Overview on the Causes and Updated Management of Impetigo

Impetigo is the most common bacterial skin infection in children between the ages of 2 and 5. There are two main types: non-vesicular (70% of cases) and bullous (30% of cases). Non-bullous impetigo or impetigo is caused by Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes and is characterized by honey-colored skin on the face and limbs. Impetigo primarily affects the skin or is a secondary infection with insect bites, eczema, or herpes lesions. Bullous impetigo caused only by S. aureus causes large, relaxed blisters and is more likely to affect the interstitial area. Both types usually resolve within a few weeks without scarring, and complications are rare, the most serious of which is streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Treatment includes topical antibiotics such as mupirocin, retapamulin, and fusidic acid. Oral antibiotic therapy can be used for impetigo with large blisters, or when topical therapy is not practical. Amoxicillin / clavulanate, dicloxacillin, cephalexin, clindamycin, doxicillin, minocycline, trimetoprim / sulfamethoxazole, and macrolides are optional, but penicillin is not.