Impetigo

A very common rash that is actually contagious and easily spread between kids and adults is impetigo. Caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (from the Latin for gold), it makes this golden crusty scab-looking rash and lesions that are treated quite readily with topical or oral antibiotics. It is most often seen near the nose or mouth for a couple of reasons. First, most people have good staph bacteria in their nostrils to actually help protect against and fight infections. Then, if your little kiddo has a cold and you are constantly wiping and irritating their nose, this inflamed skin is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Bacteria love irritated or damaged skin, and Staph aureus is no exception.

Sometimes kids will get recurrent impetigo. If this occurs, their pediatrician will take a sample and send it to be cultured to see what specific type of staph it is and which antibiotic(s) would be best to treat it. Sometimes for hard-to-get-rid-of cases, we will also treat the nostrils with antibiotics and cleaning ointments to get rid of this bacteria where it likes to live/hide.