Mosquitoes and Boils

It is that time of the year, with the hot weather and the summer rains, when the mosquitoes bloom.  It is also the time when TVs should be off and the kids outside playing with friends, getting exercise, sun, and air.  But when the mosquitoes find the kids, itchy bites result. What does this have to do with the Emergency Department?   Surely people don't bring their kids to the ED for simple mosquito bites?  Well, they do sometimes, believe it or not.  More importantly however, sometimes kids turn those itches into skin infections and abscesses (also known as Boils).  Then those mosquito bites become a real problem. When kids scratch, they can tear the skin.  We all have a bacteria on our skin called Staphylococcus, or "Staph."  Scratching and skin breaks can drive that Staph underneath the skin where it can find lots of nutrients and grow and spread.  Your skin fights back with inflammation (redness, swelling, pain, fever).  White blood cells collect to fight the infection too, and that makes pus, which builds up into a very painful bubble- the abscess.  Abscesses sometimes need lancing to relieve the pain and pressure and infection.  Occasionally kids need to be in the hospital for IV antibiotics and sometimes surgery to clean up the infection.   The best way for parents to take care of this problem is prevention.  Keep kids fingernails cut short to help nails stay clean and keep from tearing skin so badly.  Put bug spray or lotion on your kids before they play outside, especially in the early evening.  After the kids are in for the night, bathe them in cool water, especially washing bites, cuts, and scratches with soap and water.  Cover cuts, bites, and scratches with antibiotic ointment and band aids.  Moisturizing lotion can help itchy, dry skin feel better.  Finally, pain medicines like Tylenol or Motrin also take the edge off itching, and can help kids sleep better and scratch less in their sleep. If red spots larger than a quarter coin develop, call your doctor.  Your doctor can help you decide if your child needs antibiotics, a visit to the office, or a visit to the Emergency Department.  Its summer- get your kids outside playing with friends and exercising!  Just use the finger nail clippers and bug lotion first!