Scuff Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) The kids all went to camp last week. Dd came home with what looked like tiny bug bites all ove her trunk and back. They mostly went away in a few days, so I didn't worry too much. But now she has these open sores. Not everywhere, but she does have about 15 of them. If it were just one or two, I wouldn't think anything of it, but the amount of them is a bit alarming. Does this look familiar to anyone? Is it something to worry about? Why do these things always happen on Friday evening? Edited July 7, 2012 by Scuff took a minute to figure out how to add a picture. : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bbj Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 DD came back from Girl Scout camp with exactly the same thing as you describe. My dd has extremly sensitve skin. Doctor thought hers was chiggers. They resurfaced all summer long. She had to do a course of prednisone (sp?) to finally get over them. I see you are from MI, too, any chance this camp was Merrywood? That's where our drama started. Benedryl oral and cream helped us through the first onset. I couldn't see your picture, so I can't say if they looked the same. Hope she feels better soon! Vickie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted July 7, 2012 Author Share Posted July 7, 2012 took me a minute to figure out how to get the pic off my phone. Refresh and it should be there now. :) Yeah, MI. The camp was in the GR area. Thanks for the imput! Everything I'd thought to look up didn't look right. (scabies, bedbugs, staph, ect) She has sensitive skin, too. And eczema. Some are where she had eczema spots, but only a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bbj Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Yes, that is very close to what dd's looked like. Are they all the same? DD's were different in sizes. Are they itchy? We were told not to cover them, use a cream based benedryl, nothing oil based and OTC Oral benedryl as directed, but continue for at least 3 days. HTH Vickie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 I would take her in. The doc may just give you bactroban to put on them, but at least you would know. My middle child came home from camp with some nasty sores too, and the bactroban took care of them. I was worried about bedbugs, because I brought the suitcases into the house before I saw the bites, but so far no more bites over a week later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bbj Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Google chigger bites. I can't figure out how to post a picture (sorry!). The problem with chigger bites, and as you described, they can return. DD had it in her system for months. It re-occured at least 4 times from June until winter. Must have something to do with the heat? Good Luck! Vickie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted July 7, 2012 Author Share Posted July 7, 2012 They very between dime and quarter size. She says they itch a little, but not a lot. I can't take her in until Monday. Our ped. is a private practice and aren't open ont he weekend. So it's that or the ER. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghee Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Impetigo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Impetigo? That's what I thought as soon as I saw the photo. Looks like it to me.:iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted July 7, 2012 Author Share Posted July 7, 2012 I think we have a winner. Chigger bites don't really fit, but impetigo does. They didn't really have the yellow crusties, like the pics, and I don't remember seeing blisters. But they are all in clothes areas. This morning she has a new one on her finger. I thought it was a wart ysterday, but today it definitely looks like a blister. Ok, thanks, everyone! Good to know what we're dealing with. Any suggestions on how to handle this from the BTdT? Google says it's contagious. I really hope she didn't pass these along before we knew what it was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) If they don't itch intensely, they aren't chiggers. I had a nightmare experience at camp in high school, and it was maddening how much the bites itched. Edited July 7, 2012 by WordGirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) I think we have a winner. Chigger bites don't really fit, but impetigo does. They didn't really have the yellow crusties, like the pics, and I don't remember seeing blisters. But they are all in clothes areas. This morning she has a new one on her finger. I thought it was a wart ysterday, but today it definitely looks like a blister. Ok, thanks, everyone! Good to know what we're dealing with. Any suggestions on how to handle this from the BTdT? Google says it's contagious. I really hope she didn't pass these along before we knew what it was! Incredibly contagious -- a couple of families had it when I was a kid and it went through about 15 homes like wildfire -- it was so bad that one of the pediatricians made house calls to our neighborhood to keep everyone out of his waiting room. I do not know what the protocol is today -- this was probably 40 years ago when i had it. THEN we had to scrub the sores till they bled with hexachlorophene (which has since been pulled off the market as a carcinogenic :glare:) and then an antibiotic ointment was applied (neosporin which was only available by prescription) -- I said it WAS a long time ago.:glare: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impetigo There's the link to modern day treatment and I would call my docs office to see how they prefer to handle it. http://www.medicinenet.com/impetigo/article.htm Edited July 7, 2012 by MariannNOVA changed link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) . Edited July 7, 2012 by WordGirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted July 7, 2012 Author Share Posted July 7, 2012 Thanks, Mariann. We cleaned her up (but not to the point of bleeding- ouch!) then used peroxide and neosporin. As long as it doesn't get worse, we'll wait and see the dr on Monday. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Thanks, Mariann. We cleaned her up (but not to the point of bleeding- ouch!) then used peroxide and neosporin. As long as it doesn't get worse, we'll wait and see the dr on Monday. Thanks! You are a nice mom! :grouphug: I remember having my mom and dad scrub them with a nail brush till they bled -- boy, do i hope that is no longer how it is done. i do remember being told that if a child has one for instance on their knee, and they scratch it and then scratch someplace else on their body, it will spread -- it is unbelievably contagious. I remember clearly that it was my sister who started it going through the neighborhood like wildfire.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) Incredibly contagious -- a couple of families had it when I was a kid and it went through about 15 homes like wildfire -- it was so bad that one of the pediatricians made house calls to our neighborhood to keep everyone out of his waiting room. I do not know what the protocol is today -- this was probably 40 years ago when i had it. THEN we had to scrub the sores till they bled with hexachlorophene (which has since been pulled off the market as a carcinogenic :glare:) and then an antibiotic ointment was applied (neosporin which was only available by prescription) -- I said it WAS a long time ago.:glare: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impetigo There's the link to modern day treatment and I would call my docs office to see how they prefer to handle it. http://www.medicinenet.com/impetigo/article.htm Impetigo is called tobihi in Japan. It means jumping, or flying, fire. That describes how contagious it is. It's a strep infection of the skin. It can be treated topically but with oral antibiotics if it's widespread. As soon as I saw the picture, I thought I knew what it was. It brought back a lot of memories. :glare: Edited July 7, 2012 by NJKelli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghee Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 You don't have to scrub it til it bleeds anymore, but you don't want to reuse the clothes you washed the sores with until you've bleached them. Keep it coated with antibiotic and covered to prevent her spreading it on herself or to others. I used to work in a school clinic and learned more than I ever wanted to about infectious disease. :grouphug: it stinks but it will go away!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 This is what we went through one summer, again and again. I'll share since it sounds exactly what the OP and the PP are going through. Dd got some kind of bites. I think they came from some kind of larva in the bay (that's what the locals told us) where she swam. Other kids with delicate skin would get them, too. She had tiny little bites all over that were breaks in the skin. The normally present strep bacteria on her skin got into the bites, and with the hot weather and high humidity of summer, it was a perfect breeding ground for impetigo. It was hard to get it under control but eventually it stopped with treatment and the change of seasons. We used oral and topical antibiotics ointment at different times. I think it's important to wash clothes and towels in hot water and dry them well. If you are not opposed to using some bleach, I would. I hope it resolves soon. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghee Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 What Kelly said makes sense. You may want to visit a doctor. At school we usually just saw it in one spot (usually near the mouth) but if she has it all over she may need an oral med, too. Eczema is notorious for letting in infections. I had it in my hands for years and was a fanatic about keeping it covered to keep germs out. I also treated any places that I'd scratched raw with neosporin. It's true that you can infect yourself with staph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Doxycycline is quite effective for skin infections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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