Exanthema

What is exanthema?

Exanthema is a pinkish skin rash that usually appears as a consequence of some infectious diseases (such as measles, scarlet fever, rubella, fifth disease, etc.), and are more frequent in childhood than at any other time of life. In addition, they may originate as a reaction to other causes. Sometimes they are the symptom of some disease of unknown origin, so urgent attention of the child is required to evaluate and diagnose the degree of severity, or if it is due to a drug reaction.

Prognosis of the disease

The disease has an incubation period of 5 to 15 days. After this it usually disappears without any problem or complication, but it is always better for children to visit a pediatrician and for adults to visit a dermatologist.

This pathology is more frequent in childhood

Symptoms of rash

The main symptoms are fever and a rash that usually appears on the most sensitive areas of the body. The fever usually appears for 3 days. Afterwards, the fever subsides and the rash appears, usually on the skin of the trunk, neck and back in the form of small pink spots. Other symptoms may include

• Malaise
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Pain in the abdomen
• Irritability
• Muscle pain

Medical tests for rash

Rashes have different rash patterns. Usually if the patient has the symptoms of viral infection, the diagnosis is clear. However, when the symptoms are not clear, the diagnosis may be more difficult. A physical examination of the skin is usually sufficient to identify this type of pathology.

What are the causes of rash?

Rashes are caused by a virus. During childhood they are much more common and are associated with diseases such as chicken pox, rubella, roseola, scarlet fever, etc. In addition, there may be other diseases that cause it such as:

• Infectious erythema
• Lateoracic exanthema
• Viral hepatitis
• Toxic shock syndrome
• Kawasaki disease

There are many other diseases that may be the cause of this pathology.

Can they be prevented?

Infections are part of our daily life, they also activate the defenses and improve the immune system. To prevent this type of disease, it is important to prevent the following forms of contagion:

• Fecal-oral route
• Respiratory route
• Skin contact
• Contact with organic liquids

In addition, it is important to know the advice on hygiene and prevention of infections, including: washing hands, washing children’s toys, carrying the corresponding vaccinations, etc.

Treatments for rash

There are no drugs available to eliminate this virus, but it will disappear within 5-6 days. If the fever is very high, you can take the drugs prescribed by the specialist.

Medications for exanthema

The first thing to determine when considering the need for drugs for rash is the cause of the rash and the associated symptoms. Depending on them we will take some measures or others.

• Medications for exanthema according to the cause: depending on the cause, it may be necessary to consider pharmacological treatment of one type or another.
  • Exanthem associated with bacterial infections such as scarlet fever may require antibiotic treatment for its resolution and to avoid the appearance of subsequent sequelae. In most cases these antibiotics are from the group of batalactam antibiotics such as amoxicillin or amoxicillin with clavulanic acid.
  • In contrast, in exanthem of lyric origin, antibiotics should not be used and we should only be concerned in principle with treating the associated symptoms. In these cases, antibiotics do not provide any benefit or may even be harmful.
• Medications for rash depending on the associated symptoms: Depending on the associated symptoms that cause the rash, we may need to use topical or oral treatment only.
  • In case the rash is only associated with skin symptoms such as redness or prickling, the first thing to use are local relief measures such as cool water or moisturizing creams.
  • On the other hand, if the lesions appear to be vesicles or wounds, it is not advisable to use moisturizing creams but others that facilitate the closure and healing of the lesions. In certain cases it may be necessary to use topical antibiotics.
  • In the presence of itching or pruritus, local measures are also effective. In refractory cases, corticosteroid creams or ointments may be used under medical supervision. Antihistamine creams should be avoided because of the risk of reaction to sun exposure.
  • Finally, there are cases in which the cutaneous involvement is generalized and intense. In these cases, the use of topical treatment is not feasible and the use of these same drugs is useful but orally. For example, antihistamines relieve itching of the skin in allergic reactions, dermatitis and other types of exanthema.

One way or another, the supervision and control of a medical professional is always necessary to determine the type, frequency and duration of treatments.

Which specialist treats you?

The specialist who treats this pathology is usually a pediatrician, since most patients develop it during childhood. In case the disease appears in adults, a dermatologist or family physician may be consulted.