Impetigo recurring in 3yo DD

[EezyOozy]

Help please !

In early January I took my three-year-old to the GP as she had a crusty weeping patch on her chin. She was diagnosed with impetigo and prescribed fusidin.

We got to the end of the tube and she still had faint pink patches (by this time it was on her hands, arms, a few other places). We were prescribed another tube of the same stuff to try and clear it. We got to the end of this second tube and it looked like it had finally disappeared… A couple of days after discontinuing the cream, the patches started to come back (in exactly the same places).

we were then prescribed a THIRD tube of the cream which I dutifully applied four times a day… Again, by the end of the tube/course it had visibly cleared but two days after discontinuing it came back.

We were then prescribed oral antibiotics (flucloxacillin) ... Again, after the five day course it had completely gone, and two days after discontinuing it has started to come back.

I could cry! I am changing bedding and towels daily, and using Dettol stuff in the laundry.

Dd only goes to the childminder for a few hours on a Wednesday and now she can't go, again. We are supposed to be moving house in a couple of weeks and I hav a 1yo keeping me up all night with teething. I can't believe it has come back again… 😭

I'll have to take her to the GP tomorrow but I'm not sure what to push for? Could it be something else? Has anybody else had alternative treatments to those I've listed above and finally resolved recurring impetigo?

Thanks 🙏

Do I need to be cleaning the bath and all the bath toys with Dettol between every use?!

One of mine had this (and still gets it sometimes) it was a nightmare!!! I don’t think you need to keep her of nursery though?! Just put a plaster over it, as long as it’s covered she’s not infectious to others.

Fucidin does help, oral antibiotics are also good but if they didn’t work go back and they should prescribe a different type. It’s a bloody nightmare, I feel your pain.

Thank you so much for understanding. It's exhausting !

I've just contacted the childminder - She has so she can't go tomorrow if it's impetigo .

It has occurred to me that it might not be impetigo, but I don't know what else it could be. It doesn't look anything like eczema or psoriasis. And to be honest the treatments they have given us to work and do clear it, but then as soon as we stop giving the treatment it comes back! I'll have a good chat with the GP tomorrow and request some different antibiotics.

I have wondered sometimes if it’s impetigo or not!!! As impetigo shouldn’t be recurrent like that. Sometimes I wonder whether I’m they are cold sores (can occur on the chin! My girl had most of them around their mouth) which sometimes then become infected with a bacterial infection making it look like impetigo.

GP should be able to swab it for you. At least if it’s not impetigo she can go to nursery!

Thank you-she did have one patch under her chin initially but now it's mostly on the backs of her hands, forearms, in her elbow creases and armpit creases… But definitely not eczema. Yes, I'd love to find out that it's not impetigo! Those few hours of childcare a week are a godsend (even though I still have the one-year-old at home)

My eldest, when he was 3, had a crusty spot on each cheek for ages and it was treat as impetigo. It was actually eczema and cleared right up once the GP treated it correctly. Maybe ask if it could be that?

Hope you manage to get it sorted.

Thank you-I will suggest differential diagnosis to the GP. A friend has just suggested it could be a fungal rash and upon googling it does look similar to some of these too. I'm not going to be fobbed off this time!

The thing is-if it was fungal, why was the antibiotics that we have had have worked to the extent that they did… I mean, they did clear it, it's only when we discontinued that it came back again. The bastard.

They just need to swab it, they’ll know soon enough what caused it! It’s possible the antibiotics worked because whatever the problem was had been excesserbated by a bacterial infection. But the underlying issue could be fungal! Swab it, treat it and hopefully it won’t be back!!! Good luck!!!

I had this problem with DS and the only thing that worked was tea tree oil. I applied it after the antibiotics had cleared it (not on broken skin) and it worked. I am sure I read it on here if you search through all threads.

Thanks both . I think I have tea tree... interesting that it could fungal with infection too.