Childhood_Illn

ess------------------------------------------------- Childhood illnesses Unit 03 Disease & Cause | Spread | Incubation | Signs & symptoms | Rash or specific sign | Treatment | Possible complications | Chicken Pox- Caused by a virus called Varicella-zoster. | This is very contagious; it spreads in the same way as coughs and colds. | It takes 7 to 21 days for chicken pox to show after you have come into contact with the virus. Chickenpox is most infectious from 1 to 2 days before the rash appears until all the blisters have crusted over. This usually takes 5 to 6 days from the start of the rash | Before a rash appears the child may have flu like symptoms, including temperature, feeling sick and loss of appetite. Following this an itchy rash appears, some children only have a few spots some may be covered all over there body. | The rash normally appears in clusters and tend to be, behind ears, on the face, over the scalp, under the arms, on chest and belly and on the arms or legs, although they can be anywhere including inside the mouth They start as itchy red spots and after about 12 hours develop a blister and become intensly itchy, the spots will then dry out. | There is no cure for chicken pox and the virus usually clears up by itself without treatment. However there are ways to ease the itch and discomfort, such as paracetamol, if the spots are very itchy you can use calamine lotion or cooling gels. | Complications are rare in healthy children, The most common complication is where blisters become infected, and this is treated with antibiotics. | Impetigo This is most often caused by a type of bacteria called staphylococcus aurous. It can also be caused by the streptococcus pyogenes bacteria, usually in warmer climates. | It does not cause any symptoms until 4 to 10 days after the initial exposure to the bacteria. Meaning people can easily pass the infection on without realising that they are infected. Most people are no longer contagious after 48 hours of treatment, or once their sores have dried and healed | The incubation period is the time between being exposed to the bacteria and the development of signs and symptoms. The incubation period is usually one to three days for Streptococcal and four to 10 days for Staphylococcal infections. | Common symptoms of impetigo include: The skin itches and reddens a collection of blisters forms, commonly around the nose and mouth, the blisters pop and weep a yellow, sticky fluid, the area develops a raised and wet-looking crust, the scab dries and falls off, and the skin completely heals after a few days. | Bullous impetigo begins with the appearance of fluid-filled blisters which usually occur on the central part of the body from above the waist, but excluding the head and neck or on the arms and legs. The blisters may quickly spread, before bursting after several days to leave a yellow crust which heals without leaving any scarring. The blisters aren't usually painful, but the area of skin surrounding them may be itchy. It is important that you do not touch or scratch the affected areas of the skin. Symptoms of fever and swollen glands are more common in cases of bullous impetigo. | Impetigo usually gets better on its own, without the need for treatment, within two to three weeks. However, antibiotic creams are usually recommended because the infection spreads easily. | Complications of impetigo tend to be rare. However, sometimes the infection can spread to the lymph nodes (lymphadenitis), or to a deeper layer of skin (cellulitis). | MeaslesMeasles is caused by infection with the rubeola virus. | You can catch measles by breathing in these droplets or, if the droplets have settled on a surface, by touching the surface and then placing your hands near your nose or mouth. The measles virus can survive on surfaces for a few hours. Once inside your body, the virus multiplies in the back of your throat and lungs before spreading throughout your body, including your respiratory system and the skin. | Someone with measles is infectious for two to four days before the rash appears and for about five days after it appears. | The initial symptoms of measles appear around 10 days after you get the measles infection and generally last for up to 14 days. The initial symptoms of measles include: Cold-like symptoms, such as runny nose, watery eyes, swollen eyelids and sneezing, red eyes and sensitivity to light, a mild to severe temperature, which may peak at over 40.6C (105F) for several days, then fall but go up again when the rash appears, tiny greyish-white spots (called Koplik's spots) in the mouth and throat, tiredness, irritability and general lack of energy, aches and pains, poor appetite, dry cough, red-brown spotty rash | The measles rash appears two to four days after initial symptoms and lasts for up to eight days. The spots usually start behind the ears, spread around the head and neck, then spread to the legs and the rest of the body. The spots are initially small but quickly get bigger and often join together. Similar-looking rashes may be mistaken for measles, but measles has a range of other symptoms too, not just a rash | There is no specific treatment for measles. Once the rash starts, you will need to rest and treat the symptoms until your immune system fights off the virus.If there are no complications due to measles, the symptoms will usually disappear within 7-10 days. | Some of the common complications of measles are: diarrhea, vomiting, eye infections, inflammation of the voice box, Inner ear infection and inflammation, which often causes earache, may also be a complication of measles. Fits that are caused by a fever febrile seizures are also possible complications of measles. However, the fits, although alarming, are not usually dangerous. | Whooping CoughThis is caused by a bacterium called Bordetella pertussis. The bacterium infects the lining of the airways, mainly the windpipe (trachea) and the two airways that branch off from it to the lungs (the bronchi). | The Bordetella pertussis bacterium is carried in droplets of moisture in the air. When someone with whooping cough sneezes or coughs, they propel hundreds of infected droplets into the air. If the droplets are breathed in by someone else, the bacterium will infect their airways. | People with whooping cough are infectious from six days after exposure to the bacterium to three weeks after the 'whooping' cough begins. | The early symptoms of whooping cough are often similar to those of a common cold and may include: runny or blocked nose, sneezing, watering eyes, dry, irritating cough, slightly raised temperature, feeling generally unwell. The second stage symptoms are; intense bouts of