Chapter 18 – Skin Infections Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about skin infections.

Staphylococcus aureus

Gram-positive bacterium; causative agent of folliculitis and abscess formation.

Coagulase

Virulence factor of Staph. aureus that clots blood.

Exfoliative toxin

A toxin produced by Staph. aureus that causes skin to peel in scalded skin syndrome.

Hyaluronidase

A virulence factor that enhances tissue penetration.

Protein A

A virulence factor that blocks phagocytosis.

TSST (Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin)

Superantigen produced by Staph. aureus.

Scalded Skin Syndrome

Skin infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus, characterized by reddened skin that peels in sheets due to exfoliative toxin.

Streptococcus pyogenes

Group A, β-hemolytic Streptococcus; causative agent of necrotizing fasciitis.

Exotoxin A

Superantigen produced by Strep. pyogenes that causes shock.

M protein

A virulence factor that blocks phagocytosis.

Hemolysins and streptolysins

Lyse red blood cells (RBCs) and neutrophils.

Streptokinase

An enzyme that dissolves clots.

Necrotizing Fasciitis

Flesh-eating streptococcal infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes.

Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV)

Causative agent of chickenpox and shingles.

Chickenpox

Infection caused by Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), characterized by fever and rash (vesicles) on the face/trunk.

Shingles (Herpes Zoster)

Reactivation of latent VZV, causing painful vesicles localized to a dermatome.

Dermatome

Area of skin innervated by a single spinal nerve.

Post-herpetic neuralgia

Chronic pain that can occur after a shingles outbreak.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Gram-negative bacterium; opportunistic pathogen causing burn wound infections, hot tub dermatitis, and swimmer’s ear.

Biofilm

A community of microorganisms attached to a surface, enclosed in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances.

Opportunistic infection

An infection that occurs when the body's immune system is weak.

Pyocyanin

Blue-green pigment produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa; siderophore for iron collection.

Siderophore

A molecule that binds and transports iron.