Hand Foot and Mouth or Impetigo?

[MrsLTH]

My DS has developed a rash and blisters around his mouth, on his wrists, knees and tops of feet. He is fine in himself and doesnt have a temperature. I took him to the docs yesterday who said she thinks it is impetigo as the spots arent on his palms and soles and he is well in himself. I have looked at some pics online and it looks nothing like impetigo and exactly like hand foot and mouth! Doc has given him antibiotics. What do you think? Can HFAM present NOT on palms and soles?
x

Impetigo usually is very distinctive because it has yellow crusts. DD1 got impetigo about 12 years ago, just before DH and I got married. Cracking timing for yellow scaly mouth.

It doesnt have a yellow crusts, just red spoty rash and with a couple of blisters (with clear fluid) he isnt bothered by them. I am not convinced by the impetigo thing at all!

Can you ask doctor to swab him if you're not happy? My DS had sore lumpy face, tbh didn't look like classic impetigo as w little spots not patches. Swab came back as a strep impetigo infection so was glad we were taking the antibiotics.

I think I'll see what happens. He is on the antibiotics now so either way it should be gone in a few days I hope. It's just one illness after the other at the moment. No one tells you this before you have kids! :)

DS and DH had HFAM - DS had small hard blistery spots on his legs and feet and around his mouth, not crusty at all. I have had impetigo and the blisters are much bigger and crustier!
DH had nasty blisters in his mouth like lots of little mouth ulcers vv painful. HFAM is contagious BTW

But in case it is a weird strain of impetigo you are probably just as well doing the course of AB's

We have just had HFAM, no spots on soles of fett or palms of hands, but all over fingers / tops of feet / up legs / nappy area / arms / face / roof of mouth - doc said worst he'd seen. (Ds does get eczema though, supposedly they suffer more ). So yes u can get it not on palms / soles.. We also had occ diarrhoea for a day or two and extreme irritability and lethargy :(

Just had nursery call to say DS has HFAM - got doctor booked in tonight to diagnose for sure, but nursery say HFAM doesn't get excluded... so how will they clear it if they've got it there?!?! DS has been fine, I noticed a few spots round his mouth this morning but thought it was just from his runny nose (another joyful result of nursery...) MrsLTH totally agree that no one warns you about all of these viruses and what to look for! I feel so bad for sending DS to nursery when he was perfectly healthy beforehand!!