Symptoms of Scarlet Fever in Children
Other, less common symptoms of scarlet fever in children include:
After the rash is gone, often the skin on the tips of the fingers and toes begins to peel.
Diagnosing Scarlet Fever in Children
In order to make a diagnosis of scarlet fever in children, the doctor will ask a number of questions and perform a physical exam to look for scarlet fever signs. If the doctor suspects scarlet fever, he or she may recommend a throat culture. If the throat culture is positive for group A streptococcus and the child has
scarlet fever symptoms, a
scarlet fever diagnosis will be made.
Treatment for Scarlet Fever in Children
Treatment for scarlet fever in children involves antibiotics that can kill the bacteria. Scarlet fever treatment also focuses on relieving scarlet fever symptoms. Let the doctor know if your child is allergic to penicillin.
Complications of Scarlet Fever in Children
Because both scarlet fever and strep throat are caused by group A streptococcus bacteria, possible
scarlet fever complications are similar to those of strep throat; however, with the widespread use of antibiotics to treat scarlet fever and strep throat, these complications are not as common as they once were.
Specific complications of scarlet fever that can occur in children include:
- Sinusitis (sinus infection)
- Otitis media (ear infection)
- Meningitis
- Rheumatic fever (inflammatory disease that can affect the heart, joints, skin, and brain)
- Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis
- Pneumonia
- Cervical lymphadenitis (inflammation of lymph glands in the neck)
- Bacteremia (blood stream infections)
- Abscess (collection of pus in tissue).
Previous
Add this article to your Favorites
Email this article
Print