SCABIES – Causes of Scabies, Clinical Manifestations and Community Standing Order/Management (COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING)
Scabies is a contagious disease caused by a mite, sarcoptes scabiei. The disease is spread through contact with individuals or rarely through contact with infected clothes, bed linen or towels
CAUSES OF SCABIES
- Unhygienic living conditions
- Lack of personal hygiene
- Sharing of clothes and bedding
- Neglected health
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS
- The main complaint is itching. Its starts in the evenings and is generally during the day. Often scabies starts in the hands, later the insects spread to the trunk, elbows, armpits, waist, genitals, and buttocks and under the breasts in women
- Scabies lesions are dry, if infected by bacteria, the lesion look messy since there is pus. Infection also causes fever. Natural itching also leads to ulcer to scratching by fingers
COMMUNITY STANDING ORDER/MANAGEMENT
- Assess the general condition
- Examine the family members for scabies
- Secondary infections should be treated with antibiotics
- Provide bath, scrub well with scalp and water and dry
- Apply Benzyl benzoate – 25% emulsion external use all over the body at night except face – continuously 3 days
- Advise to wash all the linens in hot water used by the patient and dry under the sunlight
- Sulfur ointment can also be used in a similar manner for 3 days
- Inform the patient that treatment is incomplete unless one more cause of treatment for 3 days is done after a period of two weeks
- Examination and treatment should be given for schoolmates, playmates and family members
- Health education should be given to the family members
