Contagious IMPETIGA

Impetigo (impetigo contagiosa, pyoderma) is a contagious bacterial infection of the skin that affects mostly children aged between two and five years, but can also affect older children and adults.

• • Impetigo is most commonly caused by a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus
  • Less commonly, the infection is caused by another bacterium – group A streptococcus Streptococcus pyogenes
  • Both bacteria can cause pyoderma
  • Impetigo is usually spread from person to person through direct skin to skin contact
  • Bacteria on healthy skin or through small cuts, scratches or other small openings (e.g. caused by insect bites) cause pyoderma
  • Impetigo infection spreads easily, especially between people who live together or who often spend time together (e.g. in a kindergarten group).

Clinic

• • Impetigo rashes are most often seen on the face, hands or feet;
  • Symptoms such as fever, severe pain, increasing redness and swelling, or loss of appetite indicate a more serious infection. If you are bothered by the following symptoms, contact your healthcare professional urgently

Rashes:

• • papules, vesicles and pustules (pustules);
  • yellow, golden, brown scabs
  • fluid-filled or flaccid blisters
  • ulcers with raised edges

Forms of impetigo:

• Non-bullousis the most common form. Characteristic papules, vesicles with surrounding erythema (redness). As the rash progresses, abscesses appear, which quickly enlarge and break out to form a yellowish scab.
• Bullous – as the vesicles grow larger, blisters with yellowish fluid form. Blisters filled with fluid become cloudy, and brown scabs form when the blisters rupture.
• Ecthema – damage to the superficial (epidermis) and deep layers of the skin, resulting in painful sores with yellow scabs and raised edges.

Diagnostics

• • Impetigo is usually diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, symptoms
  • Treatment can be started without any tests
  • To determine the cause (which bacteria caused the disease), bacteriological tests (culture), gram staining
  • As the disease spreads, blood tests may show an increase in the number of leukocytes in the blood and an increase in C-reactive protein.

Treatment

• • See a dermatovenereologist for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment
  • Treatment of impetigo is important to reduce the spread of infection, reduce discomfort and improve appearance
  • Blistering and non-bullous impetigo are treated with topical (applied) or systemic (oral tablets or capsules) antibiotics
  • Local (topical) antibacterial treatment is used for patients with limited, localised skin lesions, while systemic treatment is used for patients with a widespread rash or deep lesions.
  • Ectema is always treated with systemic medication.

Advice To reduce the spread:

• • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water (no matter what you touch) or disinfect them
  • Do not share personal items such as hairbrushes, towels, clothes, bedding (wash in hot water).
  • Do not share personal items such as hairbrushes, towels, clothes, bedding (wash in hot water).
  • If the rashes are wet, they must be covered. Use disposable wipes to blow your nose.
  • If you sneeze, cover your mouth with your shoulder or forearm, otherwise bacteria from your nose and mouth will end up on your hands and anything you touch.
  • Return to kindergarten, school – children can return 24 hours after starting effective antimicrobial treatment.
  • If your infectious impetigo recurs, contact your dermatologist.

Tags

Our other articles