(See also Overview of Bacterial Skin Infections Overview of Bacterial Skin Infections Bacterial skin infections can be classified as skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI) and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). SSTI include Carbuncles Ecthyma Erythrasma read more .)
No predisposing lesion is identified in most patients, but impetigo may follow any type of break in the skin. General risk factors seem to be a moist environment, poor hygiene, or chronic nasopharyngeal carriage of staphylococci or streptococci.
Impetigo may be bullous or nonbullous. Staphylococcus aureus is the predominant cause of nonbullous impetigo and the cause of all bullous impetigo. Bullae are caused by exfoliative toxin produced by staphylococci. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has been isolated in many cases of impetigo.
Symptoms and Signs of Impetigo and Ecthyma
Nonbullous impetigo typically manifests as clusters of vesicles or pustules that rupture and develop a honey-colored crust (exudate from the lesion base) over the lesions. Smaller lesions may coalesce into larger crusted plaques.
Bullous impetigo is similar except that vesicles typically enlarge rapidly to form bullae. The bullae burst and expose larger bases, which become covered with honey-colored varnish or crust.
Ecthyma is a form of impetigo characterized by small, purulent, shallow, punched-out ulcers with thick, brown-black crusts and surrounding erythema.
Impetigo and ecthyma cause mild pain or discomfort. Pruritus is common; scratching may spread infection, inoculating adjacent and nonadjacent skin.
Diagnosis of Impetigo and Ecthyma
Clinical evaluation
Diagnosis of impetigo and ecthyma is by characteristic appearance.
Cultures of lesions are indicated only when the patient does not respond to empiric therapy. Patients with recurrent impetigo should have nasal culture. Persistent infections should be cultured to identify MRSA.
Treatment of Impetigo and Ecthyma
Topical mupirocin, retapamulin, fusidic acid, or ozenoxacin
Sometimes oral antibiotics
The affected area should be washed gently with soap and water several times a day to remove any crusts.
Treatment for localized impetigo is topical mupirocin antibiotic ointment 3 times a day for 7 days, retapamulin ointment 2 times a day for 5 days, or ozenoxacin 1% cream applied every 12 hours for 5 days. Fusidic acid 2% cream is not available in the United States.
Oral antibiotics (eg, dicloxacillin or cephalexin 250 to 500 mg 4 times a day [12.5 mg/kg 4 times a day for children] for 10 days) may be needed in patients who are immunocompromised, who have extensive or resistant impetigo lesions, or who have ecthyma. In penicillin-allergic patients, clindamycin 300 mg every 6 hours or erythromycin 250 mg every 6 hours may be used, but resistance to both antibiotics is an increasing problem.
Use of initial empiric therapy against MRSA MRSA and purulent or complicated cellulitis Cellulitis is acute bacterial infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue most often caused by streptococci or staphylococci. Symptoms and signs are pain, warmth, rapidly spreading erythema... read more is not typically advised unless there is compelling clinical evidence (eg, contact with a person who has a documented case, exposure to a documented outbreak, culture-documented local prevalence of > 10% or 15%). Treatment of MRSA should be directed by culture and sensitivity test results; typically, clindamycin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and doxycycline are effective against most strains of community-associated MRSA.
Other therapy includes restoring a normal cutaneous barrier in patients with underlying atopic dermatitis Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) Atopic dermatitis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disorder with a complex pathogenesis involving genetic susceptibility, immunologic and epidermal barrier dysfunction, and environmental... read more or extensive xerosis Xeroderma Xeroderma is dry skin that is neither inherited nor associated with systemic abnormalities. Diagnosis is clinical. Treatment involves moisturizers and other measures to keep the skin moist.... read more
using topical emollients and corticosteroids if warranted. Chronic staphylococcal nasal carriers may be given topical antibiotics (mupirocin) for 1 week; however, data do not clearly indicate that such decolonization lowers rates of recurrent impetigo.
Prompt recovery usually follows timely treatment. Delay can cause cellulitis, lymphangitis, furunculosis, and hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation with or without scarring. Children aged 2 to 4 years are at risk of acute glomerulonephritis if nephritogenic strains of group A streptococci are involved (types 49, 55, 57, and 59); nephritis seems to be more common in the southern United States than in other regions. It is unlikely that treatment with antibiotics prevents poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.
Key Points
Staphylococcus aureus causes most nonbullous impetigo and all bullous impetigo.
Honey-colored crust is characteristic of bullous and nonbullous impetigo.
For persistent impetigo, culture the lesion (to identify methicillin-resistant S. aureus [MRSA]) and the nose (to identify a potential nasal reservoir).
Treat most cases with topical antibiotics.
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
Drug Name | Select Trade |
---|---|
mupirocin |
Bactroban, Centany, Centany AT |
retapamulin |
ALTABAX |
ozenoxacin |
XEPI |
dicloxacillin |
Dynapen |
cephalexin |
Biocef, Daxbia , Keflex, Keftab, Panixine |
clindamycin |
Cleocin, Cleocin Ovules, Cleocin Pediatric, Cleocin T, CLIN, Clindacin ETZ, Clindacin-P, Clinda-Derm , Clindagel, ClindaMax, ClindaReach, Clindesse, Clindets, Evoclin, PledgaClin, XACIATO |
erythromycin |
A/T/S, Akne-mycin, E.E.S., Emcin Clear , EMGEL, E-Mycin, ERYC, Erycette, Eryderm , Erygel, Erymax, EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythra Derm , Erythrocin, Erythrocin Lactobionate, Erythrocin Stearate, Ilosone, Ilotycin, My-E, PCE, PCE Dispertab , Romycin, Staticin, T-Stat |
trimethoprim |
Primsol, Proloprim, TRIMPEX |
doxycycline |
Acticlate, Adoxa, Adoxa Pak, Avidoxy, Doryx, Doxal, Doxy 100, LYMEPAK, Mondoxyne NL, Monodox, Morgidox 1x, Morgidox 2x , Okebo, Oracea, Oraxyl, Periostat, TARGADOX, Vibramycin, Vibra-Tabs |