more on viral rashes - skin on fingers and toes now peeling

[Sugarmagnolia]

About 2 weeks ago I posted about DS's rash - bright red face, lacey rash spreading down his neck and trunk to his fingers and toes. Fever, tiredness. Took him to the GP she said it was just viral, possibly slapped cheek. He also had a small red patch of skin on his thumb that looked a bit like eczema (although he's never had eczema before so I'm not really that familiar with it). The red patch appeared about a week before everything else so I assumed they were unrelated. Now the rash and fever are gone (although he still has a cold and isn't quite himself) but all the skin on his fingers and toes are peeling. I've read that some viral rashes, but especially scarlet fever, can peel. Does this mean he had scarlet fever or can some other rashes peel too? Does anyone know? And if it was scarlet fever do I need to notify the nursery (although not sure what good it would do 2 weeks after the fact). Any advice would be great!

[mymama]

Don't really know much but have heard of Kawasaki disease with similar sounding symptoms. try here this

May well be just a viral infection but if you feel unsure try a 2nd opinion maybe? Sorry I can't help more.

[carol3]

scalded skin syndrome causes peeling but it goes into large bisters first, my dd had it last year awful. I think there is a few rashes that cause peeling. Would ask gp again if i were you.

[Sugarmagnolia]

No, no blisters. A bit worried about kawasaki syndrom now - I KNOW you shouldn't search the web for this stuff but he has a lot of the symptoms: rash, swollen lymph glands in the neck, fever, complains of sore legs when he walks (joint & muscle pain??), dry skin around the mouth and peeling skin on the hands and feet.

NHS Direct

Definitely phoning the doctor again at 9!!!

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

My ds had scarlet fever and was quite poorly. Very high temp and quite a specific sandpapery rash among other things particularly an odd looking strawberry tongue,

I think with Kawasaki they are even more poorly.

Maybe Scarletina - another version of the same bug I think?

[Sugarmagnolia]

Sandpapery rash but no sore throat, and no red tongue.

I know I'm just makign myself worry but he is a child who can act fine even when he's really unwell. I once took him to the out of hours GP service, got very dirty looks from everyone there including the doctors because he was bouncing around like he was in the playground and laughing. Turned out he had a temp of 39.5 and severe infection in both ears! He's still very up and down - seems ok one minute then really tearful the next, unusually tired and complaining of sore legs. Not himself at all.

[mymama]

Is his fever quite high? Does the fever remain constant even if medicated?

If so I would definitely see a doctor again. Children get all sorts of things that don't amount to much but a fever two weeks on might mean something more.

Only reason I suggested Kawasaki as someone's ds on MN had it a few months ago. I had never heard of it before then and the symptoms sounded similar.

Will search for thread.

[mymama]

It was essbee's ds. here

[Sugarmagnolia]

I find it really hard to tell if he has a fever. When DD has a fever she feels like she is burning up but with DS I can never tell. I've got a thermometer but it doesn't seem very reliable. Some times I'm sure the fever is gone and then a couple of days later it seems to have come back again. What I do know is that he perks up considerably on calpol or ibuprofen.

[Sugarmagnolia]

Thanks mymama - I'm sorry essbee and her DS had to go through that. In some ways it's comforting because my DS is nowhere near as sick as that. On the other hand I've just found another symptom linked with kawasaki - red eyes. Ok, only 5 minutes until I can call the doc.

[mymama]

Sounds encouraging that he picks up with the calpol.

Haven't read thread again but if I remember rightly essbee's ds was very poorly even on meds.

Am sure it will be nothing but a 2nd opinion can't hurt.

[Sugarmagnolia]

Doctor going to phone back for a telephone consultation at 11:30.

[Flamesparrow]

Hope things go ok with doc xxxx

[wotzsaname]

Was the rash on his back form a Fur Tree like spread? Pityriasis rosea.

My 7yr dd had similar last year. Small patch first (looked like eczema on her arm). The red patch appearing first...{{{ummm}}}} my dd had this last year. The spots faded away after about 10 months. No peeling though! No scars now.

Our GP was no help! Have a look at this.. Pityriasis rosea

[Sugarmagnolia]

No. Thanks but his rash looked nothing like that. It was a fine lacey rash that started on his face and worked it's way down his neck and trunk and eventually appeared on his hands and feet. It was also rough and sandpapery. I'm still not convinced the red patch on his hand is related as that one spot looks different from the other areas of skin that are peeling.

[ledodgy]

It sounds like scareltfever/scarletina to me see here

[Sugarmagnolia]

I know but he doesn't have a sore/red throat or red tongue....

I'm sure he would be an awful lot sicker if he had something rare like kawasaki but it's the unusual symptoms that are worrying me - the red eyes & mouth and the sore legs.

[ledodgy]

Do you think he may ahve had the sore throat and red tongue when he ahd a fever but you didn't notice?

[wotzsaname]

ledodgy it does sound similar, but hard to tell without seeing. Sounds like he may be over the worst of it. Poor thing.

[Sugarmagnolia]

ledodgy - his throat was checked by 3 different doctors

[mymama]

Hope the doctor is able to help.

[Sugarmagnolia]

Doctor is going to see him at 2. They are so good at this surgery really. She kind of sighed when I told her I'd been looking at the NHS Direct website (thought that sounded better than "I was doing some research on mumsnet") but didn't dismiss me or tell me I was being silly and said she would consider taking blood or swabbing his throat depending on what she sees when we come in.

[LIZS]

Definitely sounds like Scarlet fever which still is notifiable iirc and the bacteria which causes it very contagious . Can also cause a nasty throat infection.

[Sugarmagnolia]

Well the doc saw us again. Of course DS was bright as a button and had no fever this afternoon so I was a bit embarrassed but she was very nice about it. She's pretty sure it's not kawasaki even though almost all the symptoms fit she says he would be an awful lot sicker. Scarlet fever is also unlikely but she swabbed his throat anyway to check for certain. And she said if doesn't continue to improve to come back in a few days and she'll take some blood.

[mymama]

That sounds reassuring Sugarmagnolia. Hope he is feeling better soon.

[Sugarmagnolia]

Thanks - after all that he seemed himself tonight for the first time in ages!