Dr. Francesca Geertsma,
Pediatric Infectious
Disease Physician
Staph Infections
Two year old Andres Juarez is recovering from a Staph infection on his scalp. His mother, Maria Frias, describes the symptoms, “It was swollen, red. And it had a white tip. But I didn’t touch it, because I didn’t want it to get infected.”
Staph is an abbreviation for a bacteria known as Staphylococcus Aureus. The pesky little bacteria are very common.
Dr. Francesca Geertsma is a Pediatric Infectious Disease Physician who practices in Visalia and Exeter. She says Staph is often found on the surface of healthy people’s skin. “Staph-cocci usually are present on people’s skin. It can be present on places like their nose, their underarms, their umbilical area, the groin. They can be there present, normally. They just represent bacteria that are normally on their skin and don’t cause any problem.”
The trouble begins when the bacteria enters the human body, usually through an open cut or break in the skin. It can cause problems ranging from skin infections to severe blood infections.
Dr. Geertsma says, often times, people may not realize it’s Staph. “I would say that a good percentage of the children that I see as a general pediatrician, they come in because they are concerned about what they think is spider bites. That’s a common misperception, that these are actually spider bites when actually they are the Staph.”
SYMPTOMS OF A STAPH INFECTION -raised bump -red -painful -pus -scabbing
Dr. Geertsma describes some of the main symptoms, “These can be anywhere on the body, the face. They’re raised. They’re red. They’re angry. They’re painful. Sometimes there will be a head to them. There may be pus that comes out of them. They may be scabbed over.”
The doctor tells parents, if they notice these symptoms, they should take action right away. “It’s really important to see your healthcare provider immediately. First of all to determine if this really is a Staph infection. There are lots of other conditions that can mimic Staph Infections some of which can be even more serious than Staph infection themselves. There are some type of Strep infections which can be in some ways a lot worse.”
Maria says she acted quickly after noticing her son’s symptoms. “The first thing I noticed was a little bump. That happened on Saturday. On Monday, I took him to the clinic, the doctor, and it was much bigger.”
Your child’s pediatrician will order tests to make a diagnosis. Dr. Geertsma says, “It’s important for healthcare providers to get a culture, sample of pus or fluid from the problem area. And they send it off to a lab so the lab can grow the sample. And to see if Staph can grow and see if it is actually the culprit.”
Maria says that’s exactly what happened in her son’s case. “They ran a test. To check to see what kind of virus or infection he had. And they gave him antibiotics. Antibiotics and an ointment. They told me to clean the infected spot three times a day and apply the ointment.”
Dr. Geertsma explains there are different types of treatment, depending on the infection. “And then the healthcare providers will determine whether there is any need for drainage. In other words, does there need to be a little hole put in the bump and pus expressed or sent to a surgeon to have that done more extensively.”
In the case of a mild infection, the treatment is less invasive. “Usually they will be put on an antibiotic if it’s an outpatient, an oral antibiotic, if it’s a mild infection. Sometimes if it’s very mild you can get away with just using a topical, like an ointment or cream. But it has to be a very specific cream. It shouldn’t be the Neosporin or Polysporin that you get over the counter.”
Thanks to his mom’s quick action, Andres’ infection lasted less than a week. Maria says it left just a little scar on his scalp. “Yes. Because we took care of it in time, it didn’t cause any problems. There were no consequences. Everything happened quickly. That’s why he has no more symptoms. He recovered right away. Just the scar. Because his hair fell out. His hair fell out at the site of the infection.”
More Info for Parents
Kaweah Delta Exeter Health Clinic (formerly the “San Juan Health Center”)
1014 San Juan Avenue
Exeter, CA 93221
592-7300
Medi-Cal patients are welcome and free transportation is available.
