Types

• There are two strains of bacteria responsible for impetigo. One is called Staphylococcus aureus and the other is Streptococcus pyogenes. The former is the more common cause of the skin infection, which starts when the bacteria enter the skin through a wound, scrape, abrasion, cut, or bite from an insect. Adults can also contract impetigo but it is far more prevalent in children and babies. Once someone with impetigo comes into contact with items such as towels, linens, or toys they can transfer the bacteria to them, making them contagious if touched.
  
  

Features

• Red sores that take little time to open up and then ooze liquid for a few days are one symptom of impetigo. They will eventually crust over and become quite itchy. When the condition is severe these blisters will be filled with pus and hurt, then turn into ulcers. The common type of impetigo is called impetigo contagiosa and begins as a reddish sore, usually on the face that opens up, crusts over, and then goes away leaving no scars. The lymph nodes may swell with this type of impetigo and it is extremely contagious. Bullous impetigo is a disease of infants and toddlers under 2 years of age, with the sores showing up on the torso, arms, or legs. These sores last a little longer than other forms of impetigo but will scab over and then disappear. Ecthyma is a more serious kind of impetigo and goes further into the person's skin. It is characterized by painful sores that can fill with pus, normally on the legs and the feet. These can leave scars after they have crusted over.
  
  

Warning

• While the majority of impetigo cases are not considered serious there are times when the condition can become so. An inflammation of the kidneys known as poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis can evolve when the structures that filter kidney waste are damaged by antibodies created during an impetigo infection. In rare instances this can lead to chronic kidney failure. Cellulitis can sometimes occur, an infection that attacks the tissues beneath the skin, with the possibility of it spreading into the lymph nodes and bloodstream, a very dangerous circumstance. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, otherwise known as MRSA, is a potent infection that can affect the skin as a complication of impetigo, a condition that is hard to treat with typical drugs.
  
  

Considerations

• The treatment for impetigo depends on what kind it is. Topical antibiotics can be utilized on infected areas to speed up the healing process and stop itching. Oral antibiotics are often prescribed for impetigo in all its forms, since this treatment helps it from making a comeback down the road. In minor cases the treatment will most likely be simply keeping the affected region clean and wait for it to heal naturally.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• To prevent the likelihood of an impetigo infection it is prudent to keep the skin clean. All cuts and scrapes should be promptly treated with antibiotic ointments; this will kill or keep at bay those bacteria that cause impetigo. If someone does catch impetigo their clothes, towels, and linens should undergo daily washing and shouldn't be shared with other family members. Infant's fingernails can be cut short so they can't scratch themselves raw from the itching and infected children should be kept out of social settings until a doctor has cleared them.