Problem
Jerry Olaf is a 64-year-old man living in Flagstaff, Arizona. One morning in March, Mr. Olaf was playing fetch with his dog, Diego, in the back yard. Upon a missed catch by Diego, Mr. Olaf ventured towards a small stream where the dog toy landed. While bending down to pick up the toy he, unfortunately, took a spill and got a minor cut on his right forearm. Mr. Olaf briefly cleaned his wound and covered with a bandage. A few hours later he noticed that the area around the wound had started to swell. He decided to make a visit to his physician to have it checked out. Initially, Mr. Olaf received a triple antibiotic ointment designed for application to superficial skin wounds as well as a general cleaning and bandaging of the wound. He was then sent home.
The next day, Mr. Olaf woke early and experienced continued swelling as well as pain with blistering, warmth to the touch in the area where his forearm was cut, and what appeared to be a spreading red rash. He also was experiencing a fever of 101.1 F immediately made another appointment with his physician to address the issue.
Task
A. Which layers of tissue in the skin may be damaged from a cut or scrape on the surface of the body? Describe the specific layers that may be involved.
B. What are the functions of the skin as it pertains to the immune system? Explain.
C. What is a differential diagnosis?
D. Research Mr. Olaf's symptoms and determine a differential diagnosis by listing at least two different possible conditions that match some or all of Mr. Olaf's symptoms. Justify why you selected each of the conditions on your list.
E. Explain the distinction between signs and symptoms. What are Mr. Olaf's signs and symptoms?
F. If you were Mr. Olaf's physician what tests might you perform in order to find signs related to his condition to help you determine a diagnosis? List and describe two specific clinical tests that might provide helpful information.