CNA

Scabies is a skin disease caused by a type of mite that is very small. The name of the mite is Sarcoptes Scabiei. Scabies is spread most often by direct contact with infected people or animals and less often with shared clothing or bedding. Is seen often in families or nursing facilities due to close people contact. The Scabies mite prefers hairless skin so it is usually seen below the neck especially between fingers and in skin folds. Infants or people with poor immune systems can be affected all over their body. Symptoms are caused by an allergic reaction to the mite proteins. Symptoms include severe itching and a red rash. The rash may be in a line or an 's'-shaped track in the skin. By scratching the affected area the mites can be spread to other areas of the body. Being warm such as bathing in warm water makes the itching worse. Scabies can be diagnosed best with a skin scraping and looking at that skin under a microscope to see the mites or their eggs and feces. Treatment is usually done topically with a medication like Elimite or Nix. It is applied at night and left on for 8-14 hours and then washed off. One application is usually enough to kill the mites. Sometimes a second treatment is necessary if the infection is severe. The topical treatment can be irritating to the skin. Bedding and clothing should be changed and washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer. Bedding or clothing can also be closed up in a plastic bag as the mites will not live more than 2-3 days away from human skin. There is a medication that can be given by mouth in a single dose but is only for severe cases and not approved for infants or those with poor immune systems. Scabies is a reportable infection that all staff needs to know about. Contact precautions are necessary with use of gloves. Thorough hand washing is very important to prevent the spread of Scabies.

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