Signs and symptoms
The onset of strep throat is sudden. It begins with a headache, fever up to 40°C, sore and red throat, vomiting, abdominal pain, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. If the infecting organism is rash-producing and the child is not immune, he or she will develop a rash within 24 to 72 hours. The rash is typical of scarlet fever, with fine, slightly raised red spots resembling coarse red sandpaper. It appears on the base of the neck, in the armpits and groin, and then on the trunk and extremities. The child’s face is flushed, but the lips are pale. When the rash subsides in three to 20 days, the skin flakes and peels.
The diagnosis of a strep throat cannot be confirmed without a throat culture that isolates streptococcus organisms. However, cultures are only 90 to 95 percent reliable. The diagnosis of scarlet fever is based on the appearance of the rash.
Home care
The only home treatment recommended is to give aspirin or paracetamol to relieve fever and pain. A streptococcal infection should be treated by your doctor.
• Infants are immune to the scarlet fever toxin for four to six months if their mothers are immune. The infants are not immune to a streptococcal infection, which may be very serious but may not produce typical symptoms. Consequently, keep infants away from groups of children, some of whom may be carriers of the streptococci bacteria.
• If one child in your family has a streptococcal infection, your other children should receive a throat culture whether they are sick or not.
• Follow the full course of antibiotic treatment prescribed by a doctor, giving your child all the medication prescribed even if the child seems to be well before all the medicine is finished.
Medical treatment
Strep throat is diagnosed by means of a physical examination and the results of a throat culture. Penicillin (or another antibiotic for those who are allergic to penicillin) is usually prescribed for ten days to cure the streptococcal infection. Antibiotics prevent rheumatic fever and may prevent inflammation of the kidneys. A child who develops complications may have to be hospitalized.
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