Impetigo and school

[DancingDinosaur]

My son was diagnosed with impetigo on Friday following a small triangle shaped rash on his back. He was given antibiotic cream for it. Today he has another patch on his arm. I forgot to ask the doctor yesterday, but when can he go back to school?

NHS website says 48 hours from when treatment started or when sores have dried up.

All my children have suffered from impetigo. I was told it was about nose picking etc. and occurs around the mouth and nose. I have been told it is very contagious by a childminder and not contagious at all by a GP. Who knows?

My GP said it was highly infectious... is there anything remotely useful on the NHS choices website?

I used fucidin but as I recognise it now I also add a lot of salt to her baths and bathe Her twice a day - as recommend by a pharmacist - if it is the weekend and cannot get to docs.
I found this treated it almost as well and the orangey rash went after a couple of days.

Hang on a minute, is impetigo one of those catch all type diagnoses? When my children have had it it has been pussy spots around their mouth and nose. Yes they have been prescribed Fucidin, and it has cleared it up but other OPs are describing something completely different. Oh well at least it is better than when I was a child. I had gentian smeared on my face and was constantly told my pen had been leaking.

Well this is on his back, which the doctor said was unusual, so part of me isn't convinced. The chemist said he thought it was shingles, again unusual in a 6 year old and the gp disagreed. Ds has been having cream on his skin rather than oral antibiotics, and when I googled it said he could go back after 48 hours of the oral antibiotics. Which of course he isn't having. Maybe I should keep him home monday and call the doctor again. I will try the salt bath as well though, thanks for the tip.

I've had impetigo on my back dancing Thanks to working with snotty two year olds!

we had the cream this week for a patch on dd face dried up within 24 hours so you might be ok for Monday.

It's the orange crusting that gives it away imo, once it's drying up its easily recognisable. DD had it recently, diagnosed Thursday, was back at school Monday. It's taken nearly 2 weeks to clear completely but school were fine with it.

Thanks everyone. Its not really orange yet, just red and sore looking, but it might change by tomorrow. I've been putting ds's clothes and bedding on a hot wash and lecturing ds not to scratch the sores!