Definition of honeycomb
Staphylococcus honeycomb or carbuncle (from the English word carbuncle) - not to be confused with anthrax - is a pyogenic infection of the skin, often involving a group of hair follicles; the infected material favors the formation of an accumulation of pus in depth, whose presence is perceived as a lump or a solid boil.
Causes
The skin blisters caused by carbuncle are the immediate consequence of a skin infection sustained by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, the same implicated in the most complex diseases, such as pneumonia and endocarditis. Bacteria infect the skin through cuts, scratches or skin lacerations; as soon as the staphylococcus comes into contact with the body, the neutrophils are activated to fight the infection. This mechanism leads to inflammation and the formation of pus, a mixture of bacteria, dead cells and old white blood cells that unites the various forms of staphylococcus carbuncle.
Ideally, honeycombs can form anywhere, even if they opt for the back and the neck as preferential targets; it is observed that staphylococcus carbuncles develop more frequently in men than women.
The people most at risk of combs are diabetics, immunocompromised people and all subjects sensitive to dermatitis: diabetes - as well as the alteration of the immune system - weakens the body, reducing its ability to fight infections, while other diseases skin (eg dermatitis) weaken and damage the natural protective barrier that each individual has: the skin. Among other risk factors, we cannot forget the poor personal hygiene, shaving and cuts on the skin. Close contact with a person suffering from carbuncle increases the risk of direct contamination.
Symptoms
The staphylococcus carbuncle appears as a set of bubbles and boils, of extremely variable dimensions: some patients develop small carbuncles, with dimensions comparable to those of a pea; others, instead, expand exaggeratedly, taking the form of a walnut or a golf ball. The honeycomb causes pain, annoyance local irritation and itching, which tend to accentuate with rubbing or, simply, with the skimming. Staphylococcus carbuncle can grow very quickly or reach a certain size and no longer grow; in general, these pus-filled bubbles have a whitish or yellowish nucleus, which tends to release liquid on the skin, to subsequently form a solid crust. But the symptoms that the staphylococcus carbuncle involves do not stop only at the skin: often, in fact, the patients who are affected complain of fatigue, chills, fever and general malaise.
- Staphylococcus honeycombs differ from normal boils because, in addition to growing over time, they heal very slowly and often leave a scar more or less evident after the pathogen is removed and the carbuncle bursts.
Complications
Also staphylococcus carbuncle can be potentially serious and create more or less serious complications. Following the formation of an anthrax blister, the infective staphylococcus can pass into the blood and create bacteremia or septicemia, thus also causing deep infections to the various districts and organs, such as endocarditis and osteomyelitis. The intrusion of staphylococcus in the blood can favor septic shock, putting at risk the survival of the affected patient.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is made through the physical examination of the patient's injuries: through the scrupulous observation of skin sores, the specialist is able to conjecture a first diagnosis, which will then be ascertained with a laboratory test performed on a pus sample . The analysis of the sample is useful to determine with certainty the bacteria involved in the infection, therefore, only later, it will be possible to establish a precise pharmacological cure.
Treatments and treatments
Pharmacological treatment is not always essential for the treatment of staphylococcus carbuncle: in some mild forms, it is sufficient to apply warm cloths directly on the lesion, in order to favor the outbreak, which marks the removal of the condition. Generally, two weeks are required for complete recovery for non-pharmacological healing. It is recommended NOT to squeeze the pus-filled boil with your hands, rather than letting the lesion run its course: a similar behavior favors the spread of the infection, worsening the conditions.
For larger carbuncles, hot packs are not enough: in this case, the doctor drains the pus through an incision made directly on the staphylococcus carbuncle tip. This practice, although rather annoying, shortens healing time, minimizing the risk of scarring.
If the staph honeycomb does not regress within 14 days of the onset of symptoms, systemic pharmacological treatment and / or topical application of specific antibacterials is recommended.
Sometimes, treatment for staphylococcus anthrax can be complicated because of the resistance that the bacterium produces to many antibiotics, such as methylcillin; starting from these assumptions, the need arose to devise new molecules - or to choose alternative drugs - to remove the bacterial strains of staphylococcus resistant to some antibiotics. Vancomycin, amoxicillin, cefazolin, ciprofloxacin and moxifloxacin, for example, are the most effective antibiotic drugs used in therapy for staphylococcus carbuncle.
