To suspect scarlet fever??

[hakunamatata36]

5 yr old Dd has been poorly since yesterday, last night she had a high temp and said her head and throat were hurting. No cough or anything but we did do a lft and it was negative. She was off school today as she still wasn't herself, hasn't wanted to eat as her throat is still sore. This afternoon she has been complaining that her tongue is now really sore and cried at dinner time because of this, I checked her mouth and can see lumps at the back of her tongue, her throat also looks really red. Now she has also started coming out in a rash on her stomach, groin and creases in her elbows. There has been an outbreak at her school of impetigo and after looking on Google (stupid I know!!) it says that you can get scarlet fever from touching somebody who is infected with impetigo. However her temp has come right down tonight although her mouth is still sore and the rash is obviously there so im not sure what to think? To be honest the rash looks like a viral type rash but it has only come out in the last hour or so so I'm not sure if it will spread or change?

I would try and send a pic to your GP

I think scarlet fever rash is rough to the touch. Strawberry tongue rings a bell too.
She should be 'seen' by GP- I think scarlet fever needs antibiotics. When I was a child I got s9mething called scarletina. I haven't heard of that, since!

I haven't googled, just going from memory, and I'm not an HCP!

I advise you step away from google.

The rash for scarlet fever is very distinctive. It looks like (and feels) like sandpaper. The tongue you're looking for is a strawberry tongue, although mine never got that.

It sounds to me like she's got nasty tonsilitis, so I would try and see a doctor, but the rash to me was the distinctive thing.

But don't worry too much about scarlet fever unless the symptoms are becoming worrying. For mine, other than the temperature and rash they weren't that ill, and apparently that's quite common.

Definitely get her checked out scarlet fever is doing the rounds my granddaughter had it about a month ago.

@picklemewalnuts
I think scarlet fever and scarletina are the same thing.

My DD had scarlet fever, and it was only because of the accompanying tonsillitis that she was given antibiotics, otherwise I think we would have been told to carry on with calpol and calamine on the rash if it was itchy. If her throat is so bad then a GP call may be worthwhile?

I had scarlet fever when I was 16. It was horrific - classic strawberry tongue and rough rash. It took me over 2 weeks to start getting over it. But I was given nothing for it.

The quarantine period for SF is 24hrs with antibiotics and 10 days without so yes they do need them.

Scarlet Fever is a notifiable disease, so if she has it, it's important to get it diagnosed, as it could have severe repercussions for it to go undetected in a school environment.

And if it's a nasty bacterial tonsilitis, she could need antibiotics anyhow.

My son had Scarlet fever the rash and tongue are very distinctive. I couldn't get his temp below 39 with either calpol or nurophen. It 100% needed antibiotics.

Here's the government guidance on symptoms;

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/790943/Scarlet_fever_symptoms_diagnosis_and_treatment.pdf

[quote NeverDropYourMooncup]Here's the government guidance on symptoms;

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/790943/Scarlet_fever_symptoms_diagnosis_and_treatment.pdf[/quote]
Thanks for the link, after reading the symptoms I'm more convinced that she has it as she started off with nausea, sore throat and a headache and has now developed the rash like it said on there. I will make an appt with the gp tomorrow

Our dc has been the same. We also thought scarlet fever but we've now found out she has Covid

If you think she has scarlet fever then you need to see your GP as she'll need antibiotics. I think my son had to have 10 days worth when he scarlet fever. Like others said he had a very distinct rash and was really unwell.

Just to update, the DR isn't sure, she has some of the typical symptoms but the rash doesn't quite look the same. They've asked me to wait 24 hours and see how the rash develops but to keep her off school in the meantime

Glad you got her seen. My eldest had scarlet fever when she was little, about 15 years ago when it was starting to recur but not really on most doctors' radar. We all thought it was just a nasty virus because she had such generalised symptoms, although I was back and forth to the GPs. After a week she was hospitalised with sepsis, which was when the diagnosis was made, and seriously ill for some time. Not all children get that ill with it but antibiotics are very effective and important to reduce illness in this case.

Hope she starts to feel better soon, either way.

Glad you got her seen. Keep a close eye on her and take her back to the doctor if you are at all concerned.
My youngest had scarlet fever 10 years ago and it was misdiagnosed as a viral rash. It was correctly diagnosed a couple of days later and she was given oral antibiotics. Unfortunately, a couple of days after that it turned out she had developed pneumonia as a secondary infection and she spent two weeks in hospital needing emergency surgery for a collapsed lung and IV antibiotics.

There is a confirmed outbreak of Scarlet Fever where we live so it is out there. Hope your little one feels better soon.

I had Scarlet Fever as an adult in my 30's. from what I can remember I had a rash in the elbow creases, thighs, whole back.. face swelled up and a white circle with no rash round my mouth area.. it started with a sore throat which i thought was more tonsilitus again.