Most of us have heard of scarlet fever. Most of us are aware that it is a disease that can occur after strep throat and that it can be quite serious. And yet, scarlet fever gets barely a passing mention in off-grid medicine books.
That is possibly because scarlet fever has become so rare. After all, if a parent even suspects that a child has strep throat, it’s off to the doctor for some antibiotics. The vast majority of strep throat cases are resolved before scarlet fever can even think of rearing its ugly head.
So what happens when the antibiotic supply becomes limited? When antibiotics cannot be administered for a simple strep throat infection which in 98% of cases will eventually be resolved without antibiotics, and so those antibiotics need to be conserved for life-threatening conditions? Yep, that’s a lot of misery for children and parents everywhere, and on top of that, the potential for scarlet fever returns. We’ve got to know how to recognize it and how to treat it.
And yet, there is next to nothing about scarlet fever in off-grid medicine books. Unbelievable.
The following comes directly from The Ship’s Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea, a government publication.
Scarlet Fever (Scarlatina)
Incubation Period: 1 to 7 days.
Isolation Period: Until declared free from infection by a physician.
Scarlet fever is an acute infectious disease caused by streptococci bacteria invading the nose and throat. The symptoms appear suddenly and consist of general discomfort, runny nose, fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and sore throat.
The typical rash does not appear until later—12 to 36 hours or more after symptoms occur. The rash is most intense at the creases of the body, such as the groins and armpits. The face is relatively free of it. The rash consists of pinpoint red spots scattered on a flushed skin. Occasionally, the spots may be so elevated that they can be felt with the hand. A sign of less importance, the so-called “strawberry tongue,” is a furring of the tongue with prominent red, pinpoint spots at the edges.
The complications from scarlet fever may be severe. These include discharging ears, swollen glands of the neck, rheumatic fever, and kidney disease. Medical advice by radio should be obtained.
Treatment
The patient should be strictly isolated. Absolute rest in bed is necessary to protect the heart and kidneys. All dishes, silverware, and other utensils used by the patient should be disinfected. (See p. 321.)
For the infection, an initial dose of penicillin V potassium 500 mg should be given by mouth followed by 500 mg every six hours. If the patient is suspected of being allergic to penicillin, oral erythromycin should be used in the same dosage and frequency. The penicillin or erythromycin treatment must be continued for ten days.
For pain and fever, aspirin 600 mg should be given by mouth every three to four hours as needed. If aspirin is not well tolerated by the patient, acetaminophen may be tried at the same dosage and frequency.
The patient should have a liquid diet and other supportive treatment as necessary. As the patient improves, he may have a soft or regular diet. However, meats should be restricted until all risk of kidney damage is past. He should be kept in bed longer than the usual patient with fever (several days to a week or two after the fever has disappeared), depending upon the severity of his illness.[i]
(This concludes the information from The Ship’s Medicine Chest.)
Additional information: Scarlet fever usually follows a strep throat bacterial infection. The skin assumes a diffuse pink color, which feels like fine sandpaper to the touch. As the rash resolves, the skin peels.[ii] This rash sometimes appears in children, primarily on the torso, and looks much like a bad sunburn. And like a bad sunburn, the skin will often peel several days later.[iii]
Dr. Joseph Alton in his volume Alton’s Antibiotics and Infectious Disease suggests a dosage of penicillin at 250 mg every six hours.[iv]
Links to related posts:
Penicillin Primer for Preppers
The Ship's Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea
[i] The Ship’s Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea, US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1978, p 187.
[ii] The Ship’s Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea, US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1978, p 234.
[iii] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, p 238.
[iv] Joseph Alton, Alton’s Antibiotics, 2018, 156.
Medical Isolation an often-common theme in treating illness.
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