Scarlet Fever

Scarlet fever is an acute streptococcic disease characterized with rash, fever, common intoxication, angina, tachycardia. Pathogen is streptococcus belonging to group A. Source of infection is diseased person at first days of his illness. Most frequently scarlet fever affects children under 10 years old. Morbidity increases at autumn and winter period.

Symptoms and course
Incubation period lasts 2 – 7 days. The disease starts acutely. Body temperature increases, patient suffers from weakness, headache, chill, sore throat during swallowing. Common and persistent symptom is angina: pharynx redding, lymphatic glands increase, amygdala increase and pellicle on them. By the end of first day appears red punctulated rash, especially on spots where natural skin lines are located. Face has red color, and nose with mouth have white color with punctulated rash. On limb flexures frequently occur punctate hemorrhages.

Rash may have small blisters filled with liquid. Some patients may suffer from itching. Rash keeps for 2 – 5 days and then turns pale, body temperature lowers. On the second week occurs lamellar skin damage, especially on hand flexures.

Patient suffers from tachycardia, high angiasthenia. Liver and spleen are increased. At average, scarlet fever lasts from 5 to 10 days. Mild forms have mild symptoms, severe forms are characterized with intoxication, loss of consciousness, spasms, cardiovascular collapse, kidney failure.

Complications: lymphadenitis, otitis, mastoiditis, nephritis, rheumatism, myocarditis, brain otitic abscess.

Treatment
If patient gets treatment at home, there must be created special conditions for him. Hospitalization is required in severe cases. Bed regimen is required for 5 – 6 days. Are prescribed antibiotics of penicillin group, vitamins (vitamins B, P, C), detoxication. Course of treatment with antibiotics is 5 – 7 days.

Preventive measures
Isolation of diseased patients. Recovering patients should avoid contacts with newly diseased people. The release from hospital not earlier than in 10 days. Children should go to school in 23 days after the onset of scarlet fever. In apartment should be performed disinfection regularly.