coughing, which bring up thick phlegm a 'whoop' sound with each sharp intake of breath after coughing, vomiting after coughing, especially in infants and young children tiredness and redness in the face from the effort of coughing | The second stage of whooping cough is the most specific sign this often called the paroxysmal stage and is characterised by intense bouts of coughing, with a ‘whoop’ sound. The bouts are sometimes referred to as 'paroxysms' of coughing | This is usually treated with antibiotics, although a lot of children need help when suffering with this, such as help with breathing through ventilation and may need intravenous medicine to support blood pressure. | Babies and young children are usually most severely affected by whooping cough. They are most likely to develop severe complications such as; pneumonia, an infection that causes inflammation of the tissues in your lungs, temporary pauses in breathing as a result of severe difficulty with breathing, weight loss due to excessive vomiting, seizures, low blood pressure, requiring medication, kidney failure, requiring temporary dialysis, brain damage, if breathing difficulties prevent enough oxygen from getting to the brain | Mumps This is caused by the mumps virus, which belongs to a family of viruses known as paramyxoviruses. Paramyxoviruses are a common source of infection, particularly in children. | Mumps is an airborne virus and can be spread by: an infected person coughing or sneezing and releasing tiny droplets of contaminated saliva, which can then be breathed in by another person, an infected person touching their nose or mouth, then transferring the virus onto an object, like a door handle or work surface, sharing utensils, such as cups, cutlery or plates with an infected person. | The symptoms of mumps usually develop 14 to 25 days after a person is infected with the mumps virus. The average incubation period is around 17 days. | Swollen glands, is the main symptom. Both glands are usually affected by the swelling, although only one gland can be affected. The swelling can cause pain, tenderness and difficulty with swallowing. Other symptoms of the mumps include: headache, joint pain, feeling sick, dry mouth, mild abdominal pain, feeling tired, loss of appetite, a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F), or above | Swelling of the parotid glands is the most common symptom of mumps. The parotid glands are a pair of glands responsible for producing saliva. | There are currently no anti-viral medications that can be used to treat mumps. Treatment is focused on relieving symptoms until your body’s immune system manages to fight off the infection. Although use of paracetamol is recommended and to get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluid. | Common complications of mumps include: pain and swelling of the testicles (orchitis) – which affects 20% of all males who get mumps after puberty, pain and swelling of the ovaries (oophoritis) – which affects 5% of all females who get mumps after puberty, inflammation of the pancreas, which occurs in 5% of cases, viral meningitis – which occurs in an estimated 1-10% of all cases. | Rubella(German measles)Rubella is caused by the rubella virus | The virus is spread through droplets of moisture from the nose or throat of someone who is infected. These droplets are released into the air when someone coughs, sneezes or talks.If you inhale an infected droplet of moisture, you can get rubella. This can easily happen through face-to-face contact with someone who is infected, or from just being together in the same room | The symptoms of rubella take 2-3 weeks to develop after someone is infected with the rubella virus. | Cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat and cough, are common in rubella, particularly in adults. A high temperature of 38ºC (100.4ºF) or more is a symptom of rubella which, although more common in children, Your temperature may remain high for several days. Swelling usually appears behind the ears, below your skull at the back of your head, and in your neck. Swollen lymph nodes (glands) can be painful. Sometimes they appear before the rash, and can last for a week after the rash has disappeared. | The rubella rash is a distinctive red-pink colour. The rash appears as spots, which may be slightly itchy. It usually starts behind the ears, before spreading around the head and neck. It may then spread to the trunk (abdomen and chest), legs and arms. The rash usually lasts for 3-7 days. | There is no specific treatment for the rubella infection. The condition is usually mild and will improve without any treatment. Symptoms usually disappear within 7-10 days. | There are usually no complications in children. Complications are usually only in pregnant women. | Meningitis is caused by meningococcal and Pneumococcal bacteria or a virus. | The bacteria that causes meningitis does not live long outside the body, so are usually only spread through prolonged, close contact. Possible ways to spread the bacteria include: Sneezing, coughing, kissing, sharing utensils, such as cutlery,sharing personal possessions, such as a toothbrush | The incubation period depends on the causative agent. For example the incubation period of meningococcal meningitis is 2-10 days while the incubation for hemophilus meningitis is much shorter ranging from 2-4 days. However the range of incubation for most organisms causing meningitis is 2 days to 2 weeks | Although the signs and symptoms of meningitis are dependant on the agent and the age of the patient, most cases manifest with high fever, headaches, and a stiff neck. These primary symptoms can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, photophobia, confusion and irritability. Some of these classic signs and symptoms cannot be detected in an infant in whom lethargy and irritability are important signs. | A blotchy red rash that does not fade or change colour when you place a glass against it - the rash is not always present | The treatment again depends on the type. When meningitis is first suspected, broad spectrum antibiotics should be instituted depending on the age of the patient (to cover for bacterial causes- as early treatment in such cases is vital). For example an infant should be started on Ampicillin plus cefotaxime plus vancomycin. Viral meningitis is treated supportively, and is not serious unless accompanied by encephalitis. | Complications can vary in severity from person to person, and can be temporary or permanent.Usually, the more severe a meningitis infection is, the greater the likelihood of complications. So complications are more common after bacterial meningitis and rare after viral meningitis. |