Impetigo - don't know what to do!

[newbie]

Just received an email from one of my mindees mum saying that LO has impetigo. She has said that LO is taking antibiotics for it and has been told that she won't be infectious after 48 hours. I have quickly researched and have found this to be right however I have also discovered how contagious and nasty it is too :(. My house has been struck down with so much yucky stuff recently (I'm just recovering from an unplesant sickness bug myself), that I don't want to risk anything else. Can I exclude until it has all crusted over regardless of antibiotics and the 48 hour rule????

[Tatjana]

Exclude under what reasoning? I wouldn't be happy if I was the parent.

[sharonmanc]

It is until crusted over or 48 hours after commencing treatment. so if you go the 48 hour route and child did not start taking the treatment until evening when parents took to docs say yesterday eve, then I would not have them back until Thursday at the earliest. There shoudl be no reason to exclude any longer than this if they have taken the antibiotics

[sarah707]

Ds has chronic excema so I have it in my policies that impetigo has to be crusted over or covered before the child comes back - but ds is a special case and would end up in hospital if he got it again - and parents know that as I explain it to them.

Yes it is very contagious but normal precautions should be enough once the antibiotics have been kicked in - unless as I say you have a child who is susceptible.

Hth

[blue bear]

It really does dry up quickly once they are anti biotics, one of my mindees had it last month, came back after 48 hours, no one else caught it.

[The Juggler]

depending on how practical it is I would ask for the wound/area to be covered up but as said, antibiotics normally clear it up quite quickly.

[JulieA]

Most nurseries exclude for impetigo until it has crusted over.

[2kidsunder5]

I have just read this thread with interest as one of my little ones started antibiotics on Monday. I mind 2 babies, one is 11 month old and the other 14 month old, I have told the parent that I will not have the child back until all sores have crusted over and are no longer weeping. I am very concerned as this particular parent is the kind that would send her child to me regardless. He was poorly and off from Tuesday last week and she didn't take him to the doctors, when the sores came out on Friday morning she made an appt but then had to stay at work late so didn't take him, she then waited till Monday to take him. Why she didn't go to the emergency doctors I have no idea!!!???

[mushpea]

on the guidelines there is no exclusion period which I think is terrible because its so contatgious and can get very sore, but it means we have nothing to back us up if we argue we dont want the child coming, I would ask that the spots are crusted over first and prehaps say its for their childs saftey as you dont wan them getting an infection in the open woundsl