Erythema
Formal Definition
Redness of the skin caused by increased blood flow to superficial capillaries, occurring in response to infection, inflammation, allergy, or injury; a primary descriptor in skin examination and a key diagnostic finding in conditions ranging from cellulitis to drug reactions.
How It's Used on the Ward
"Red and warm" or just "erythema" — used verbatim in clinical notes to describe inflamed, reddened skin. Students sometimes write "redness" in notes; the attending will correct it to erythema.
Example
""Right lower extremity with erythema, warmth, and induration extending 8 cm proximal to a puncture wound — marked the borders, started IV cephalexin, will reassess in 12 hours for spreading.""
Clinical Context
Erythema blanches with pressure (diascopy) — if it does not blanch, suspect purpura or petechiae (blood outside vessels). Erythema can be localized (cellulitis, contact dermatitis) or diffuse (drug rash, toxic shock, scarlet fever, erythroderma). Always note distribution, borders, whether it is blanching, presence of warmth, tenderness, and associated features (vesicles, scaling, induration). In cellulitis management, marking erythema borders with a skin marker is standard practice to track progression.
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