NURSE-ON-CALL Tel.When you wake up in the morning and notice that a sore throat has come back - again - don't just grab the lozenges and ignore it.Maternal and Child Health Line External Link (24 hours) Tel.Your local maternal and child health nurse.Without prompt treatment, a severe case of impetigo may threaten a baby’s life. Impetigo is a serious condition for newborns because the newborn’s inexperienced immune system may not keep the infection in check. Keep the infected person well away from young babies. Wash and dry hands after the dressings have been disposed of into a plastic bag and place bag into household waste. Dispose of used dressings promptly and thoroughly.Wash all household linen in hot water while the infection is present. Wash the child’s linen, towels and clothes in hot water.Encourage children to use their own towel and face cloth.Always wash your hands with soap before and after touching sores or scabs.Keep affected areas of skin clean and covered to minimise the chance of spreading the infection.Avoid scratching or touching the sores to prevent spread to other areas of the body.Cut your child’s fingernails short and encourage them not to scratch scabs or pick their nose.A child with impetigo should be kept home from school or day care until appropriate treatment has begun and the sores on exposed areas are covered with a waterproof occlusive dressing.Encourage everyone to wash their hands with soap frequently, and dry completely.Suggestions to reduce the risk of transmission to other family members include: Infection can also be spread by handling contaminated clothing or articles. The skin is usually itchy, so the child scratches and spreads the infection from under their fingernails to other areas of the body or to another person. This makes the condition highly contagious, particularly when the site is weeping. Impetigo blisters and crusts are filled with bacteria. Change the child’s linen (towels, sheets, face washer, sleep wear) daily while the infection is present.See your doctor if the sores spread and get worse despite treatment, or if the child becomes unwell with fever.Use a crepe bandage to hold the dressing in place or help prevent younger children from scratching the sores. Apply a waterproof occlusive dressing (completely cover and seal the area where possible) to stop further spread of the infection.
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