Patient's question:
The child has had a low fever of around 37.5°C for 3 days, occasionally rising to 38.5°C. They used one bag of Ruzhiqing, and now the fever has subsided, but large patches of red spots have appeared on the neck and back. Suspected to be hand, foot, and mouth disease. Please advise on how to care for the child. Thank you.Doctor's answer:
Roseola is caused by a viral infection. It is characterized by high fever (usually with a high temperature) lasting three or four days. The rash appears as the fever subsides, or the fever breaks as the rash appears. This rash is generally not itchy, although some children may experience itching. For children without itching, there is no need to worry. The rash will naturally disappear within one to two days without leaving any pigmentation spots or scaling. For itchy rashes, hydrogen peroxide ointment or calamine lotion can be applied externally. Just wait for the rash to clear up. There is no need to worry excessively. Some parents may worry that the rash resembles measles. However, the characteristics of measles are that the rash is also red, appearing in a specific order: first on the back of the ears, then on the face, neck, torso, and limbs, forming a dense, clustered pattern. This is why it is called measles.