Skin Structure and Skin Conditions

Skin Protection

• Melanin helps prevent UV radiation from damaging deep structures of the skin.

Skin Conditions

• The ABCDE rule applies to Melanoma.

Inflammation Response

• Inflammation carries defensive cells to the area when the skin is injured.

Burn Injury

• The extent of a burn injury is estimated using the rule of nines.
• The thickness of the burn injury is used to classify the burn.

Burn Care

• When treating a burn, the first response is to check vital signs and apply ice to the burned area.
• It is not necessary to call 911 for burns to the head unless they are severe.
• Applying ointment to the burns should not be the first response.
• Drinking cool water is not a priority in preventing shock.
• Covering the burn is important to keep out bacteria.

Burns and Wound Care

• Kenneth, an auto mechanic, suffered a burn to his arm after accidentally coming into contact with a hot car motor, with a burned area extending from the upper arm to the mid-forearm.
• The priority action is to not remove the shirt from the burned area to avoid causing further damage.

Skin Functions

• The skin regulates body temperature by dilating or constricting blood vessels in the skin.

Skin Layers

• The hypodermis is primarily composed of adipose tissue.
• Keratinocyte cells are located in the epidermis layer of skin.
• Melanin, which protects underlying skin layers from UV radiation, is deposited throughout the epidermis.

Skin Layers and Components

• The dermis layer contains all of the major tissue types, including epithelial tissue, connective tissues, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue.
• Keratin, a durable protein, makes the epidermis layer waterproof and resistant to bacteria and viruses.

Skin Glands

• Sweat glands are found in the dermis layer.

Skin Color and Oxygen Levels

• When the supply of oxygen in the blood is low, the skin appears bluish.
• A person with a rich supply of oxygenated blood will have a pink hue of skin color.

Skin Cancer

• Melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer.

Skin Conditions

• A melanoma often begins with a mole.
• Basal cell carcinoma begins in the basal cells of the epidermis.
• Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the flat cells of the epidermis.

Other Options

• A verruca is a type of wart.
• Alopecia is a condition related to hair loss.
• Pediculosis is a condition related to lice infestation.

Skin Structure and Function

• Melanin helps prevent UV radiation from damaging deep skin structures.
• Keratin makes skin waterproof and resistant to bacteria and viruses.

Skin Injuries and Response

• Inflammation response to skin injury helps carry defensive cells to the area.
• The rule of nines is used to estimate the extent of a burn injury.

Burn Care

• When dealing with burns, it's essential to check vital signs and apply cool compresses to the burned area.
• Removing clothing stuck to burned area and checking for airway swelling are important steps in burn care.

Skin Layers

• The epidermis contains keratinocyte cells.
• The dermis is the skin layer that contains all major tissue types, including epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous tissue.
• The hypodermis is the layer composed mostly of adipose tissue.

Skin Color

• Low oxygen supply in the blood causes the skin to appear bluish.
• A rich supply of oxygenated blood gives the skin a pink hue.

Skin Cancer

• Melanoma is the most aggressive skin cancer and often begins with a mole.
• Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer.
• Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the flat cells of the epidermis.

Skin Structure and Function

• Melanin helps prevent UV radiation from damaging deep skin structures.
• Keratin makes skin waterproof and resistant to bacteria and viruses.

Skin Injuries and Response

• Inflammation response to skin injury helps carry defensive cells to the area.
• The rule of nines is used to estimate the extent of a burn injury.

Burn Care

• When dealing with burns, it's essential to check vital signs and apply cool compresses to the burned area.
• Removing clothing stuck to burned area and checking for airway swelling are important steps in burn care.

Skin Layers

• The epidermis contains keratinocyte cells.
• The dermis is the skin layer that contains all major tissue types, including epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous tissue.
• The hypodermis is the layer composed mostly of adipose tissue.

Skin Color

• Low oxygen supply in the blood causes the skin to appear bluish.
• A rich supply of oxygenated blood gives the skin a pink hue.

Skin Cancer

• Melanoma is the most aggressive skin cancer and often begins with a mole.
• Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer.
• Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the flat cells of the epidermis.

Conditions Requiring Chemotherapy

• Melanoma is a condition that may require chemotherapy.

Diseases with Multiple Stages

• Melanoma has five stages.

Causes of Eczema

• The causes of eczema are mostly unknown.

Skin Conditions Causes

• Herpes simplex is caused by a virus.
• Rosacea is caused by the dilation of small facial blood vessels, but the exact cause of this dilation is unknown.

Parasitic Infestations

• Pediculosis, which comes in three forms, is caused by lice.

