Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CONTRIBUTORS
- PREFACE
- Chap. 1 CELL INJURY AND CELL DEATH
- Chap. 2 CLEAN AND ASEPTIC TECHNIQUE AT THE BEDSIDE
- Chap. 3 NEW ANTIMICROBIALS
- Chap. 4 IMMUNOMODULATORS AND THE “BIOLOGICS” IN CUTANEOUS EMERGENCIES
- Chap. 5 CRITICAL CARE: STUFF YOU REALLY, REALLY NEED TO KNOW
- Chap. 6 ACUTE SKIN FAILURE: CONCEPT, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND CARE
- Chap. 7 CUTANEOUS SYMPTOMS AND NEONATAL EMERGENCIES
- Chap. 8 NECROTIZING SOFT-TISSUE INFECTIONS, INCLUDING NECROTIZING FASCIITIS
- Chap. 9 LIFE-THREATENING BACTERIAL SKIN INFECTIONS
- Chap. 10 BACTEREMIA, SEPSIS, SEPTIC SHOCK, AND TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME
- Chap. 11 STAPHYLOCOCCAL SCALDED SKIN SYNDROME
- Chap. 12 LIFE-THREATENING CUTANEOUS VIRAL DISEASES
- Chap. 13 LIFE-THREATENING CUTANEOUS FUNGAL AND PARASITIC DISEASES
- Chap. 14 LIFE-THREATENING STINGS, BITES, AND MARINE ENVENOMATIONS
- Chap. 15 SEVERE, ACUTE ADVERSE CUTANEOUS DRUG REACTIONS I: STEVENS–JOHNSON SYNDROME AND TOXIC EPIDERMAL NECROLYSIS
- Chap. 16 SEVERE, ACUTE ADVERSE CUTANEOUS DRUG REACTIONS II: DRESS SYNDROME AND SERUM SICKNESS-LIKE REACTION
- Chap. 17 SEVERE, ACUTE COMPLICATIONS OF DERMATOLOGIC THERAPIES
- Chap. 18 SEVERE, ACUTE ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTIONS I: URTICARIA, ANGIOEDEMA, MASTOCYTOSIS, AND ANAPHYLAXIS
- Chap. 19 SEVERE, ACUTE ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTIONS II: OTHER HYPERSENSITIVITIES AND IMMUNE DEFECTS, INCLUDING HIV
- Chap. 20 GRAFT VERSUS HOST DISEASE
- Chap. 21 ERYTHRODERMA/EXFOLIATIVE DERMATITIS
- Chap. 22 ACUTE, SEVERE BULLOUS DERMATOSES
- Chap. 23 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF PURPURA AND VASCULITIS, INCLUDING PURPURA FULMINANS
- Chap. 24 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISORDERS AND THEIR COMPLICATIONS
- Chap. 25 SKIN SIGNS OF SYSTEMIC INFECTIONS
- Chap. 26 SKIN SIGNS OF SYSTEMIC NEOPLASTIC DISEASES AND PARANEOPLASTIC CUTANEOUS SYNDROMES
- Chap. 27 BURN INJURY
- Chap. 28 EMERGENCY DERMATOSES OF THE ANORECTAL REGIONS
- Chap. 29 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AND OTHER GENITOURETHRAL DISORDERS
- Chap. 30 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SKIN DISORDERS: HEAT, COLD, ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT INJURIES
- Chap. 31 ENDOCRINOLOGIC EMERGENCIES IN DERMATOLOGY
- Chap. 32 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF SKIN TORTURE AND SELF-INFLICTED DERMATOSES
- Chap. 33 SKIN SIGNS OF POISONING
- Chap. 34 DISASTER PLANNING: MASS CASUALTY MANAGEMENT
- Chap. 35 CATASTROPHES IN COSMETIC PROCEDURES
- Chap. 36 LIFE-THREATENING DERMATOSES IN TRAVELERS
- Index
- References
Chap. 6 - ACUTE SKIN FAILURE: CONCEPT, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND CARE
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CONTRIBUTORS
- PREFACE
- Chap. 1 CELL INJURY AND CELL DEATH
- Chap. 2 CLEAN AND ASEPTIC TECHNIQUE AT THE BEDSIDE
- Chap. 3 NEW ANTIMICROBIALS
- Chap. 4 IMMUNOMODULATORS AND THE “BIOLOGICS” IN CUTANEOUS EMERGENCIES
- Chap. 5 CRITICAL CARE: STUFF YOU REALLY, REALLY NEED TO KNOW
- Chap. 6 ACUTE SKIN FAILURE: CONCEPT, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND CARE
- Chap. 7 CUTANEOUS SYMPTOMS AND NEONATAL EMERGENCIES
- Chap. 8 NECROTIZING SOFT-TISSUE INFECTIONS, INCLUDING NECROTIZING FASCIITIS
- Chap. 9 LIFE-THREATENING BACTERIAL SKIN INFECTIONS
- Chap. 10 BACTEREMIA, SEPSIS, SEPTIC SHOCK, AND TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME
