A young mother brings her three-month old baby into the doctor's office where you work as an RN. The baby is miserable and the mother reports that he has developed a fever, which is why she has brought him to the doctor. She tells you that the child is particularly upset when she changes his diaper and that he seems to have diaper rash, which she attributes to the fact that her son's diaper isn't always changed promptly enough at the day-care facility he goes to daily. In fact, she has recently switched him to another facility. You remove the child's diaper and immediately see that he has a very red rash on his buttocks and genital area. There is also red, scaly skin in the area where his diaper touches his thighs. You suspect that this may be more than just a typical case of diaper rash.
-The mother asks you whether her child needs penicillin. You tell her

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Penicillin targets the synthesis of peptidoglycan, a component of bacterial cell walls. Candida albicans, the fungus that commonly causes diaper rash, has a chitin cell wall, which is not targeted by penicillin. Therefore, penicillin is not an appropriate treatment for diaper rash caused by fungal infection. Antifungal medications would be more appropriate.

A Young Mother Brings Her Three-Month Old Baby into the Doctor's