Skin Infections

• Cellulitis is an inflammation of connective tissues in skin caused by bacteria.

Treatment of Skin Problems

• Scabies requires treating the whole family.

Skin Irritations

• Dermatitis can be caused by excessive rubbing of the skin.

Causes of Diseases

• Herpes simplex is caused by a virus.

Rosacea

• Rosacea is caused by the dilation of small facial blood vessels, but the underlying cause of this dilation is unknown.

Pediculosis

• Pediculosis, which comes in three forms, is caused by lice.

Skin Conditions

• Eczema causes are mostly unknown.
• Herpes simplex is caused by a virus.
• Rosacea results from dilation of small facial blood vessels, with an unknown cause.
• Pediculosis is caused by lice and comes in three forms.

Skin Structure and Function

• Melanin helps prevent UV radiation from damaging deep structures of the skin.
• The epidermis contains keratinocyte cells.
• The dermis contains all of the major tissue types, including epithelial tissue, connective tissues, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue.
• Keratin makes the epidermis waterproof and resistant to bacteria and viruses.
• Sweat glands are found in the dermis.
• The skin plays a role in regulating body temperature by dilating or constricting blood vessels in the skin.

Skin Cancer

• The most aggressive skin cancer is melanoma.
• The most common skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma.
• Melanoma often begins with a mole.
• Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the flat cells of the epidermis.

Skin Injuries and Burns

• Inflammation follows skin injury, carrying defensive cells to the area.
• The extent of a burn injury is estimated by using the rule of nines.
• Burns to the head can be serious, but may not always require immediate action.
• Burns to the arm may require removal of stuck clothing and checking for airway swelling.

Skin Appearance and Health

• Skin with a rich supply of oxygenated blood appears pink.
• Skin with a low supply of oxygen appears bluish.
• Cellulitis is an inflammation of connective tissues in skin caused by bacteria.
• Scabies requires treating the whole family.

Skin Problems

• Cellulitis is an inflammation of connective tissues in skin caused by bacteria.

Skin Problem Causes

• Scabies is a skin problem that requires treating the whole family.

Skin Problem Relationships

• Excessive rubbing of the skin can cause Dermatitis.

Skin Disorders

• Psoriasis is an inherited autoimmune disorder.
• Psoriasis is characterized by itchy, silvery, scaly lesions.
• Scabies is caused by mites that burrow beneath the skin.

Eccrine Sweat Glands

• Produce watery sweat
• Most numerous on palms of hands and soles of feet, not armpits and groin
• Activated primarily by heat, not nervousness or stress
• Become active during fetal development, not during puberty
• Help in thermoregulation by causing loss of body heat

Apocrine Sweat Glands

• Produce sweat with a high amount of protein
• Concentrated in armpits and groin, not on the forehead, neck, and back
• Become active during puberty, not during fetal development

Sweat Glands

• Apocrine sweat glands produce sweat with a high amount of protein
• They are activated primarily by emotional stimuli, not heat
• Apocrine sweat glands produce thicker sweat than eccrine glands
• These glands are most numerous in the armpits and groin area
• Apocrine sweat glands become active during puberty

Burn Classification

• A burn that causes only pain, swelling, and redness is a first-degree burn
• A first-degree burn affects only the outermost layer of the skin (epidermis)
• Second-degree burns involve both the epidermis and dermis
• Burns that do not affect muscles or bones are classified as partial-thickness burns
• Second-degree burns are also known as partial-thickness burns

Burns

• A full-thickness burn involves all layers of the skin and often the muscles and bones.

Skin Disorders

• A smooth, red sore with a slight waxy sheen on the skin may indicate Basal cell carcinoma.

Patient's Condition

• Joanne is in the office due to a rash on one side of her back and thigh.
• The rash is painful and has started to blister in some areas.

Diagnosis Questions

• Helpful questions to aid in diagnosis include:
  • "How many people live in your home?" (A)
  • "Have you noticed any similar symptoms in other family members?" (B)
  • "Did you have chickenpox when you were a child?" (C)

Hair and Skin Issues

• Alopecia is often inherited and leads to hair loss, but other causes include hormonal changes, chemotherapy, stress, burns, and fungal skin infections.

Sweat Glands

• Apocrine glands produce a thicker type of sweat that contains more proteins and are mostly concentrated in areas of skin with coarse hair.

Hair Muscles

• Arrector pili muscles are attached to hair follicles and cause goose bumps.

Skin Infections

• Cellulitis is an inflammation of connective tissues in skin, primarily occurring on the face and legs, caused by staphylococcal and streptococcal bacteria.

Skin Discoloration

• Cyanosis is a condition where the skin appears bluish due to low oxygen supply in the blood.

