederick Thies, (Apr 8, 1845 - Jan 20, 1888) 1st Lieutenant & Regimental Quartermaster of the 3rd Infantry; Fort Shaw, Montana Territory. Formerly served in Company M of the 7th Calvary. Official cause of death listed as; "Phlegmonous Erysipelas" Murray Morrison (1820–1871), California politician and jurist William Valentine Wright, creator of Wright's Coal Tar Soap, died September 1877. Albert Henry Washburn (1866-1930), U.S. Minister to Austria.[7] [edit]In animals

Erysipelas is also the name given to an infection in animals caused by the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae can also infect humans, but in that case the infection is known as erysipeloid. [edit]See also

Chronic recurrent erysipelas [edit]Footnotes

^ James, William D.; Berger, Timothy G.; et al. (2006). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 0-7216-2921-0. ^ "erysipelas" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary ^ See eMedicine link ^ Koster JB, Kullberg BJ, van der Meer JW (2007). "Recurrent erysipelas despite antibiotic prophylaxis: an analysis from case studies". The Netherlands journal of medicine 65 (3): 89–94. . ^ Wollenweber, Brother Leo (2002). "Meet Solanus Casey". St. Anthony Messenger Press, Cincinnati, Ohio, page 107, ISBN 1-56955-281-9, ^ Capaldi, Nicholas (2004). John Stuart Mill: a biography. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 356. ISBN 0-521-62024-4. ^ New York Times, April 3, 1930 [edit]External links

Erysipelas Overview Health in Plain English - with pictures Cellulitis Treatment for Skin Infection - Without Pictures — Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.161.71.151 (talk) 12:24, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

Rash located apart from the symptoms?
"The rash is due to an exotoxin, not the Strep. bacteria itself and is found in areas where no symptoms are present - e.g. the infection may be in the nasopharynx, but the rash is found usually on the face and arms."

Garbled sentence? I.E. the rash *is* one of the symptoms, maybe the primary one, so saying that the rash is found where no symptoms are present is nonsensical. WikiAlto (talk) 06:25, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

Translation into English, please?
When are articles like this one going to be translated into common English for us mere mortals who lack the necessary medical degrees to comprehend the dense layer of medicalese this article contains? It seems apparent that all that has happened here is that someone has copied the medical dictionary/encyclopedia content and pasted it into Wikipedia, which I am sure is fantastic for medical students, nurses and GPs, but fairly useless for the rest of us. At the bare-bones-least, the header summary should be devoid of medicalese, or a new section in plain English added. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, y'know, the online version of what E. Britannica used to be, simple, largely easy for any adult or even a child to understand; not the online version of Gray's anatomy!! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Aragond (talk • contribs) 01:32, 31 January 2014 (UTC)


 * I am broadly in agreement with you. The lead section should give an explanation sufficiently simple for an intelligent layman to understand, with the more technical material relegated to the detailed sections. LynwoodF (talk) 09:09, 31 January 2014 (UTC)

Streptococcus erysipelatus
A number of texts reference this organism as the primary cause.

All the best: Rich Farmbrough, 17:15, 23 April 2016 (UTC).

Sense?
"In animals, erysipelas is a disease caused by infection with the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae can also infect humans, but in that case the infection is known as erysipeloid." How does this make sense?? --31.0.124.127 (talk) 15:14, 26 October 2018 (UTC)

Another cause
I got this because my white blood cell count was down due to that being a side effect of chemotherapy. A small cut on my knuckcles blossomed to a huge infection covering the entire dorsal surface of my hand. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.191.157.230 (talk) 06:08, 23 March 2019 (UTC)

Thoughts and prayers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:282:103:6160:7D63:3B7B:320C:C512 (talk) 04:41, 24 January 2020 (UTC)