Impetigo: to stay off school or not?

[Arrtttiiieee]

Both my DDs have impetigo bad enough to warrant two types of oral antibiotics. They are well in themselves but have horrid blisters.

Does anyone know whether they should be kept off school and if so for how long? Different websites give different advice.

Highly contagious - keep them off until it has cleared up.

Definitely keep them off!

But what constitutes clearing up? When it stops oozing (its stopped), when its totally dry (not quite), when the redness goes (doc Said that could take weeks). Some websites say its not contagious 48 hours after the antibiotics have been started.

Where is it?

DD1 has it on her buttocks so it would be totally covered by school tights and dress. DD2 has it on her face so it won't be covered, however I'm afraid her class have been exposed as last week I honestly thought it was cold sores and so I sent her in.

DD2 struggled with recurring impetigo all through the summer term, until we were finally prescribed antibiotics. We kept her off nursery whenever she had fluid-filled blisters. Highly contagious. Make sure to wash towels, pillow-cases etc too.

Hiya,

well ds1 had this recently though I think it was secondary rather than primary - I'm not sure if this makes it less contagious. (secondary is when the bacteria enter through an existing wound or cut, primary is when it starts all by itself)

He was off school till it had gone, pretty much gone anyway, and the school were funny about wanting an official diagnosis.

HPA website (sorry can't link) says 48hrs after antibiotics started, or once healed up - I think once it has gone and there is just a red patch, it is fine.

None of us has caught it from ds1, no one at school either afaik.

I'm pretty sure there is no exclusion for impetigo any more. If they aren't oozing and antibiotics I think it is fine to send them in. Assuming they are well in themselves!

Cookie - are you certain?! This happened to us last week! HPA has a chart of exclusion times etc.

DS1 had it on his arm in the crease of his elbow, he started the ABs on the Saturday and went into school on the Monday with a tubular bandage covering most of his arm.

If the area isn't exposed then I don't see a danger.

We didn't catch it, nobody at the school did either. We have no idea where it came from.

If your DD has blisters on her buttocks isn't there a chance she could transfer it when she uses the toilet?

Not according to this from the NHS anything-

An impetigo infection can spread to other people through close physical contact, or by sharing towels or flannels. As the condition does not cause any symptoms until four to 10 days after initial exposure to the bacteria, it is often easily spread to others unintentionally.

Ds1 had this a few months ago and the school nurse said he had to stay off first 48 hours of starting antibiotics.

Thanks for the pointer to the HPA website. I found this and it confirms the 48 hours after ABs advice.

yep we were told 48 hours, although school were a bit iffy and i think would have preferred us to keep them off longer