Family Health
Itchy and Scratchy: A Guide to Common Schoolyard Infections Common schoolyard infections include Impetigo (school sores), threadworms, and head lice. Contracting these infections is not a sign of poor hygiene or poor parenting; it’s just a common part of normal childhood. We spoke with A/Prof David Coman; Medical Director of Paediatrics at The Wesley Hospital to get more information about these common schoolyard infections, what to look out for and how to treat them.
Impetigo 'School Sores'
2. Signs and symptoms
3. Treatment
1. General Information
The sores usually develop under the nose and on the face, but can also occur on the arms and legs. The sores usually start as itchy red blisters which then burst leaving red and weeping skin. This area usually ten becomes covered with a yellow “honey” colored crust.
Impetigo responds well to a range of treatments, but it’s important for the child to be seen by a Medical Doctor.
Impetigo is a highly infectious skin infection that is more commonly referred to a “school sores”. It is most commonly cause by one of two bacteria, staphylococcus aureus or group , β-haemolytic streptococcus. These bacteria can normally live on the skin, in the throat or nose, or on other parts of the body without causing a problem but sometimes they start to cause an infection such as impetigo. Impetigo can occur on healthy skin, or on skin already “broken skin” e.g. due to a scratch or an insect bite. Impetigo is more common in the summer months.
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Most children find Impetigo to be itchy; scratching these lesions helps spread the infection to other parts of the body and to other children. This is especially important as the sore fluid and the crust of the sores contain the bacteria. The sores usually develop 1-3 days after exposure to the infection, and is infectious as long as it’s weeping.
Your Local Families Magazine – Brisbane Issue 5 - August/September 2014
Wipe the crusts off the sores, and use adhesive dressings to stop the child scratching the sores. Antibiotics are usually needed and may take the form of topical antibiotics (ie applied to the sores), and oral antibiotics. It’s not uncommon that the Medical Doctor will need to prescribe a course of antibiotic ointment delivered into the child’s nostril. The bacteria that cause impetigo often live in the nostrils, and children have a habit of picking their nose, making it easier to spread the infection.