Impetigo Health Video

Video Transcript

DR. SUSAN L. MCGLADDERY: Hello, my name is Dr. Sue McGladdery and I'm the medical director from FirstMed Centers in Budapest, Hungary. I'd like to talk to you briefly about impetigo. This is a contagious skin infection which usually produces blisters or sores on the face and on the hands. It's one of the most common skin infections among children and it particularly affects preschool and school-age children especially during the summer months. It's usually caused by a group A streptococcus or Staph aureus bacteria. It's more likely to develop if the skin has already been irritated or injured; for example, if there's eczema or an insect bite or problems with skin allergy. Good hygiene can help to prevent impetigo which often develops when there's a sore area that has been scratched repetitively. It's typically treated with antibiotics and may affect skin anywhere on the body but it commonly occurs around the nose, in the mouth, on the hands, and on the forearms. The infection usually starts as blisters which later burst leaving weeping areas of red and sore skin and those become later covered by a golden colored crust. How infectious is impetigo? Well, it's very infectious and can spread to anyone who comes into contact with infected skin or even clothing, towels, and bed linen that have been touched by infected skin. It may be very itchy and can be spread to other parts of the body by scratching. So, how do we treat it? Well, those small areas, we can just treat by applying a topical antibiotic. If the infection has spread or the ointment isn't working, in that case, it's better to give an oral antibiotic. Also, it's important to keep the skin clean by washing with soap and water and even to cover if necessary. Also for children, it's very important to make sure that their fingernails are kept short and clean. What sort of things can you do to prevent impetigo? Well, it's very important that children use soap and water to clean their skin and be sure that they take a bath or have a shower on a regular basis everyday. Pay special attention to those areas of the skin that have been injured. If your child has signs of impetigo, you need to see your doctor and you should return to your doctor if no improvement occurs or there are signs of spread of the infection or if the fever develops.