Skin Disorders

• Dermatitis is a general term for inflammation of the skin or a rash that can have many causes, and is a sign of many types of skin disorders.

Shingles

• In shingles, a painful blistering rash occurs along the dermatome, which is the skin area along the pathway of the affected nerve root.

Skin Layers

• The dermis is the layer of skin deep to the epidermis and contains all the major types.
• The epidermis is the most superficial layer of the skin and is made up of many layers of tightly packed cells.

Eczema

• Eczema is a type of chronic dermatitis that has acute phases, and its causes are mostly unknown, but it is thought to be a type of allergy or the result of an underlying inflammatory condition.

Skin Conditions

• Folliculitis is an inflammation of hair follicles caused by shaving, excess rubbing, or bacteria and fungi from prolonged wet swimwear or undertreated hot tubs.
• Herpes Simplex types 1 and 2 are caused by a virus, with type 1 causing cold sores, being highly contagious, and spreading through saliva.
• Herpes Simplex type 2, also known as genital herpes, is sexually transmitted.
• The Varicella-Zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, can become dormant in the spine's dorsal nerve root and reactivate later in life to cause shingles, also known as Herpes Zoster.

Skin Layers

• The subcutaneous layer of skin is also known as the Hypodermis.

Bacterial Infections

• Impetigo is a skin condition characterized by oozing lesions that eventually crust over with a distinctive honey-colored crust, and is highly contagious for those who come in contact with the lesions or exudates.

Epidermis Structure and Function

• Keratin is the durable protein that makes the epidermis waterproof and resistant to bacteria and viruses.

Cell Types in the Epidermis

• The most common cell type in the epidermis is the keratinocyte.

Nail Structure

• The lunula is the white half-moon-shaped area at the base of a nail and contains very active keratinocytes.

Skin Pigmentation

• Melanin is the pigment that traps ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and prevents the radiation from harming structures in the underlying layers of the skin.
• All people have about the same number of melanocytes, regardless of skin color; what varies from person to person is how active the cells are in producing melanin.

Skin Conditions and Disorders

• Pediculosis is a skin condition caused by parasitic lice, often associated with overcrowded conditions and poor hygiene.

Autoimmune Disorders

• Psoriasis is an inherited autoimmune disorder that causes recurring episodes of itching and redness, accompanied by distinctive silvery, scaly skin lesions.

Facial Disorders

• Rosacea is a skin disorder characterized by facial redness, predominantly over the cheeks and nose, resulting from dilation of small facial blood vessels.

Contagious Skin Conditions

• Scabies is a highly contagious skin condition caused by the itch mite, requiring treatment of an entire family if one member is infected.

Skin Glands

• Sebaceous glands produce an oily substance called sebum, which is secreted onto hairs to keep them soft and pliable, and prevent bacteria from growing on the skin.

Ringworm on the Scalp

• Ringworm on the scalp is known as Tinea capitis.

Evaluating Melanoma with the ABCDE Rule

• Asymmetry: A mole should look equal in size from side to side.
• Border: A mole's border should be irregular, not blurring into nearby normal tissue.
• Color: A mole's color should be even, not lightening or darkening.
• Diameter: A mole should not grow larger than 6mm in diameter.

Cancer Warning Signs

• The American Cancer Society has put together seven cancer warning signs for adults using the acronym CAUTION.

Skin Function

• Skin excretes small amounts of waste products, such as water and salts, through perspiration.

Skin Receptors

• Sensory receptors in the skin detect touch, heat, cold, and pain.

Skin Lesions

• A skin lesion that consists of a large blister or cluster of blisters is called a Bulla.
• Skin lesions that originate from disease or body changes are called Primary lesions.

Types of Lesions

• Lesions caused by a reaction to external traumas are known as secondary lesions.
• Anomalies of the blood vessels, such as telangiectasias or ecchymoses, are vascular lesions.

Scars and Bleeding Disorders

• A scar inside a wound or tissue is known as a cicatrix.
• Bleeding disorders may cause pinpoint skin hemorrhages known as petechiae.

Abnormal Scar Tissue Growth

• A keloid is an overgrowth of scar tissue.

Skin Lesions and Inflammation

• An elevated, infected skin lesion that contains pus is known as a Pustule.
• Inflammation is characterized by redness, swelling, localized warmth, and pain.

Causes of Redness

• Redness around an inflamed area is caused by the dilation of nearby blood vessels.

Response to Injury

• When the structures and blood vessels of the dermis are injured, a blood Clot forms initially.

Scars

• The major component of scars is a whitish fiber called Collagen.