scarlet fever

• Scarlet Fever

  • Bacterial illness affecting mainly children
• Scarlet Fever symptoms?

  
  

  • Sore throat, headache, high temperature, flu like symptoms
  • Flushed cheeks, swollen tongue (STRAWBERRY tongue)
  • White coating appears on the tongue that peels off leaving the tongue red & swollen covered in little bumps
  • Distinctive pink-red rash appears a day or two after (RASH FEELS LIKE SANDPAPER)
  • Appears on chest & stomach first then spreads to ears & neck
  • Can get red cheeks but rash DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE FACE
• Scarlet Fever resolves itself after a week
• No major risk to pregnant women but best to avoid where possible
• Scarlet Fever Counselling

  1. Drink cool fluids/ eat soft foods (sore throat)

  2. Contagious - can be spread for up to 6 days before symptoms appear, until 24hrs after 1st antibiotic dose

  3. General hygiene measures to follow (wash hands, dispose of tissues quickly) (do not share cutlery etc)

  4. Stay away from school until 24 hours after you take the 1st dose of antibiotic
• cause of scarlet fever?

  • streptococcus bacteria
  • Usually follows a sore throat/skin infection
• Refer: scarlet fever ?

  If patient gets ill again weeks After having scarlet fever ( rheumatic fever sign)

  No improvement after seeing GP
• Treatments for scarlet fever?

  • antibiotics
  • calamine lotion/ antihistamines to ease itching
• Scarlet fever 


  Diagnosis?