Hello! My name is Julie Hassler and I am the new Health Specialist
for Child and Youth Services at Fort Campbell. I am excited to be
working with all the CYS children and staff. Each month I will feature
a different
topic on the website so check back each month for information on
a variety of health topics as well as information on disease outbreaks
and
vaccination recommendations. Our old articles can be veiwed in the
Nurse's Corner
archive.
If there is anything you would like
to know, please “Ask
the Nurse”, by
emailing me here or
use the form to your right!
Impetigo – A Summer Time Tag-Along!
Impetigo, a contagious skin infection that produces sores or blisters on the face and hands, is one of the most common skin infections among kids.
Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection caused by either staphylococcus aureus (staph) or streptococcus (strep) bacteria. Impetigo is more prevalent in the summer months and usually affects preschool and school-age children. One of the reasons we see more impetigo in summer time is a child may be more likely to develop impetigo if the skin has already been irritated. Insect bites, poison ivy, chiggers, mosquito bites, and all the other biting critters that come out to play with us in summer are potential sources of skin irritation.
Good hygiene is our primary tool in preventing impetigo. Children are outside during the summer sweating and playing and getting dirty, as they should be; therefore, a daily bath is a necessity in summer. Children should keep their nails clipped short, wash their hands often, and be discouraged from scratching insect bites and other skin rashes.
In addition, teach children not to share towels at the pool or at home. And make sure during bath time that your child is actually using soap (it is amazing that they think we won’t notice that they just rinsed off in the water!)
However, even using our best preventive measures will not completely ensure children do not develop impetigo. Therefore, it is important that we are able to recognize impetigo and take the child to see their medical provider for antibiotic treatment. Impetigo most commonly occurs around the nose, mouth, hands, and forearms. It
usually begins as a blister that contains a clear or cloudy fluid that when it bursts dries into a yellow honey colored crust.
Impetigo is easily treated with antibiotics and is considered no longer contagious once the blisters have stopped oozing and no new blisters are developing. To keep your child from spreading impetigo to other parts off the body, cover the infected areas with a gauze bandage. Once the antibiotic treatment begins, healing should start within a few days. It is important that your child take the entire course of antibiotics as prescribed by their medical care provider.
Keep an eye on the sores and if your child’s skin does not begin to heal after 3 days of treatment or your child develops a fever or other signs of infection, notify your medical care provider.
Have fun this summer, and if impetigo happens to become a part of your summer adventure, relax, you know what to do!
Julie Hassler RN, LNC, CMC
CYS Health Specialist
