Skin Conditions & Treatments > Impetigo
For more information about these skin conditions please visit:
Dermatology A-Z
What causes impetigo?
Impetigo is a skin infection caused by bacteria. Its most common in children and is contagious. Impetigo
forms round, crusted, oozing spots that grow larger day by day. The hands and face are the favorite locations for impetigo, but if
often occurs on other parts of the body.
How does one get impetigo?
While the bacteria causing impetigo may have been caught
from someone else with impetigo or boils, impetigo usually begins out of the blue without any apparent source of infection. Wrestlers
and athletes in contact sports are prone to impetigo.
Treatment
Antibiotics taken by mouth usually clear up impetigo in four
or five days. Its most important for the antibiotic to be take faithfully until the prescription supply is completely used up. In
addition, an antibiotic ointment should be applied thinly 2-4 times per day
Crusts should be removed before ointment is applied. Soak
a soft, clean cloth in a mixture of one-half cup white vinegar and a quart of lukewarm water. Press this cloth on the crusts for about
10-15 minutes, three to four times per day. Then gently wipe off the crusts and smear on a little antibiotic ointment. You may stop
soaking when the crusts no longer form. When the skin has healed, stop the antibiotic ointment.
Contagion
Impetigo is contagious when
there is oozing or crusting. While its contagious, take the following precautions:
Patients should avoid close contact with other
people
Children should be kept home from school for 1-2 days
Use separate towels for the patient. His/Her towels, pillowcases and
sheets should be changed after the first day of treatment. The patients clothing should be changed and laundered daily for the first
two days
All of the above measure are only needed during the contagious-crusting or oozing-stage of impetigo. This should end within
2 days that treatment starts. Then children can return to school and normal laundering resumed.
Warning! If impetigo does not heal
within on week, please call the doctor
Click on the links below for more information:
