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Original poster

Son sent home from school

24 replies

itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 15:14

Ds has had a bug consisting of sore throat headache temperature. So ds went back to school this morning I got a call at 11:30 to say he wasn't coping and they've seen a rash so suspect scarlet fever. The thing is his face isn't flushed and the rash isn't red. Can you have scarlet fever without a red rah and flushed face?

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Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 15:15

Rah= rash sorry on my phone

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kimlo · 15/03/2016 15:20

What does the rash look like?

LIZS · 15/03/2016 15:22

You can have strep throat without it being sf, or tonsillitis with a viral rash.

Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 15:23

Don't know if you can really see it

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Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 15:24

I thought viral. I have booked a docs appointment to be sure but just thought it was unusual for them to say they thought he had it when it didn't look bad

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littleducks · 15/03/2016 15:27

Perhaps scarlet fever is doing the rounds at school?

Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 15:29

There's been 2 confirmed cases in the pre school and I know a few other school and nurserys have some confirmed xxx

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Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 15:30

Sorry for xs texting at same time

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kimlo · 15/03/2016 15:31

That looks viral to me, or the start of chicken pox.

Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 15:58

I thought viral as he's had chicken pox before

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moosemama · 15/03/2016 16:30

First sign of my ds having scarlet fever was a barely there pimply, sort of dry rash on his torso. Not dissimilar to your ds'.

He ended up very poorly from getting it repeatedly because the GP failed to give him a long enough course of antibiotics. It was only when he happened to have an appointment with the head of practice that it finally got dealt with properly. Iirc, you need at least a 10 day course to clear it properly.

Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 16:45

How you've described your ds rash is exactly like my ds I'm hoping it isn't I've just got ds2 out of hospital xxx

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Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 17:40

So just got back from doctors and she thinks it might be viral but took a swab. But now ds2 is coming up in the same rash so only time will tell

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moosemama · 15/03/2016 18:06

I think the standard description of a SF rash is 'sandpapery'. Which does describe it very well actually. Normal viral rashes don't have the same dry, scratchy feel to them.

Fingers crossed it doesn't turn out to be SF, although to be honest, the treatment works very quickly to make them feel better and I believe they can go back to school once they've been on antibiotics for a couple of days, as they're no longer contagious.

Ds only got really poorly with it, as it became chronic, due to him not getting the right treatment. This was years ago and the GP hadn't seen SF herself since she started practising. I believe it's coming back and far more common now, so most GPs will have seen it. They will also be on alert for it, as there's been quite a bit of press around saying this year has had the highest number of cases since the 1960's.

moosemama · 15/03/2016 18:07

Cross posted.

Sounds hopeful it might just be a virus.

Fingers crossed they're not too poorly with it either way. Flowers

Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 18:09

It does have that scratchy sandpaper feel even she said that, but I can't keep him off a week till the swabs are back so will just have to re asses Tommorrow

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kimlo · 15/03/2016 18:11

Theres no exclusion for scarlet fever once they have the abtibiotics as long as they feel ok in themselves. I had to look it up a while ago, I was suprised I dont know when it changed it used to be 5 days from getting antibiotics.

hollinhurst84 · 15/03/2016 18:16

Bizarrely one of my FB friends has just posted her DD has it and describing the rash as sandpaper

moosemama · 15/03/2016 18:20

Just checked, it's 24 hours after they start the antibiotics they can go back to school. I think it was longer when ds had it.

It's been massively in the press this week, so I'd assume the GP would have just given antibiotics if she was at all suspicious it might be SF.

Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 18:21

Th dr didn't give us antibiotics though just said wait until the swabs are back which will be Friday or Monday

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Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 18:22

She said she was doing swabs because half of his school have been through thinking they have it

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Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 18:23

Posted to soon and she can't just give everyone antibiotics. So she's taking a swab first approach on people

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colleysmill · 15/03/2016 18:44

Ds is being treated for "suspected" scarlet fever - our gp said she wanted to err on the side if caution and treat even though it was 50/50 whether it was or not. She looked up which swabs she might need to do but it wasn't recommended!

Original poster
itsbegginingtolook · 15/03/2016 18:51

See it annoys me why so many gps work in different ways if it's worse by Tom I'll ring up see what they say

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