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Acne Help (Home) > Rare Skin Disorders > Impetigo

Impetigo Skin Infection: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention

Impetigo is a skin infection caused by bacteria. It is 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 it often appears on other parts of the body

Symptoms of Impetigo

Impetigo begins as a cluster of small blisters that expand and rupture within the first 24 hours. The thin yellow fluid that drains from the ruptured blisters quickly dries forming a honey-colored crust. Impetigo develops most frequently on the legs, but may also be found on the arms, face and trunk. There is usually no fever.

Causes of Impetigo

The usual cause of impetigo is the bacterium. Bacteria can live harmlessly on your skin until they enter through a cut or other wound and cause an infection.

In adults, impetigo is usually the result of injury to the skin - often by another dermatological condition such as dermatitis. Children are commonly infected through a cut, scrape or insect bite, but they can also develop impetigo without having any notable damage to the skin. Impetigo that strikes healthy skin is called primary impetigo.

Treatment for Impetigo

The treatments for impetigo may vary depending on your child's age, the type of impetigo and the severity of the infection. Treatments include:

• Hygienic measures: Sometimes your doctor may choose to treat minor cases of impetigo with hygienic measures. Keeping your child's skin clean and bacteria-free can help mild infections heal on their own.
• Topical antibiotics: In some cases, doctors may prescribe an antibiotic that you apply to your child's skin (topical antibiotic), such as mupirocin ointment (Bactroban). Topical antibiotics avoid side effects such as diarrhea that can result from oral medications, but as with oral antibiotics, bacteria can become resistant to them over time.
• Oral antibiotics: Your doctor is likely to prescribe an oral antibiotic for ecthyma and severe cases of impetigo contagiosa. The type of antibiotic will depend on the severity of the infection and any other allergies or conditions your child might have. Be sure to finish the entire course of medication even if your child seems better. This helps prevent the infection from recurring and makes antibiotic resistance less likely.

Impetigo Prevention

Simple cleanliness and prompt attention to minor wounds will do much to prevent impetigo. Persons with impetigo or symptoms of GABS infections should seek medical care and if necessary begin antibiotic treatment as soon as possible to prevent spread to others. Individuals with impetigo should be excluded from school, day care, or other situations where close person-to-person contact is likely to occur until at least 24 hours after beginning appropriate antibiotic therapy. Sharing of towels, clothing, and other personal articles should be discouraged.

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