Patient's question:
Doctor, my daughter is 1 year and 10 months old. These past few days, she has been crying much more than usual and lacks energy. Her appetite is also poor. She has a slight cold, but there are blisters on the tip of her tongue and in her throat, similar to oral ulcers. The doctor said it's viral, and I'm very worried it might be hand, foot, and mouth disease. Because my baby had a very severe case of hand, foot, and mouth disease this summer. At first, it started with ulcers on her tongue, and later, blisters appeared on her hands, feet, face, and buttocks. But this time, the doctor examined her and said there are no blisters on her hands or feet. I'm very concerned! Could it be hand, foot, and mouth disease?Doctor's answer:
Hands, feet, buttocks, arms, and legs again appear with maculopapules and vesicles, with inflammatory erythema around the vesicles and less fluid inside the vesicles. The bones and muscles are more affected, with both palmar and dorsal surfaces involved. Only the pharynx is affected, so it should be diagnosed as herpangina. First, antiviral drugs should be used for symptomatic treatment. The route of administration should be selected based on the severity of the condition, typically oral, local inhalation with aerosol, or intravenous infusion. Generally, antibiotics are not used for this type of disease unless a complete blood count shows elevated white blood cells and neutrophils, in which case antibiotics may be used. At the same time, it is important to drink plenty of fluids and consume liquid diets to maintain hydration. If high fever occurs, antipyretic drugs should be used promptly to prevent high fever seizures.