Scarlet fever

[Neverendingillnesses]

Another illness going around my child’s school..she doesn’t have it..yet. Just asking if they have to have antibiotics wity Scarlet fever? Not overly keen on always giving antibiotics for everything.

I'm the same as you but didn't take any chances and took the antibiotics once Scarlet fever was diagnosed. There can be heart complications after it.

Not overly keen on always giving antibiotics for everything.

But we don’t always give antibiotics for “everything” though?

@Cucumberbund That’s what I wanted to weigh up really, how essential antibiotics were

Have you read the news lately? Scarlet fever can be quite serious. You need to give an antibiotic

@Babyclb Not everything, no, but in my Dds school this year, she’s been ill, as have others, with different things since October, she was already on antibiotics for a bad cough/chest

The issue is there isn't really a way to know who can fight it off and who can't. Hence the antibiotics

its a bit of a no brainer

antibiotic or potential fatality?

Why wouldn't you take the antibiotic?

@Eatentoomanyroses I haven’t (not in the U.K so not sure if it’s less coverage where I am) the teacher has sent an email out tonight. Would you keep your child off school if known cases in the class in the last few days?

@Nimbostratus100 I didn’t realise it was as serious as that, hence asking here, she’ll need antibiotics if she catches then.

Before antibiotics, Scarlet Fever had a mortality rate of 25% (or one in four who became ill with it). I wouldn’t fancy those odds for my child, so yes, the antibiotics are necessary. They also stop the infection spreading to others - you can be contagious for weeks without them…

My daughter was diagnosed with scarlet fever on Friday. Shes on antibiotics and went back to school today, they worked really quickly. They can go back once they've been on antibiotics for 24 hours.

However, as I found it is pretty much impossible to get liquid antibiotics for children at the minute and I'm having to crush tablets and give in a yoghurt.

@Stressfordays Has she been very ill or ok?
Should I keep her off until it passes?

You don’t get antibiotics for a cough. She will have had a bacterial chest infection in which case she needed antibiotics.
If she gets scarlet fever she would also need antibiotics.

@Babyclb Yes, I know.

Scarlet fever is an illness where anti bs are really critical and literally life saving (see reference to 25% death rate above!). There are also some severe possible complications post scarlet fever - eg kidney failure, heart damage - that a course of antibiotics can help prevent.

@HomemadePickle Thank you, if she catches then we’ll definitely go down that route. Would you keep your child off school with known cases?