What is Scarlet Fever?

Possible Scarlet Fever?!?!?

• About 2 weeks ago my daughter, aged 3, was very ill. She woke at 2am being sick and continued being sick every couple of hours for around 12 hours. She said that her throat hurt which I assumed was from being sick with no food in her stomach and then had a fever of about 102 for about two days, I kept her temperature down with Calpol. She didnt want to eat and it was an effort to get her to drink although she did manage some small amounts of fluid. She had flushed cheeks which I put down to the temp. I then noticed after the fever a fine red rash all over her body, hundreds of tiny little red spots which seemed worse on her elbow creases, under arms, and back of legs, although it was pretty much all over. Her tongue got a white film over it and then she had a strawberry tongue, bright red with like swollen taste buds. I took her to the doctor, immediately thinking scarlet fever. The doctor said that it was a viral infection. She said she had noticed the tongue but the rash wasnt rough enough or the throat inflamed enough for it to be scarlet fever. I noticed last week her skin on her face was really dry and flakey and then yesterday her thumb and fore finger have started to peel really bad on the tips and she is also complaining of a sore, itchy ear at night that has woken her up. I am now really worried that it may have been scarlet fever and was untreated. What would the complications be? I am very concerned. She is now fine in herself. In fact she is the most lively she has ever been, extremely chatty and jumping all over the place. Your input on this would be extremely helpful. Apologies for the long message. Many thanks in advance!

• Answer:

  It would be pretty difficult for a doctor to mistake a viral rash from the rash caused by scarlet fever. Even if she had scarlet fever, it doesn't always cause complications. The most serious complications unique to strep throat are kidney damage (which is usually temporary and would have been apparent two weeks ago) and heart damage from rheumatic fever (which she has no signs of). Its rheumatic fever thats the most serious complications and she obviously did not develop rheumatic fever.