Scabies Skin Infection
SCABIES
Scabies is a common skin infection due to the mite Sarcoptes Scabei. This mite is a small bug that burrows under the skin and causes severe itching and little red bumps. The mites are so small that they can be seen only with a microscope. It produces a variety of skin rashes, primarily found on the sides and webs of fingers, the wrists, elbows, under arms, breasts, external genitalia, buttocks, and feet. The face and scalp are not affected except sometimes in infants. It is usually acquired by close contact with an infected person or bed linen. Often, more than one person in a family has them.
TREATMENT:
Apply Kwell lotion to every square inch of the body from the chin down. (Infants less than one year old also need Kwell carefully applied to the head and face.) Don’t forget the navel, between the fingers and toes, and other creases. Areas that don’t seem to be infected must still be treated. Eight hours later (or overnight) give the child a bath and remove the Kwell. (Babies under one year of age should have the Kwell washed off in 4 hours.) Leaving Kwell on longer than this can cause side effects. Swallowing Kwell can be quite harmful, so cover the hands if your child is a thumbsucker. One treatment is very effective, but a repeat treatment in one week may be recommended to be certain that all the mites are killed.
Pregnant women will be prescribed Eurax instead of Kwell. Apply the first coat as above, but leave it on for 24 hours. Then apply a second coat of Eurax 24 hours later. Wash the Eurax off 48 hours after the second application. This entire treatment then needs to be repeated in one week.
Machine wash all of your child’s sheets, pillow cases, towels, underwear, pajamas, and recently worn clothing. Blankets and other non-washable items can be put away for three days in a sealed plastic bag. Scabies cannot live outside the human body for more than three days.
The itching and rash may last for 2 to 3 weeks even after successful treatment. The itching can be helped by frequent cool baths without use of soap. You can also use 0.5% hydrocortisone cream which you can buy without a prescription (e.g. Cort-Aid). You may also give your child an over the counter antihistamine like Benadryl or Chlortrimeton to help control the itching.
Children are no longer contagious after one treatment with Kwell and can return to school.
Scabies is highly contagious. The symptoms may take from 4 to 6 weeks to develop after exposure. Therefore, everyone living in the house should be treated with Kwell preventively. Close contacts of the infected child )such as a baby sitter or a friend
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