title: Childhood skin and soft tissue infections: new discoveries and guidelines regarding the management of bacterial soft tissue infections, molluscum contagiosum, and warts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pediatric skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) constitute a significant number of office-based pediatric visits. With SSTIs on the rise, it is not only important to effectively treat the individual, but to do so appropriately and cost-consciously. In this article, we highlight new research related to the treatment of bacterial skin infections, molluscum contagiosum, and cutaneous warts, with the goal of guiding pediatricians in their practice against these common skin conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent data supports the use of topical antibiotics for noncomplicated impetigo. Systemic antibiotics covering gram-positive cocci are recommended for complicated cases of impetigo and deeper nonpurulent SSTIs. Localized purulent bacterial SSTIs can be treated with incision and drainage alone but more systemic involvement warrants treatment with systemic antibiotics covering Staphylococcus aureus species, especially community acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus. For the treatment of molluscum contagiosum, topical cantharidin has a high satisfaction rate among patients and providers. Potassium hydroxide solution is a potentially effective and cheap form of molluscum contagiosum treatment. Imiquimod, however, has an unfavorable efficacy and safety profile as a therapy for molluscum contagiosum. Regarding warts, high-risk human papilloma virus strains have been detected in cutaneous warts in children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high-risk human papilloma virus vaccine may play a role in treating pediatric cutaneous warts in the future, and topical squaric acid dibutylester may effectively treat recalcitrant warts. Finally, both molluscum contagiosum and warts have a high rate of resolution after an extended period of time without any intervention.
authors.affiliation: aDartmouth Medical School bGeisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire cUniversity of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rush
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Dinulos
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D008976:Molluscum Contagiosum / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014860:Warts / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents