Impetigo

Treatment:

The goals of treatment are to cure the infection and relieve the symptoms.

A mild infection is treated with topical (applied to a localized area of the skin) antibiotics prescribed by the health care provider. A typical topical agent would be a prescription antibacterial cream such as Bactroban. Oral antibiotics frequently are prescribed and result in rapid clearing of the lesions. Typical antibiotics include erythromycin or penicillin.

Wash the skin several times a day, preferably with an antibacterial soap, to remove crusts and drainage.

Prevent the spread of infection. Wash clothing, washcloths, towels, sheets, and other items that come in contact with infection drainage in very hot (preferably boiling) water. Use a clean washcloth and towel each time. Do not share towels, clothing, razors, and so on with other family members. Wash the hands thoroughly after touching the skin lesions

Expectations (prognosis):

The sores of impetigo heal slowly and seldom scar. The cure rate is 100 percent but recurrences are frequent in young children.

Complications:

• spread of infection to other parts of the body. This is a common occurrence. Frequently a child is seen with multiple patches of impetigo.
• systemic infection leading to kidney failure (post streptococcal glomerulonephritis) this is a rare occurrence
• permanent skin damage, scarring (also extremely rare)

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms indicating impetigo are present.