Slapped Cheek or Scarlet Fever???

[TotalBummer]

OK. I posted this morning about DS1 coming home from nursery yesterday with a rash on his arms and legs and red cheeks. Piriton seemed to calm it down but this morning he still has 2 red cheeks but the rash has subsided.

His teacher at nursery has just told me they have Scarlet Fever and Slapped Cheek going round so to get him checked out for Scarlet Fever just in case.

I am going to take him to GP but what do I need to make sure they do to test him for Scarlet Fever??? AND I have DS2 who is 12 months - should I get him checked out too or wait to see if he gets symptoms?

i know Scarlet fever can be really dangerous if left untreated. I am SURE he had it about a year ago but the GP wouldn't diagnose it as the rash had faded a bit by the time DS1 ended up at emergency out of hours with temp stuck at 41-42 degrees and his throat and tongue were so red and swollen he was struggling to swallow. He got the antibiotic treatment for Scarlet Fever but they still said it was "rare" so the GP didn't officially diagnose it...

Anyway, any advice?

Thanks

As someone who has just had Scarlet Fever, trust me if they have it they will literally be a sun burned colour all over not just on their face. For me I started with a sore throat, then I got a pin prick rash all over my torso, arms and neck, then the following day I was a gorgeous sun burned colour all over my stomach, chest and throat and I also had a very swollen face (this can be due to retained fluid as Scarlet Fever can effect your kidneys). Treatment is anti-biotics as its basically a throat infection.
My eldest boy had slapped cheek as a toddler and his was very definitely a red face as opposed to being red all over.

You def need to take them both to the docs for a check up tho!!!

Thanks. Will do.

Sorry you had this horrible disease. He defo had it before and I have been told once you have it you can't get it again so I suspect this time it is slapped cheek. Am off to ring the GP now

Thanks for the quick reply!

Best to be sure as I have now had it twice, once as a child and now as an adult!!

Good luck, hope they are both ok.

Scarlet fever rash looks like sandpaper. (and I think starts of torso)
Slapped cheek looks like circles of sunburn and starts on limbs or face.

So it sounds to me like slapped cheek. Keep him away from pregnant ladies.

Just a quick update
It looks like Scarlet Fever so he is getting clarithomycin (sp?) or something like that for 10 days.

Thanks for your help. I would prob have ended up at A&E

I've had scarlet fever/scarletina and the throat is incredibly sore and the fever really high. If he has neither it's unlikely but the gp may be playing safe.

the doctor should always officially diagnose, it is a notifiable disease. If the GP isn't reporting all suspected cases there could be a UK wide epidemic and nobody would know about it

Oh yes, scarlet fever = tongue with little bumps that looks like a strawberry, it's sometimes the only defining feature as not everybody gets the sunburn rash, just dry skin.

DD has scarlet fever she is so, so ill with it. It started with a sore throat, then a rash on the face and neck, then spread to the tummy and back and then to arms and legs. We went to the out of hours GP, there were signs up everywhere saying waiting time 2 hours. They looked at her and took her straight in. There is a lot of people round here with it according to the dr

I reckon you'll know by how 'Ill' your child is. Ds1 had it but he really wasn't that ill with it. He looked as thought he had an allergy with slapped cheek and had lace like rash on torso, arms and legs. We didn't know he was ill except the rash. I hear you can be q ill with scarlet fever so a child with this is likely to be visibly ill. Hope it helps.