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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYour family doctor or your child's pediatrician can diagnose impetigo. When you call to make your appointment, ask if you should follow any restrictions to prevent infecting others in the waiting room.
Because appointments can be brief and there's often a lot to discuss, it can help to be well prepared. Here are some tips to help you get ready for your appointment and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions helps you make the most of your appointment. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For impetigo, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What might be causing the sores?
- Are tests needed to confirm the diagnosis?
- What is the best course of action?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
- Can I wait to see if the condition goes away on its own?
- What can I do to prevent the infection from spreading?
- What skin care routines do you recommend while the condition heals?
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:
- When did the sores start?
- What did the sores look like when they started?
- Have you had any recent cuts, scrapes or insect bites to the affected area?
- Are the sores painful or itchy?
- What, if anything, makes the sores better?
- What, if anything, makes the sores worse?
- Does someone in your family already have impetigo?
- Has this problem occurred in the past?
- Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1608/0.html. Accessed Feb. 26, 2013.
- Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..X0001-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Feb. 26, 2013.
- Baddour LM. Impetigo. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Feb. 26, 2013.
- AskMayoExpert. Impetigo. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
- Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2013:5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-08373-7..00002-9&isbn=978-0-323-08373-7&about=true&uniqId=343863096-23. Accessed Feb. 27, 2013.
- Impetigo care. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/skin/Pages/Impetigo.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token. Accessed Feb. 27, 2013.
- Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 12, 2013.
- Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Color Atlas and Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology.6th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=45. Accessed Feb. 28, 2013.
- Baddour LM. Patient information: Impetigo (beyond the basics). http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Feb. 28, 2013.
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