Beating impetigo

Pediatrics for Parents, July, 1997

Impetigo is a pesky skin infection that usually affects young children. The lesions, frequently described as "honey-colored," usually begin on a child's nose and may spread to other areas of the face.

They begin as a redness, progress to itchy blisters which then breakdownand become crusted over. The infection, caused by Staphylococcus aureus, is highly contagious.

In the past, the standard treatment was erythromycin and bacitracin ointment. Then came Bactroban (mupirocin) and the treatment of impetigo was changed. Now there's another effective antibiotic for treating impetigo.

Cephalexin (brand name Keflex) has been around for a long time. Many children were given this drug for ear infections, persistent strep throat, and other infections. Now a small study has found it is also effective against impetigo.

Oral cephalexin has some advantages over mupirocin. Some children and parents prefer an oral medicine (it comes both as a pill and a liquid) over an ointment. It's also better for children with extensive impetigo.

Based on efficacy, taste, acceptance, compliance, and relative cost, cephalexin is the oral antibiotic of choice for the treatment of impetigo.