For the purpose of this essay, I am going to explore a skin infection. I will do this by researching impetigo symptoms, causes, and treatments. Impetigo, also known as a school sore, is most common in children in elementary. Most people believe that impetigo should not be an infection for children to get. It is mostly contagious in elementary because impetigo is itchy so when children itch it, it spreads when they touch the playground or the table. Bullous impetigo is a type of impetigo that look like bigger blisters. The skin on the top of these blisters is very thin and peels off, leaving large red areas under the skin.
It may occur on your face, arms, legs, or bottom. It is more likely to be in areas which already have another skin condition, such as eczema. Ecthyma is a more uncommon type of impetigo where the holes in the skin are quite deep, forming ulcers. In this paper, I will discuss that parents should treat their children who have impetigo. Specifically, I argue that parents need to get their children checked for the skin infection which is impetigo. Parents argue that sense their children are getting this skin infection that the school should provide the antibiotics.
Also, parents ask how did my child get the infection is the school not sanitary. Although some schools are not sanitary they could get it from other places it is just most common in school. Therefore they could get it even playing on the playground or at a park. It is very contagious as if there were skin to skin contact then anyone could get it. Schools argue that if a child has impetigo, they should not attend school. Also, that children could get it elsewhere and not just at the school. Impetigo and scabies have had history of being classified for one another. Infected and non-infected scabies and impetigo were the most common diagnoses made by a pediatrician” (Validation of an Integrated Management of Childhood Illness 3).
This quote tell the reader that scabies and impetigo are common in children. Also, for the parents who have no time on their hands, this is contagious not just to children. Adults can get it too, and who had this just need to go and get the treatment. Nonetheless, some bacterias can lead to impetigo. “Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection. It causes red sores that can break open, ooze fluid, and develop a yellow-brown crust” (Impetigo- Topic Overview).
This sores can be anywhere on the body. “Impetigo is a common, superficial bacterial infection primarily caused by Staphylococcus aureus” (Use of Primary Care Use of Primary Care Data for Detecting Impetigo Trends, United Kingdom, 1995-2010 1). Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive coccal bacterium that is found around the nose where impetigo is mostly founded too. “Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A streptococcus) is a Gram-positive, nonmotile, non-spore forming coccus that occurs in chains or in pairs of cells” (Todar’s Online Textbook of Bacteriology 1).
Streptococcus pyogenes is a type of bacterium that affects impetigo. Secondly, these are the common places to get impetigo. Wiley-Blackwell states in his book, “Impetigo is the most common skin infection of children and occurs particularly in tropical or subtropical regions, or during summer months in the northern hemisphere” (Wiley-Blackwell 216). Impetigo is a contagious bacterial skin infection forming pustules and yellow, crusty sores, if a child doesn’t get treatment then other child could get it.
Also, it may be more common in other places. This statistics will show which the environmental as in rural, urban, and both that has the most common impetigo: “Studies were classified broadly as rural (n = 61), urban (n = 15) or both (n = 13). A higher prevalence of impetigo was reported from rural locations compared to urban settings (Table 6). Most studies were from tropical environments, 67/89 (75%) with the remainder from cold 9/89 (10%), temperate 9/89 (10%) and arid 4/89 (5%) climates. ” (The Global Epidemiology of Impetigo)
This shows table shows that impetigo is most common in a rural setting. About 75% in the study had impetigo that lived in a rural environment. All things considered, there are multiple ways of treating impetigo, and here are some of those. Wiley-Blackwell mentioned, “Systemic antibiotics are needed for severe cases or if a nephritogenic strain of streptococcus is suspected (penicillin V)” (Wiley-Blackwell 216). Systemic antibiotics are the treatment for impetigo but the child who has it could not get the treatment until their results are available. Patient seeking consultation for impetigo were identified by diagnostic Read codes, and some general practitioners might prescribe fusidic acid without recording a diagnostic acid” (Use of Primary Care Use of Primary Care Data for Detecting Impetigo Trends, United Kingdom, 1995-2010 2). The cure is an antibiotic named fusidic acid, which is a bacteriostatic antibiotic cream that you apply where the infection is.
“Antibiotics are applied directly onto the skin. The doctor might prescribe mupirocin ointment (Bactroban). Before applying intment, scabs need to be gently removed so that the antibiotic can get deep into the skin” (Nordqvist). Mupirocin is an antibacterial ointment used to treat small areas of skin infection. As a matter of fact, there are many credible sources that can justify the following cases of impetigo. “The sensitivity for classifying impetigo was only 70%, but in some cases the nurses identified scabies, whereas the paediatrician assigned two discrete classifications of scabies and impetigo” (Validation of an Integrated Management of Childhood Illness 4).
This citation means scabies and impetigo are separate grouping. In the United States impetigo affects more than million people, “The rash typically appears 4-10 days after you have been infected with bacteria. Small blisters develop at first. You may not see the blisters, as they usually burst to leave scabby patches on the skin” (Dr. Tim). This infection is for a common type call non-bullous impetigo. Most records of impetigo were removed which complicated some statistics, this quote and graph states: “Of the 1007 titles identified, 952 were from database searching and 55 from additional sources (Fig 1).
Two hundred and thirteen duplicate records were removed and 628 papers excluded, due to insufficient data on impetigo or because the studies were conducted in dermatology clinics or hospitals. ” (The Global Epidemiology of Impetigo) This figure has a layout of what they claim that some cases of impetigo was deleted. Also, that the studies occurred in a dermatology clinic and a hospital. Lastly, it is highly recommended follow these safety procedures. “If you or your child has impetigo, scratching the sores can spread the infection to other areas of your body and to other people.
Wash you or your child’s hands with soap to help prevent spreading the infection” (Impetigo- Topic Overview 2). By washing everything that your child touches will prevent other child and adults from getting it. “Good hygiene is the best way to reduce the risk of developing or spreading impetigo” (Nordqvist). Parents should clean their child’s cuts, scrapes, grazes, and insect bites. “If somebody has impetigo, it is important to keep their belongings isolated from other people and to follow strict hygiene measures” (Nordqvist). If you have two children, the parents should separate them until they are treated.
If your child has impetigo again, it is said that: “A possible cause for this is that the bacteria that cause the infection can sometimes live in (‘colonise’) the nose. They do no harm there but sometimes spread out and multiply on the face to cause impetigo. If this is suspected, your doctor may take a swab of the nose. The swab is then sent to the laboratory to look for certain colonising bacteria. If necessary, a course of antibiotic cream applied to the area just inside the nose can clear these bacteria. The cream most often used in these cases is called Naseptin. ” (Dr. Tim)
Impetigo could come back and if so then parents need to take their child to the doctors to get tested to see what real cause is. Finally, parents need to get their children checked for the skin infection which is known as impetigo. Impetigo is contagious bacterial skin infection. This infection makes your skin color yellow and sores. Impetigo is mostly common in a rural setting. There are many treatments for impetigo, all of which need to prescribed by a doctor. Both parents and children need to be treated for impetigo should they become infected by it. Together we can prevent and decrease the rising number of impetigo cases.