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Scabies in the Nursing Home

  • Skin, Soft Tissue, Bone and Joint Infectious Diseases (TS Dharmarajan, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Scabies infection is antediluvian and ubiquitous both in developing and developed countries, yet often neglected. Scabies has a predilection to infect vulnerable subsets of population in crowding conditions, typically applicable to residents in the nursing home. The mite incites a unique immunological response from human hosts. Scabies does not manifest as a singular skin condition and may present atypically in older adults, the majority of nursing home residents, where delay has deleterious consequences. Further, pruritus or itching, the hallmark of scabies infection, is a common complaint from a variety of causes among older adults. Hence, the diagnosis is often delayed or missed. There are several pharmacological treatment options; long-term care practitioners need to understand the characteristics of each agent before selection. Even more relevant is the importance of nonpharmacological aspects of management, crucial in the success of averting spread or outbreaks in long-term care settings.

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Conflict of Interest

Pauline Suwandhi and T.S. Dharmarajan have no conflicts of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by the author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Montefiore Medical Center (Wakefield Campus), Bronx, NY, USA

    Pauline Suwandhi & T. S. Dharmarajan

  2. University Hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA

    Pauline Suwandhi & T. S. Dharmarajan

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  1. Pauline Suwandhi
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  2. T. S. Dharmarajan
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Correspondence to T. S. Dharmarajan.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Skin, Soft Tissue, Bone and Joint Infectious Diseases

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Suwandhi, P., Dharmarajan, T.S. Scabies in the Nursing Home. Curr Infect Dis Rep 17, 453 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-014-0453-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-014-0453-6

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