Painful, red mosquito-bite-looking bumps

[Divingdoc112]

There is an old saying in dermatology that every condition is an emergency because if you wait too long it goes away on its own. I agree that knowing what the circumstances are is important. Were you diving a dry suit or wet suit? A contact dermatitis or folliculits (staph in the hair follicle) from dirty or contaminated insulation in the dry suit is a possibility. A new soap used to clean the inner layer could also be the culprit. If a wet suit, the dermatitis could be contact or an infection - folliculitis or swimmers itch, etc. Don't forget pollution in the Sound, either chemical or sewage. Topical anticeptics like Neosporin works for treating or preventing further infection. Contact dermatitis is histamine mediated and will respond to hydrocortisone. Parasites like schistasomes (swimmers itch) cause a type of contact dermatitis. For more you can go to the New Zealans dermatology net at Marine wounds and stings. DermNet NZ

This message is only opinion and meant for information purposes and does not constitute treatment.
Hope this helps. Derm axiom: if it is wet, dry it... if it is dry, wet it.

 

[DandyDon]

Try Neosporin on one leg and hydrocortisone on the other and see which works best?

 

[fisherdvm]

There is an old saying in dermatology that every condition is an emergency because if you wait too long it goes away on its own.

That is funny.

By the way, welcome to Scubaboard. Any contribution is well appreciated.

 

[fisherdvm]

A contact dermatitis or folliculits (staph in the hair follicle) from dirty or contaminated insulation .

It is the season for staphylococcus aureus folliculitis and impetigo in Michigan right now, and I am sure it is out in the west too.

Hot, humid, sweaty environment means increased colonization of nasal passages. Eventually, groin, perianal, armpits and body folds.

All you need is a little moisture, friction, and maceration of the follicular openings - and they gain entry. Causing folliculitis and boils, and impetigo.

I think neosporin, bacitracin, and triple antibiotics have lost their place in the treatment of skin infections. Unfortunately, anything we use today will be ineffective 5 years later. I am guessing about 1/3 to 1/4 skin infections in the community are MRSA.

Most will resolve without antibiotics, but it sure helps if they got on some anti MRSA drugs. Things will clear up much faster, rather than trying neosporin. I am much more aggressive with proven MRSA, and recurrent folliculitis - usually pushing intranasal mucopuricin ointment; antibacterial soap like benzoid peroxide; and topical antibiotics in the body folds. So far, it has worked for me with the recurrent cases.

With the heavy rain in our area, one has to think of gram negative folliculitis as well.

 

[fisherdvm]

On the theory of whether staph aureus can be contracted by ocean water, an interesting study was done in Hawaii, http://www.infectiousdiseasenews.com/200711/guested.asp; and it is possible.... although unlikely.

As staph aureus is tolerant of salt environment, and can grow on salted ham, I think a more feasible theory is colonization of the bacteria on the wetsuit. If the wetsuit provide the proper nutrition, moisture... sweat, skin oil, dead skin, fungus - I would not doubt if left over night between dives - one can increase the infection rate by simply increasing the number of bacteria present inside the suit.

Things to think about - perhaps we should wash our wetsuit in antibacterial and antifungal soap? I've found those so called "antimildew" bath matts are only antimildew for a few weeks; then the black mould grows right into the plastic!!!

 

[DandyDon]

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[thecovetrix]

impetigo/staph infection. He suspects my wetsuit was the culprit. He prescribed doxycycline and recommended I figure out how to disinfect my wetsuit.

I've been researching how to successfully perform said disinfection, and found a couple of helpful scientific recommendations. For folks who think water or shampoo is all it takes... uh-uh. Looks like Lysol or a bleach solution are necessary. What's interesting is that it's a good way to keep from spreading coral disease and other nasty critters that can make the ocean a far less cool place to dive.

Here's a research abstract from the American Society for Microbiology

And looks like Fish & Wildlife considers that best practice, too.

I plan to do this as often as I can - at least once every couple days I dive.

Happy disinfecting, everyone!

 

[DandyDon]

impetigo/staph infection. He suspects my wetsuit was the culprit. He prescribed doxycycline and recommended I figure out how to disinfect my wetsuit.

I've been researching how to successfully perform said disinfection, and found a couple of helpful scientific recommendations. For folks who think water or shampoo is all it takes... uh-uh. Looks like Lysol or a bleach solution are necessary. What's interesting is that it's a good way to keep from spreading coral disease and other nasty critters that can make the ocean a far less cool place to dive.

Here's a research abstract from the American Society for Microbiology

And looks like Fish & Wildlife considers that best practice, too.

I plan to do this as often as I can - at least once every couple days I dive.

Happy disinfecting, everyone!

Kinda makes you want to not use shared rinse tanks too, huh? I stopped do that years ago. Good find, thanks. And glad it wasn't skin bends. I don't want to use bleach on suits, but this sounds okay....

2. the manufacturer’s recommended disinfection strength dilution of quaternary
ammonium compounds in “soft” (low concentration of calcium or magnesium
ions) fresh water. An example of an acceptable QAC solution is Lysol® All
Purpose Cleaner in a 6.6% Lysol in water dilution.

 

[LavaSurfer]

One more reason to dive dry :14:

Glad you got it figured out.

 

[thecovetrix]

I'm the OP - and now a couple of bumps have come back (even though I'm studiously soaking my gear in Lysol solution post-dive). My NEW doc says she doesn't think it's impetigo, but rather folliculitis - as suggested by some folks above. She put me on two weeks of Bactrim (sulpha).