Impetigo: focus

Impetigo is a highly contagious skin infection that mostly affects children. It causes the formation of red, itchy blisters on the face, hands, limbs, and genital areas.
If the patient scratches the area, the serum-filled blisters will burst and will soon be replaced by yellow-brown scabs. The high contagiousness of the infection means prompt intervention is crucial. When impetigo occurs in children, this means keeping the child at home, and avoiding any and all contact with other children at daycare or school. Usually, the contagiousness disappears within 48 hours of starting treatment.

Description

Impetigo is the most common infection of infants and school-aged children. It causes red serum-filled blisters to form, most frequently around the mouth and nose. After itching, the blisters will burst open and yellow-brown crusts will then form. It is a highly contagious bacterial infection that is commonly transmitted within daycare and school settings. Impetigo is particularly common during summer periods when the hot humid weather increases the proliferation of bacteria.

Causes

The Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria cause impetigo. These bacteria are easily transmitted in shared living environments. For example, children in kindergarten or school are often in direct contact with dirty surfaces such as the floor, and then often touch each other during play which causes the transfer of the bacteria to others, thus causing the infection.

Symptoms

Symptoms of impetigo include:

• Red, serum-filled blisters
• Itching
• Inflammation of the skin around the nose, mouth and navel

As a result of itching and scratching, the blisters burst, exposing the skin to other bacterial infections that are potentially more dangerous than impetigo.
In some cases, untreated impetigo can evolve into much more serious illnesses, such as group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infections (GABHS), which can lead to complications with the kidneys. While rare, this infection causes little urine output, headaches and fluid accumulation that causes the legs and the face to swell.

Diagnosis

An impetigo diagnosis usually only requires a dermatologic examination, during which the typical lesions of the infection can be easily detected on the face or other areas of the body.
Blood tests are rarely necessary, unless a secondary infection (bacterial overinfection) has been detected.

Treatment

Treatment of impetigo differs depending on the timeliness of diagnosis. If diagnosed early, impetigo can be treated by applying Astringent Gel with aluminum chloride to all affected areas.
If impetigo is already widespread, an oral antibiotic will be administered.
It is important to treat all impetigo sufferers within a single community or shared living space at the same time.

Prevention

Impetigo can be prevented by checking lesions, ensuring blisters are not scratched and isolating the affected child. To reduce the infection spreading, it is crucial to keep the child at home for the whole period of the infection and for as long as the doctor determines.
In addition, ensure affected areas are kept clean and cover them to reduce the risk of infection if blisters break. Keep children’s nails neatly trimmed to reduce the risk of abrasions following scratching and ensure parents/guardians are washing their hands regularly.