A few decades ago, it was believed that scarlet fever is the most terrible disease that claimed many childhood lives. But even today, when there are drugs designed to treat this disease, it can provoke serious complications. Therefore, at the slightest doubt, a doctor's consultation is necessary.
What is scarlet fever?
Scarlet fever in children is an infectious disease caused by streptococcus. In most cases, children are ill with it, sometimes adults who are not immune to this virus. Streptococcus, getting into the bloodstream, secretes poison, which causes the symptoms of the disease.
The source of infection is a sick person. Infection occurs when you touch, through the inhaled contaminated air and during the use of various objects (toys, underwear, etc.). In rare cases, the disease occurs through third parties. Patients are most contagious in the early days of infection, but doctors claim the risk of infection from the 1st to the 22nd day of illness.
The epidemiological process is characterized by declines and rises that occur every 4 years. The virus is mainly detected in the autumn - winter period.
How to recognize a disease?
Let's look at how scarlet fever manifests itself. As a rule, the latent period of infection is up to 11 days. After this time, the following symptoms appear:
- General malaise
- Temperature increase up to 40 *
- Vomiting opens and nausea begins
- Sore throat appears
- There is an increase in lymph nodes
- As a rule, after a day, a small, pinkish rash appears in the axillary areas, on the chest, abdomen, limbs and neck.
The main sign indicating the presence of the disease is an unnaturally pale nasolabial triangle. There is such a factor as severe sore throat caused by sore tonsils. The disease on the 8th day begins to recede - the temperature drops, pain decreases, and the skin begins to peel off. After a couple of days, pronounced peeling subsides. It is worth remembering that scarlet fever in children, the incubation period of up to 8 days, can lead to serious consequences, for example to rheumatism.
What can be the complications?
Early complications caused by bacteria can be as follows - sinusitis, otitis media, and spicopyemia. At the end of the second or at the beginning of the third week, late complications may arise, caused primarily by an allergic reaction - nephritis and synovitis. Usually, scarlet fever in children begins to recede at 3 or 4 weeks, less often at 2 weeks of illness.
Disease treatment
The need for hospitalization is determined by the symptoms of the attending physician. A mandatory stationary regimen is needed for children with a severe course of the disease, as well as children who are ill in closed groups and who do not have the possibility of treatment at home. Treatment of mild and moderate scarlet fever in children can be carried out at home.
To prevent possible complications, the child needs bed rest throughout the entire period of rashes and after it up to 5 days. Sick children must strictly follow the prescribed diet, which consists in the use of mashed and cooked food in a liquid or semi-liquid consistency. The child needs a plentiful drink, which allows you to quickly remove toxins from the body. After passing the acute period, you can transfer the child to normal food.
The onset of scarlet fever in children requires the immediate use of antibacterial agents. To date, staphylococci remain sensitive to the penicillin group, therefore, at home, drugs are used in the form of tablets, and in the hospital - injections. If the child has intolerance to penicillin antibiotics, then the drug erythromycin is prescribed.
In addition to antibiotic therapy, antiallergic drugs are prescribed - suprastin, diazolin. For the treatment of tonsillitis, rinse with chamomile, sage, calendula or furacilin is prescribed.
The immunity of a healthy child who has had an illness earlier copes well with the virus. However, the re-development of scarlet fever is caused by factors that reduce the children's immune system (colds, injuries, etc.).