Given his occupation, a nurse practitioner must constantly wash his hands with antibacterial soap between patients. After awhile, he begins to notice itchy, flaky patches of skin on his hands. He determines that this is the result of an overgrowth of yeast on his skin. This skin condition is likely the result of:
A)an allergic reaction to the antibacterial soap, which weakened the nurse's immune system.
B)a (bacterial)Staphylococcus infection that provided optimal conditions for yeast growth on the man's skin.
C)a decrease in the amount of "good" bacteria that would otherwise out-compete yeast on the man's skin.
D)the antibacterial soap killing normal yeast on the man's skin, allowing for pathogenic yeast to colonize his skin.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Antibacterial soap can disrupt the normal microbiota on the skin and kill off the "good" bacteria that would normally out-compete yeast. This disruption can lead to an overgrowth of yeast on the skin, leading to symptoms like itchy, flaky patches.

Given His Occupation, a Nurse Practitioner Must Constantly Wash His