- Chap. 11 STAPHYLOCOCCAL SCALDED SKIN SYNDROME
- Chap. 12 LIFE-THREATENING CUTANEOUS VIRAL DISEASES
- Chap. 13 LIFE-THREATENING CUTANEOUS FUNGAL AND PARASITIC DISEASES
- Chap. 14 LIFE-THREATENING STINGS, BITES, AND MARINE ENVENOMATIONS
- Chap. 15 SEVERE, ACUTE ADVERSE CUTANEOUS DRUG REACTIONS I: STEVENS–JOHNSON SYNDROME AND TOXIC EPIDERMAL NECROLYSIS
- Chap. 16 SEVERE, ACUTE ADVERSE CUTANEOUS DRUG REACTIONS II: DRESS SYNDROME AND SERUM SICKNESS-LIKE REACTION
- Chap. 17 SEVERE, ACUTE COMPLICATIONS OF DERMATOLOGIC THERAPIES
- Chap. 18 SEVERE, ACUTE ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTIONS I: URTICARIA, ANGIOEDEMA, MASTOCYTOSIS, AND ANAPHYLAXIS
- Chap. 19 SEVERE, ACUTE ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTIONS II: OTHER HYPERSENSITIVITIES AND IMMUNE DEFECTS, INCLUDING HIV
- Chap. 20 GRAFT VERSUS HOST DISEASE
- Chap. 21 ERYTHRODERMA/EXFOLIATIVE DERMATITIS
- Chap. 22 ACUTE, SEVERE BULLOUS DERMATOSES
- Chap. 23 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF PURPURA AND VASCULITIS, INCLUDING PURPURA FULMINANS
- Chap. 24 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISORDERS AND THEIR COMPLICATIONS
- Chap. 25 SKIN SIGNS OF SYSTEMIC INFECTIONS
- Chap. 26 SKIN SIGNS OF SYSTEMIC NEOPLASTIC DISEASES AND PARANEOPLASTIC CUTANEOUS SYNDROMES
- Chap. 27 BURN INJURY
- Chap. 28 EMERGENCY DERMATOSES OF THE ANORECTAL REGIONS
- Chap. 29 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AND OTHER GENITOURETHRAL DISORDERS
- Chap. 30 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SKIN DISORDERS: HEAT, COLD, ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT INJURIES
- Chap. 31 ENDOCRINOLOGIC EMERGENCIES IN DERMATOLOGY
- Chap. 32 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF SKIN TORTURE AND SELF-INFLICTED DERMATOSES
- Chap. 33 SKIN SIGNS OF POISONING
- Chap. 34 DISASTER PLANNING: MASS CASUALTY MANAGEMENT
- Chap. 35 CATASTROPHES IN COSMETIC PROCEDURES
- Chap. 36 LIFE-THREATENING DERMATOSES IN TRAVELERS
- Index
- References
Summary
PHYSICIANS AND health care professionals working at hospitals and in acute care facilities strive to prevent and treat organ failure on a daily basis. The skin is one organ system that is usually overlooked when considering organ failure. The concept of skin failure is not well circulated in the medical world but is an important topic that should be addressed. The potential for a severe prognosis and increased morbidity and mortality is a significant reason why skin failure needs to be addressed.
WHAT IS SKIN FAILURE?
Failure of any organ system occurs when its normal tasks and functions can no longer be performed. The same goes for the integument, which is the largest organ of the body. The skin plays many important roles. It acts as a physical barrier against trauma and aids in the prevention of foreign materials, including bacteria, from entering the body. Conversely, this barrier also prevents loss of body fluids and essential nutrients, such as protein and iron. Normally functioning skin also serves in temperature regulation, detection of sensation, toxin excretion, and vitamin D synthesis and as an immune modulator. When this organ loses the ability to maintain temperature control; when it can no longer retain the balance of fluids, electrolytes, and nutrition; and/or when it fails as a mechanical barrier, skin failure has occurred.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Emergency Dermatology , pp. 62 - 65Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011