Which nursing action is crucial when caring for a child with impetigo?

• A. Carefully wash hands before and after caring for the child
• B. Keep nails short and clean
• C. Apply topical corticosteroids to decrease inflammation
• D. Isolate the child from others

Answer: (A)

Hand hygiene is the key to preventing spread of impetigo. This infection is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact with lesions or with contaminated items. Washing hands before and after caring for the child removes bacteria from the nurse’s hands, breaking the transmission chain to other children, staff, and objects in the environment. Standard precautions rely on this simple, effective step to protect everyone.

Context: while keeping nails short can help reduce scratching and self-inoculation, and isolation may be used as part of outbreak control, neither replaces the fundamental protection that thorough hand hygiene provides. Using topical corticosteroids is not appropriate for impetigo care and can worsen infection, since antibiotics are needed to clear the bacteria.