202 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
IMPETIGO
This is a bacterial infection that causes rapidly spreading sores
with shiny, yellow crusts. It often occurs on children’s faces especially
around the mouth. Impetigo can spread easily to other people from
the sores or contaminated fingers.
Treatment:
♦ Wash the affected part with soap and cooled, boiled water 3 to 4 times each day,
gently soaking off the crusts.
♦ After each washing, paint the sores with gentian violet (p. 370) or spread on an
antibiotic cream containing bacitracin such as Polysporin (p. 370).
♦ If the infection is spread over a large area or causes fever, give cloxacillin or
dicloxacillin (p. 350). If the person is allergic to medicines of the penicillin family
or if these medicines do not seem to be helping, try doxycycline (p. 355) or
cotrimoxazole (p. 357).
Prevention:
♦ Follow the Guidelines of Personal Cleanliness (p. 133). Bathe children daily and
protect them from bedbugs and biting flies. If a child gets scabies, treat him as
soon as possible.
♦ Do not let a child with impetigo sleep with other children or play with them. Begin
treatment at the first sign.
Yaws
Yaws is a bacterial infection that you first notice when a painless, bumpy growth
emerges and gets larger and may spread a little. After about 6 months, the growth
disappears. Months or years later, it reappears, spreads more, and may ooze. This
is when it can spread to other people. These signs will also disappear. But if it is not
treated, after 5 or 10 years the yaws infection can spread throughout the body, harming
bones, joints, and causing other problems.
Treatment:
♦ Though the yaws bacteria is related to syphilis, it is spread by physical, not
sexual, contact. Yaws can be tested for using the same test and treated using the
same medicines and doses for syphilis (see pages 237 to 238).
BOILS AND ABSCESSES
A boil, or abscess, is an infection that forms a sac of
pus under the skin, This can happen when the root of a
hair gets infected. Or it can result from a puncture wound
or an injection given with a dirty needle. A boil is painful
and the skin around it becomes red and hot. It can cause
swollen lymph nodes and fever.