National Safe Medication Month | Your baby has a rash all over his body, beware of scarlet fever!

In recent days, the temperature has dropped sharply, and various places have started the quick-freeze mode. After playing outside, 5-year-old Doudou came home with a fever (39℃) and a sore throat. At first, her family thought she had caught a cold and gave her some antipyretics. As a result, the fever did not subside the next day, and goose bump-like rashes appeared all over her body. Worried that it was caused by drug allergy, her mother quickly took Doudou to the hospital. After examination, the doctor diagnosed that Doudou was neither suffering from a cold nor a drug allergy, but suffering from "scarlet fever".

What is scarlet fever? Is it contagious? Can it be cured? Today, please follow Yaowa to learn more about this highly contagious respiratory disease.

Early symptoms are similar to the common cold

Scarlet fever is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (a type of bacteria). It is a national Class B infectious disease with a high incidence in winter and spring. Scarlet fever can occur at any age, but is most common in children aged 5-15. Its early symptoms are similar to those of the common cold. Most children present with persistent high fever (body temperature can reach around 39°C), which may be accompanied by headache, sore throat, and general discomfort, but symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, or sneezing are not obvious. Scarlet fever is most contagious from 24 hours before onset to the peak of the disease, and is mainly transmitted through airborne droplets.

The tongue coating changes from "strawberry" to "bayberry" During the course of scarlet fever, typical manifestations will appear in the mouth, such as swollen tonsils, dysphagia, local congestion and purulent exudate. But the more obvious is the change in the tongue coating. In the early stage of the disease, the tongue is covered with white coating, and the red and swollen "nipples" protrude from the white coating, which is called "strawberry tongue". After 2-3 days, the white coating begins to fall off, the tongue surface is smooth and flesh-red, and the "nipples" are still protruding, which is called "bayberry tongue".

"Goose bump-like" rash all over the body

Most children with scarlet fever develop a rash within 24 hours of developing a fever. The rash begins behind the ears, on the neck and upper chest, and then quickly spreads throughout the body. The typical rash is characterized by evenly distributed, diffuse, congested, pinpoint-sized papules on the skin, which resemble goose bumps, fade when pressed, and are accompanied by itching. Some children may have a rash with yellow-white pus heads that is not easy to break, which is called "miliary rash." In the folds of the skin, the rash is dense or purple linear due to friction bleeding, which is called "linear rash." "Perioral pale ring" is also a special manifestation of scarlet fever, that is, the child's face is only congested but there is no rash, and the congestion around the mouth and nose is not obvious, and it appears pale in comparison.

In most cases, the scarlet fever rash reaches its peak within 48 hours, then begins to fade in the order of the rash, completely fading after 2-3 days, and in severe cases it may last for about a week. After the rash fades, the skin begins to desquamate, which is more obvious in areas with dense rashes, especially in miliary rash, and may appear in flakes, with a sheath-like appearance on the hands, soles, fingers (toes), and a dandruff-like appearance on the face and trunk.

Beware of heart and kidney complications

In recent years, scarlet fever has been reported mostly in mild cases, because it often only presents with low-grade fever, mild sore throat, and rashes, which are often ignored by parents, who only treat it as a common cold. It should be noted that if it is not identified in time and diagnosis and treatment are delayed, it is likely to cause serious complications. A small number of children may develop allergic complications in the 2nd to 3rd week of the disease, mainly in the heart, kidneys, and joints, such as myocarditis, acute glomerulonephritis, and arthritis.

Penicillin is the drug of choice. Scarlet fever is caused by streptococcal infection, and penicillin is the drug of choice. If the child is allergic to penicillin, first-generation or second-generation cephalosporins, or macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin, can be used. The treatment cycle is 10 days. About 80% of children can reduce fever within 24 hours after treatment, and pharyngitis and rash will disappear in about 4 days.

"Five steps in place" to prevent and control diseases at home

1

Control the source of infection. Once a child becomes ill, he or she should be hospitalized or isolated at home for treatment for at least 1 week;

2

Take medication as directed by the doctor. Provide treatment as early as possible, use medication on time and in the right amount, and parents should monitor closely to see if any complications occur;

3

Rest in bed, drink plenty of water, and eat light, soft food to facilitate swallowing and digestion;

4

Pay attention to oral and skin cleanliness. Maintain oral hygiene, scrub the skin with warm water to relieve itching, and do not peel off the skin to avoid secondary infection;

5

Strengthen environmental disinfection, enhance the body's immunity, and avoid activities in public places. Although scarlet fever is a Class B infectious respiratory disease, it is preventable and treatable. It should be identified in time and medical treatment should be sought as soon as possible.