Patient's question:
The son has developed a few blisters around his mouth and on his palms. After examination, it was diagnosed as hand, foot, and mouth disease. How should pediatric hand, foot, and mouth disease be treated?Doctor's answer:
Summer is the peak season for hand, foot, and mouth disease in children. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a self-limiting viral infection. For those with mild symptoms, medical treatment is generally not necessary. In the early stages of the illness, most children will develop a fever. If the fever is severe, symptomatic and antipyretic treatment is required. Typical vesicular rashes will appear during the acute phase of the disease. If itching is severe, loratadine can be taken orally. In clinical practice, severe complications or other complex infections may occur, requiring corresponding symptomatic treatment to control the complications rather than targeting hand, foot, and mouth disease itself.