What are the symptoms of impetigo?

Red patches, which give way to small tense water-clear vesicles that quickly rupture, ooze for a few days and then form a yellowish-brown crust. The lesions can appear anywhere in the body but usually occur around the nose and mouth. Itching and soreness are generally mild.

How does my child get impetigo?

When a child comes into contact with the lesions of someone who's infected or with items they've touched — such as clothing, bed linen, towels and even toys. It's especially easy to pick it up if the child has an open wound due to injury, insect bite or a fresh scratch or if it suffers from atopic dermatitis. Impetigo spreads easily in:

1. crowed places (ex: schools).
2. sports which involve skin to skin contact (ex: football).
3. humid and warm weather (is more common in summer).

Is impetigo dangerous?

It is a disease that is easily treated when diagnosed in early stages. Rarely might appear more serious complications such as:

Cellulitis: This is a potentially serious infection that affects the underlying the skin tissues and may spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream. Untreated cellulitis can quickly become life-threatening.
Scarring: When the infection becomes “deep” the ulcers produced can leave scars.
Kidney problems: This might appear in “neglected” cases when the streptooccus bacteria are the cause of impetigo.

What is the treatment?

We use topical antibiotic creams, antiseptic solutions and oral antibiotics for at least 10 days. One should carry on to complete the treatment as it’s been prescribed by the dermatologist even though the sores might have cleared up sooner.

What should I do if my child suffers from impetigo?

• Keep him/her away from school.
• Keep the skin lesions clean and dry and cover them with loose clothing or gauze bandages.
• Wash your hands after you‘re taking care of your child’s patches.
• Wash their clothes, sheets and towels at a high temperature
• Wash or wipe down their toys with detergent and warm water.

end faq