A mother brings her 8-year-old daughter into an urgent care clinic. The child has a dry, flaky, and peeling rash around her mouth. The mother states she has treated the rash with a number of different lotions, but the lesions persist. She is looking for information on how to make her daughter stop licking her lips, as she thinks this is causing the lesions. Upon assessment, the nurse notes circumoral blisters and honey-colored crusts. In the medical history, the mother reports her daughter has not had any other symptoms, including fever, nausea, vomiting, and malaise.
-The lesions are diagnosed as S.aureus impetigo.The nurse is educating the mother about why her daughter's affected skin seems so fragile and blisters easily.Which of the following statements is most appropriate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Impetigo is caused by a bacterial infection with S. aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes. S. aureus produces an exotoxin that targets desmoglein 1, a protein responsible for cell-to-cell binding in the superficial layer of the skin. This results in the formation of bullae or blisters that are fragile and easily ruptured, leading to the honey-colored crusts seen in impetigo. The other choices do not accurately explain the pathophysiology of impetigo.

A Mother Brings Her 8-Year-Old Daughter into an Urgent Care