How to Treat Impetigo in a Child
The contagious skin infection known as impetigo is most commonly caused by staphylococcus aureus or group A streptococcus. Symptoms of this infection include blisters and sores on the hands, feet, neck and diaper area of infants and school-age children. There are two different types of impetigo. One is called bullous impetigo, which consists of large blisters. The other type of impetigo is called non-bullous impetigo, which appears as a crust on the infected areas.
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Things You'll Need
- Gauze pads
- Soap
- Water
- Antibiotic ointment
- Band-Aids
- Medical tape
- Oral antibiotics (as needed)
Instructions
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Wash the infected areas. To remove the crusty areas, saturate the area with warm, soapy water for 15 minutes before gently patting the area dry with another gauze pad. Continue to wash the infected areas even as the sores and blisters begin to heal.
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Apply antibiotic ointment to infected areas. If your child has a small patch of impetigo, it can be treated with an antibiotic ointment like Bactroban.
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Cover the infected areas with gauze, tape or a plastic bandage to prevent the impetigo from spreading.
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Make sure your child does not pick at his sores. It can cause them to spread. If needed, cover their hands with gauze or Band-Aids to prevent scratching.
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If your child has larger patches of impetigo, your child's doctor may prescribe antibiotics in the form of pills or liquid. Make sure your child takes the medication as directed. It can take up to one week for the sores to disappear.
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Since impetigo is contagious, do not let your child share her clothing, towels, washcloths, etc. Make sure to wash each of these items in hot water after each use.
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Tips & Warnings
If your child develops a fever, increased pain, swelling, warmth, redness or pus, you should call his doctor's office immediately.
