Strange rash!

[toffeeapple]

Hi My ds is 2 years old and has been a bit grumpy since wednesday, he had a sore throat as he kept doing a funny face when swallowing.
He has been eating and drinking normally and everything, and had a slight temperature on Friday.
Yesterday around 3/4pm we noticed that his back and tummy looked red, almost like a sunburn (he obviously hasn't been in the sun). Above his eyebrows and his forehead were also red, as well as his scalp.
He was absolutely fine in himself, running around and jumping as usual, but this morning the rash hadn't gone away.
We took him to the see a doctor who didn't look worried because he didn't have a temperature, chest sounded normal, his eating and drinking and wetting of nappies was normal, tummy normal etc...
The only thing he said was that his tonsils were very big (and I've got an excruciating sore throat myself). He said to leave it and if he got worse we might have to put him on antibiotics.
I was just wondering if anyone had experienced a rash of that kind before (in yourselves or kids).
It looks a bit like a heat rash as there are a few tiny spots as well, but mostly it looks more like a sunburn or nettle rash.
Any ideas?
P.S: Also I remember that I overdressed him on saturday morning, as I had a temperature myself and felt really cold I thought he might be as well, so he had a vest on, a long sleeved tee-shirt and quite a thick jumper. The house was quite warm as well and he kept jumping around and running.
His legs and arms don't seem affected a part from a few heat spots which have started to fade.
I feel really bad but he didn't look like he was hot (not red in the face or anything).
I would be very grateful for any replies!!

Hello, first of all don't panic at what I'm about to write! My son has had vague symptoms for a few weeks and on Monday he developed a temperature and after a visit to the GP who just gave his antibiotics (his sister has tonsillitis and he appeared to have symptoms of an ear infection) we brought him home. Later that day he had a febrile fit and was admitted to hospital with suspected meningitis.

It wasn't meningitis but a severe virus and the rash which came about three days later was exactly as you've described. It went after two days - he's spot free entirely now. Despite having a lumbar puncture, blood and urine cultures, and a chest x ray we still don't know what it was but were told that quite a few kids have been getting similar symptoms and rashes and there is something going around.

I should fade in a few days in any case (in your son's case). Watch his temperature, if it climbs rapidly, give ibuprofen or paracetamol. If the temp does not reduce with this, strip him off and seek medical help if after two hours it's not reducing.

But it's most likely viral tonsillitis in which case he'll either recover within a week, or need some antibiotics to clear it. Either way although he can't tell you he's probably feeling rather crap so make a big fuss of him and get him plenty of rest (oh and he's contagious so no nursery!)

I've answered the other thread for you. Call the out of hours and tell them you think he has scarlet fever.

Thank you, I did call the out of hours and he has been seen this morning at 10.30am?
Do you think I should go again?

I would call them again, the symptoms for scarlet fever do disappear very quickly. Did you tell the doctor all of the symptoms he had, even if he didn't have them any more?

It could be scarlet fever and he will definitely need ABs if is. I would make an appointment with your GP tomorrow if he has already been seen today.

Yes I did, I told him all of the symptoms.
His skin is still pink and feels hot to the touch, but quite frankly I've seen photos of a scarlet fever rash on google and it doesn't look like the one ds has.
Plus they say their face is usually scarlet red, and his isn't, he was just pink above his eyebrows and forehead but it was all the same colour IYSWIM, more like when you get hot.
Basically the pinkness of his skin is quite like when I take a long bath and my skin is still quite flushed.

ds's rash was pink rather then the red displayed on google. His rash was never red, more of pink bloch over his thighs. It didn't go on his face at all.
I would pop back to the out of hours or pop to your own GP tomorrow.

Another one here who votes for Scarlet fever.

It classically looks like sunburn - which is a word you use in your OP. The rash is usually slightly goosebumpy, and usually worse in the warm folds of the skin like armpits and groin - though not always.
Almost exclusvively follows a strep through which you describe in your OP.

TBH I usually find that google images of any disease only shows the severe end of the spectrum.

Also I thought that Scarelet fever tends to exclude the face. I know that when my DD had it she did have quite an intense rash on her face - which was considered unusal.

Please check again tomorrow. ABs are quite important for SF.

Hi everyone, just a quick update. He woke up from his 3 hour nap, no fever or anything, pinkness near enough gone.
I did put on cool clothes before he went to bed.
Very strange indeed. I hope it's not Scarlatina, but if he gets worse I will definately go again tomorrow.

As I said before, the rash and the temp go very quickly. If his throat is still sore tomorrow then I'd take him to the GP, mention all of his symptoms that he's had, even though they have gone.

I hope he's feeling better soon.

I posted on your other thread before I saw this one. I also think it sounds like scarlet fever. Two of my DSs have had it and neither of them had a very red face with it.

SF is more reconiseable by touch than look-it feels like sandpaper and you can still feeel it even as it fades. Also, as I said on other thread, check his tongue-in the early stages, it is coated with white; after a couple of days the coating comes off and leaves a very red tongue with darker red bits showing through like a strawberry.

It is really important to get ABs if there is any doubt because untreated it can lead to rheumatic fever,and kidney problems.

It doesn't feel like sand paper at all, it's as soft as a baby's bottom.
The tongue is perfectly normal.
However his back still feels warm when I put my cheek on it.
I will STILL book an appoitment at the GP for tomorrow as I am kink of panicking now.

Ds's was soft too

The GP's a very good idea. I hope he's feeling better soon. It's contagious too, I had to quarantine ds for a couple of days after he started the antibiotics.