Which of the following is an autoimmune disease causing patches of abnormal skin that is red itchy w.

CIP Ranchi 2023

Medical Surgical Nursing

Medium

Appeared in: CIP Ranchi 2023

Explanation

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated disease where the body's immune system becomes overactive and attacks healthy skin tissue.
This autoimmune attack accelerates the life cycle of skin cells, causing them to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin.
The rapid cell turnover results in the formation of thick, inflamed, red patches of skin, often covered with characteristic silvery-white scales.
These psoriatic plaques are typically itchy and can sometimes be painful, matching the description in the question.

Option A: Acne is an inflammatory disorder of the pilosebaceous units (hair follicles and their associated sebaceous glands), not a primary autoimmune disease. It presents as comedones, papules, and pustules.
Option B: Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is primarily an inflammatory condition often associated with allergies and a hypersensitive immune response, rather than a classic autoimmune disease. Its lesions are typically dry, weepy, or crusted and lack the well-defined silvery scales of psoriasis.
Option D: Alopecia refers to hair loss. While alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, it specifically targets hair follicles, causing hair to fall out in patches. It does not cause scaly, red patches on the skin itself.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Differentiation of common autoimmune and inflammatory skin disorders helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses play a vital role in educating patients with psoriasis about their condition, including medication adherence, skincare routines (moisturizing, gentle cleansing), and identifying personal triggers.
Psychosocial support is a key nursing responsibility, as the chronicity and visibility of psoriasis can significantly impact a patient's body image, self-esteem, and mental health.
Monitoring for comorbidities is important, as psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease associated with an increased risk of psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome.

How to Approach the Question

This is a knowledge-based recall question that requires you to differentiate between common skin conditions.
First, identify the key descriptors in the question stem: 1) autoimmune disease, 2) red, itchy patches.
Evaluate each option based on these key features.
Eliminate Acne, as it's an inflammatory disorder of oil glands, not primarily autoimmune.
Eliminate Alopecia, as its primary manifestation is hair loss, not scaly skin patches.
Differentiate between Eczema and Psoriasis. While both are red and itchy, Psoriasis is the classic example of an autoimmune disease that produces well-defined, scaly plaques. Eczema is more often described as an allergic or atopic inflammatory condition.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Differentiation of common autoimmune and inflammatory skin disorders.
Stem keywords: autoimmune disease, patches, abnormal skin, red, itchy
Lead-in keywords: Which of the following
Negative lead-in flag: false

QSmHQwOJoc9WCsQI--lmZg

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 pp. 434-436, 433-435, 436-438