Extreme poverty in industrial countries

Abstract

Specific diseases of the underprivileged population - unemployed isolated or with families, drug addicts, migrants who live in precarious conditions - are commonly observed in industrialized countries. Lack of hygiene, deficiencies, hostile environment and unbalanced diet increase the prevalence of common dermatosis or create new ones. The most frequent are infectious skin diseases, including parasitic, bacterial or common dermatosis worsened by bacterial, mycological or viral infections. Their extreme severity may lead to emergency hospitalisation. Neglected wounds received through aggression may be very serious, and may lead to amputation as well as trophic troubles found on such fragile terrain for lack of daily care of diabetes, arteriopathy, neuropathy or another non-detectedunderlying systemic disease. Frequent unrecognized problems: Cutaneous abscesses and infections in IV drug users. Diffuse scabies (extremely contagious). Acute alcoholism may be the mask of another problem. © Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2009.