How to Treat Scarlet Fever

Scarlet Fever is a disease caused by group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus bacteria. It most often affects children under 18 and is a complication in ten percent of strep throat cases. It is contagious and transmitted by the respiratory fluids of an infected person. The following steps will show how to treat a case of scarlet fever.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Realize that the goals of treating scarlet fever are to prevent acute rheumatic fever, prevent complications, reduce the spread of infection and shorten the course of the disease. Common complications include acute renal failure from poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis and opportunistic infections like abscesses, adenitis, cellulitis, ethmoiditis and mastoiditis,

2. Begin a ten day treatment with antibiotics to treat scarlet fever. This regimen should prevent acute renal failure if it is started within a week of the onset of acute pharyngitis.

3. Use penicillin as the drug of choice to treat scarlet fever since group A streptococci are not known to be penicillin-resistant. Cephalosporin may be an effective alternative and erythromycin may be used as well if the patient is allergic to penicillin.

4. Ensure the patient gets plenty of fluid and bed rest. Cool baths may reduce the fever and acetaminophen can help relieve pain of scarlet fever. Aspirin should not be given to anyone with an infection under the age of 20 years since it can damage the liver.

5. Refer patients with recurrent pharyngitis from scarlet fever to an otolaryngologist for a possible tonsillectomy.

Resources

• Learn more about scarlet fever at KidsHealth.

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