Scarlet fever is an acute respiratory tract infection caused by Streptococcus haemolyticus, with sporadic onset throughout the year, commonly in children aged 2-8 years. It is particularly pronounced in the spring and summer months and is characterized by a cough, a fever of 38°C-40°C, a diffuse bright red rash and marked flaking after the rash fades. In a small number of children, the disease may cause metabolic heart, kidney and joint damage.
The rash spreads throughout the body within a day
In the early stages of scarlet fever, children have a congested pharynx and red and swollen tonsils, which are characterized by fever, sore throat, headache, nausea, and vomiting. The rash usually appears within 24 hours of the onset of fever and begins behind the ears, neck, and upper chest and spreads throughout the body within a day.
The rash is bright red, the size of a pinhead, some like “goose bumps”, if pressed with a finger, can make the redness temporarily fade, the skin where the pressure is pale, after more than 10 seconds, the skin is back to scarlet, this phenomenon is called “palm marks”. The face is congested and flushed, but there is no rash, and the area around the mouth and lips and the tip of the nose appear pale, so it is called “perioral pale circle”. In addition, the papilla of the tongue is red and swollen, resembling a bright red prune, so it is called “prune tongue”.
The rash subsides in 3 to 5 days, and after the rash subsides, there are varying degrees of peeling, rice bran-like flaking, or large areas of peeling. The disease can sometimes be complicated by myocarditis, nephritis, rheumatic fever, otitis media, pneumonia, and other diseases.
Do I need to be hospitalized for scarlet fever? How do I care for my child?
In general, when a child develops symptoms of scarlet fever, such as sudden onset of high fever, sore throat, regurgitation and nausea, and severe headache, you need to take the child to the doctor immediately for examination. In mild cases, the child can be treated at home in isolation and does not need to be hospitalized.
How to care for scarlet fever
1. Fever care
Children in the acute phase should be kept on absolute bed rest for 2-3 weeks to prevent complications, and appropriate physical cooling should be provided.
2.Oral care
It is important to keep the child’s mouth clean, both to help kill the bacteria in the pharynx and to prevent secondary infections, and for children who can take care of themselves a little older, make sure they rinse their mouths with warm salt water after meals or before and after going to bed; for children aged 1~2 years old, their family members can rinse their mouths with warm salt water.
For children aged 1~2 years old, their family members can scrub their mouths with sterilized gauze or cotton dipped in warm salt water, and feed them water regularly to clean their mouths.
3. Skin care
Cut the child’s nails short to avoid scratching the skin. Do not tear the skin with your hands when it is peeling, and trim it with sterile scissors to prevent infection. Wash the skin with warm water to relieve the itchiness.
Do not wipe the skin with soap and water or alcohol. If necessary, apply glyburide lotion. Loose clothing and pants should be worn, not chemical fiber or flannel underwear, to prevent aggravating the itch. Mattress should be kept clean, dry, soft and flat.
4.Prevent complications
Observe the changes in blood pressure, eyelid swelling, decreased urine volume and hematuria. Send routine urine tests twice a week.
How to prevent scarlet fever in babies?
At present, there is no vaccine to prevent scarlet fever. It is vital to prevent it in daily life by paying attention to the following aspects.
1. Maintain good lifestyle habits. Keep an eye on the weather, add and remove clothes, eat properly, develop a good routine, strengthen physical exercise, teach children to wash their hands and mouths regularly, and go to as few crowded places as possible.
Parents should pay close attention to the physical condition of their children during the high season, especially when there are scarlet fever patients around, and send them to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as they notice a fever or rash.
3. Do morning and afternoon checks in childcare institutions and schools, and isolate children suspected of having scarlet fever immediately if found. Food utensils, toys and furniture that the child has touched should be disinfected. Adequate ventilation should be provided indoors, no less than 3 times a day for 15 minutes each time.
4. Children infected with scarlet fever should be bedridden, hospitalized or isolated at home, and should not come into contact with other children. The isolation period should be no less than 7 days from the onset of the disease. Children with septic complications should be isolated until the inflammation subsides.
The most important thing is to keep away from the source of infection and to maintain good personal and family hygiene.