How long does it take for scarlet fever rash to heal?

In daily life, scarlet fever rash is a relatively common skin disease, which usually occurs in children. Children's skin is relatively delicate during growth and development, and it is easy to cause skin rashes when stimulated. Children with scarlet fever rash need to be treated in time. Generally, scarlet fever rash will subside within 3-4 days, or last for 1-2 weeks.

How long does it take for scarlet fever rash to heal?

Generally, it takes 2 to 4 days for the scarlet fever rash to subside. How many days does it take for the scarlet fever rash to subside?

Scarlet fever rash begins 1-2 days after onset and can spread throughout the body within 24 hours. It usually subsides in 2-4 days and lasts for 1 week in severe cases.

For the scarlet fever rash to subside, antibiotic treatment must be used as early as possible. Early injection of sufficient penicillin can shorten the course of the disease and speed up recovery. Generally, the rash will disappear and the body temperature will gradually drop 1 to 2 days after the injection of penicillin.

However, you cannot stop taking the medication at will. You need to follow the doctor's instructions and continue taking the medication for 1 week until the symptoms completely disappear and the redness and swelling of the throat subsides. Tip: If you are allergic to penicillin, you can choose erythromycin, tetracycline, sulfonamides, etc.

The medication should be used for no less than 7 days, and then stopped after two pharyngeal cultures are negative.

Daily care for scarlet fever

Sick babies must rest in bed, be hospitalized or isolated at home, avoid contact with other children, drink plenty of boiled water, eat a light and easily digestible diet. Do not take babies to public places during the epidemic, wear masks when in contact with sick children, and their secretions and contaminants should be disinfected at any time.

Causes

Scarlet fever is caused by infection with group A streptococci. Group A Streptococcus, also known as Streptococcus pyogenes, can invade any part of the human body, most commonly invading the upper respiratory tract. The bacterial components themselves and the toxins and proteases they produce are all involved in the pathogenic process, causing a series of purulent, toxic and allergic lesions. Streptococci usually invade the human body through the respiratory tract, first causing pharyngitis and tonsillitis. Under the action of the protease they produce, the inflammation spreads and causes tissue necrosis. At the same time, due to the action of pyrogenic exotoxins (erythrash toxins) produced by bacteria, systemic toxemia may occur.

Clinical manifestations

The incubation period is 2 to 5 days, but can be as short as 1 day or as long as 7 days.

1. Prodromal stage

Most of them suffer from sudden onset of chills and fever. In severe cases, the body temperature can rise to 39℃ ~ 40℃, accompanied by headache, sore throat, bayberry tongue, loss of appetite, general discomfort, nausea and vomiting. Infants may have delirium and seizures. The throat is red and swollen, and dots or flakes of secretions can be seen on the tonsils. The soft palate is congested and edematous, and may have rice-sized red macules or hemorrhagic spots, which is called intramucosal rash, which usually appears before the skin rash.

2. Rash period

Rash is one of the most important symptoms of scarlet fever. Most cases appear within 1 to 2 days of onset. Occasionally, the rash may appear as late as the 5th day. It starts from behind the ears, the base of the neck and the upper chest, and spreads to the chest, back, upper limbs and finally the lower limbs within 1 day. In some cases, it takes several days to spread throughout the body.

The typical rash is characterized by dense and evenly distributed needle-cap-sized dot-like congested red rashes on the basis of redness and congestion on the skin all over the body. They all disappear when pressed by hand, but reappear after the pressure is removed. Occasionally, it appears as "chicken skin-like" papules. In severe cases of poisoning, there may be hemorrhagic rash, and patients often feel itchy. In skin folds such as the armpits, elbows, and groin, dense and linear rashes can be seen, which are called "Pa's lines." The face is red and flushed, with a small amount of rash. The area around the mouth and nose appears pale in comparison, which is called "perioral pale circle".

At the onset of the disease, the tongue is covered with white fur, and the papillae are red and swollen, protruding above the white fur, especially at the tip and edges of the tongue. After 2 to 3 days, the white coating begins to fall off, the tongue surface becomes smooth and flesh-red, and there may be superficial cracks, but the papillae are still protruding, which is called "bayberry tongue".

The rash usually reaches its peak within 48 hours and disappears completely in 2 to 4 days. Severe cases may last for 5 to 7 days or even longer. The submandibular and cervical lymph nodes may be enlarged and tender, and are generally non-suppurative. The body temperature is higher when the rash appears. When the rash spreads all over the body, the body temperature gradually drops, the symptoms of poisoning disappear, and the rash retreats.