Manage bacterial skin infections

Skin diseases occur all over the world at significant levels. They are common throughout Africa and are dominated by bacterial and superficial fungal infections. Skin diseases are more prevalent among children and in low socioeconomic groups, essentially due to poor hygienic practices. Most skin infections transmit through contact with infected individuals or articles.

Skin diseases are among the leading causes of hospital visits in Ethiopia. In most situations, caregivers do not seek medical help. You should look for and treat skin diseases. Some skin diseases can lead to serious complications unless treated appropriately. In this section, you will learn how to assess, classify and treat some common childhood skin infections.

Skin Infections Assessment

If the mother brings in her child because he has a skin infection, you should start by asking her some simple questions such as "Does the child have skin itchiness?" Or, "Does the child have pain from the skin problem.

Signs of Skin Infections

Classification and Treatment of Skin Infections

Scabies is contagious and is usually transmitted by prolonged skin-to-skin contact. It is a common skin infestation of tiny mites called Sarcoptes scabiei. The mites burrow into the top layer of human skin to lay their eggs; it causes intensely itching and blisters formation. The infection spreads more easily in crowded conditions and in situations where there is a lot of close contacts within a household like in the childcare centres, college dorms, or nursing homes. Mites can live for about 2 to 3 days in clothing, bedding, or dust, making it possible to catch scabies from people who share the same infected bed, linens, or towels. Child care facilities also are a common site of scabies infestations.

Impetigo is one of the most common bacterial skin infections in children. Impetigo is contagious and can be spread to others through close contact or by sharing towels, sheets, clothing, toys, or other items. Scratching can also spread the sores to other parts of the body. Impetigo is caused by one of two kinds of bacteria (streptococcus) or (staphylococcus). Often these bacteria enter the body when the skin has already been irritated or injured. The sores begin as small red spots and then change to blisters that eventually break open. The sores are typically not painful, but they may be itchy, that oozes fluid and forms crust. Sores often look like they have been coated with honey or brown sugar.

The lesions begin as small red macular (spots), which quickly become discrete thin-walled vesicles that soon rupture and become covered with loose adherent honey yellow crust. The crusts are easily removed and reveal smooth, red moist surfaces on which new crusts soon develop.

Treatment of skin infections

Refer children with very severe skin disease, impetigo and scabies to the health centre or hospital. Since; they can cause heart and kidney complication.

All family members and anybody who have close contacts with an infected child should be treated simultaneously for scabies, and they should keep personal hygiene because it is very contagious.

Carry-out the treatment steps identified on the assessment and classification chart

You identified treatment for every classification in the yellow and green rows of the chart booklet. Mothers consider a child is cured if the signs of illness are away in a short period. Caregivers need information and instructions about the treatment you proposed for the child to take at home. Administering drugs for a child at home are confusing in type, in the schedule, amount or number of tablets or syrup at a time and the length of the course. Now you are expected to teach mother for the drugs they collected in your health post.

Teach the mother how to give oral drugs at home

Follow the instructions below for every oral drug to be given at home. Also follow the instructions listed in each drug's dosage table.

• Determine the appropriate drugs and dosage for the child's age or weight.
• Tell the mother the reason for giving the drug to the child.
• Demonstrate how to measure a dose.
• Watch the mother practice measuring a dose by her.
• Ask the mother to give the first dose to her child.
• Explain carefully how to give the drug, then label and package the drug
• If more than one drug will be given, collect, count and package each drug separately.
• Explain that all the oral drug tablets or syrups must be used to finish the course of treatment, even if the child gets better.
• Check the mother's understanding before she leaves the clinic

When a Sick Child Needs to Return to the Health Post?

Follow-up visit. Advise the mother to come for follow-up at the earliest time listed