Topical antibiotics for impetigo: what to know

A clinician may choose a different approach when sores are widespread, recurring, or accompanied by signs of a deeper infection.

Impetigo is a contagious bacterial skin infection that often causes fragile sores, oozing, and honey-coloured crusts. A topical antibiotic acts at the treated skin surface and is generally considered when the affected area is limited. It does not treat every crusted rash, so an examination matters before starting it.

Using leftover medicine or sharing a tube can delay the correct diagnosis, irritate skin, and expose bacteria unnecessarily to an antibiotic.

Wash your hands, gently clean the affected skin as instructed, pat it dry, and apply only the prescribed amount to the specified areas. Complete the prescribed course even if the sores look better sooner, unless the prescriber tells you to stop. Avoid the eyes, mouth, and inside the nose unless the product was specifically prescribed for that site.

Use a clean towel each time, avoid scratching, keep nails short, and do not share towels, bedding, clothing, razors, or skin products. Follow the clinician's advice about covering sores and returning to school, nursery, work, close-contact sport, or swimming.

Contact a clinician promptly if redness or swelling is spreading, pain is increasing, pus is collecting, fever develops, the skin near an eye is affected, or the person seems unwell. Babies, people with weakened immunity, and anyone with extensive sores also need timely assessment.

Arrange reassessment if the rash is not improving during the prescribed course, returns soon after treatment, or the medicine causes marked burning, swelling, blistering, or a new widespread rash. Seek urgent help for trouble breathing or swelling of the lips, tongue, face, or throat.

Ask which areas should be treated, how the skin should be cleaned, whether sores should be covered, and what change should be visible before the course ends. If impetigo keeps returning, ask whether another skin problem, close-contact spread, or bacterial sampling needs consideration.