Infectious Childhood conditions Part 1

Question 1

How is chicken pox contracted?

Answer 1

through droplet infection or with contact with vesicular exudates. Once the spots have all formed crusts, the individual is no longer contagious.

Question 2

How long is the incubation period before the rash develops?

Answer 2

11-21 days

Question 3

What symptoms may the patient experience before the rash develops?

Answer 3

Pt may experience up to 3 days of prodromal symptoms e.g. fever, headache, sore throat, malaise

Question 4

How does the chickenpox rash appear? How long does it take to appear?
How long does it take for it to heal?

Answer 4

Small red lumps (macules) rapidly develop into vesicles/blisters in about 12 hours - usually on the face, scalp and trunk
Vesicles burst forming crusted spots over a few days - then healing over the new 1-2 weeks

Question 5

Is chicken pox contagious?

Answer 5

Highly contagious, from a few days prioir to the onset of rash until all lesions have crusted over.

Question 6

Can a secondary bacterial infection occur?

Answer 6

Yes it can occur from scratching of vesicles

Question 7

How can shingles occur? And why does it occur?

Answer 7

reinfection by the varicella-zoster virus (infection of a nerve and the skin around it)

could be because of lowered immunity:

• being older
• being stressed
• taking meds that weaken immune system
• HIV/AIDS

Question 8

Where would shingles appear?

Answer 8

specific area on one side of the body and does not cross over the midline of the body.

Question 9

Is shingles contagious ?

Answer 9

No. But you can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles if you have not had it before

Question 10

What is Molluscum Contagiosum? what does it affect? How is it transmitted? Is it contagious?

Answer 10

pox virus that affects the skin, transmitted by indirect contact e.g. sharing towels
not very contagious

Question 11

How do molluscum contagious appear?

Answer 11

pink pearl-like spots usually less than 0.5cm in diameter and a diagnostic feature is the central punctum

Question 12

When does mollcusum contagiosum resolve?

Answer 12

12 months but if pt is anxious, GP can use liquid nitrogen to remove the lesions

Question 13

What is impetigo?

Answer 13

bacterial infection by staph aureus or streptococcus puyogenes

Question 14

How does impetigo present?

Answer 14

face, nose, mouth

Question 15

How does impetigo start to appear?

Answer 15

small red itchy patch of inflamed skin that quickly develops into vesicles that rupture and weep
the exudates dries to brown, yellow sticky crust

Question 16

Is impetigo contagious?

Answer 16

Yes, keep children off school until rash clears
Dont share towels, stop household contacts
Keep nails short and clean to stop from scratching the lesions

Question 17

What treats impetigo?

Answer 17

topical or systemic antibiotics like fusidic acid or flucloxacillin

Question 18

What is erythema infectiosum?

Answer 18

disease caused by parvovirus B19

called ‘Slapped cheek’ or ‘fifth disease’

Question 19

How does erythema infectiosum present? Who does it affect?

Answer 19

‘Slapped cheek’ - red and inflamed marks can also spread to arms and legs, cold like symptoms are also present a couple days before the rash
affects children aged 3 and 15

Question 20

What is glandular fever? What age of pts usually present with glandular fever?

Answer 20

caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus

ages 15-24

Question 21

How do pts contract glandular fever? How long is the incubation period ?

Answer 21

close salivary contact - kissing disease

4-7 weeks

Question 22

What symptoms arise with glandular fever?

Answer 22

fatigue, headache, sore throat, swollen and tender lymph glands
Macular rash can occur on the trunk but a small proportion of pts get this