Dermatologic manifestations of nosocomial infections.

There is no substitute for preventing dermatologic infection in a hospitalized patient by maintaining intact, well nourished skin. The integrity of the integument becomes assaulted on a daily basis from a variety of methods. Measures to lessen this risk can be undertaken, but it may not be totally preventable. The phenomenon of infected desquamated squamous cells being dispersed into the environment by patients and health care workers is one that deserves further study. If this proves to be an important factor, hospital spread of bacteria may indeed be unavoidable. It is hoped that this review will serve as a starting point in an area short on clinical data. Further study into this arena is clearly needed.