Scarlet fever in adults – symptoms and treatment. Complications after scarlet fever

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Scarlet fever (scarlet fever) is a bacterial disease that affects both children and adults. Scarlet fever in adults is more severe. The symptoms of scarlet fever are often non-specific, they can be easily confused with another disease, making it difficult to treat. So how do adults get scarlet fever? How to recognize its symptoms in adults and how to treat it?

Scarlet fever – characteristics

Scarlet fever is an infectious bacterial disease in childhood, but adults also suffer from it. In adults, scarlet fever is caused by type A streptococci, which are responsible for the development of purulent angina. These bacteria are transmitted by airborne droplets, which makes them very easy to get infected. Adult scarlet fever develops within 1-5 days of being infected. At the beginning, the symptoms are not very characteristic, and therefore they are underestimated. Failure to treat or inadequate treatment can lead to serious complications such as sepsis, resulting in death.

Scarlet fever in adults – causes

Getting scarlet fever in childhood does not provide immunity for the entire adult life. A vaccine for scarlet fever has not yet been invented. Worse still, scientists have investigated that the infected body does not produce protective antibodies. Since scarlet fever is spread by airborne droplets, the disease can be easily contracted through contact with someone who is sick or with the objects they use.

Scarlet fever in adults – symptoms

The first symptoms of scarlet fever in adults are often confused with an infection or allergy. Adults suffer more severe scarlet fever than children.

Symptoms of scarlet fever in adults include:

1. very high fever reaching 40 years,
2. weakness and general malaise,
3. a small red rash on the body and limbs
4. sore and red throat
5. enlargement of the lymph nodes and tonsils,
6. strong stomach ache,
7. nausea, vomiting
8. gray coating on the tongue (sometimes gray-raspberry).

Group A streptococci multiply in the infected organism from 1 to 5 days. During the disease, a rash appears on the patient’s skin (especially on the torso and limbs). After a week, the spots begin to peel off. This process takes up to two weeks. Symptoms may appear in different order and with varying intensity, which is a diagnostic problem. Sometimes scarlet fever occurs without a fever (called scarlet fever) and is as dangerous as the one with high fever. The sick person infects up to 21 days. It is a long time, so during this time you should limit contact with the sick person, or at least pay special attention to hand hygiene to avoid infection.

Scarlet fever in adults – diagnosis

It often happens that scarlet fever in adults is difficult to diagnose unequivocally. Its symptoms appear singly or appear gradually, which is why it is confused with other disease entities. Most often, the patient is referred for examination only after some time, when all symptoms indicative of scarlet fever appear.

The diagnosis of scarlet fever consists in performing laboratory blood and microbiological tests:

1. complete blood count with a smear – in the course of scarlet fever in an adult, the level of neutrophils (lab NEUT) in the blood increases, which occurs when our immune system is weakened by the disease,
2. ESR (Biernacki’s test) – detects inflammation in the body,
3. ASO – antistreptolysin reaction – a key test in suspected A streptococcal infection,
4. microbiological test – swab of the throat and tonsils for streptococcus A.

Scarlet fever in adults – treatment

Treatment of scarlet fever in both adults and children is based on the administration of antibiotics: cephalosporin or penicillin. In case of allergy to penicillins – macrolide antibiotics are administered. Antibiotic therapy usually lasts 10 to 14 days or until complete recovery. Conscientiousness in taking antibiotics is important in order to completely eliminate the cause of the disease, i.e. group A streptococci bacteria, in addition to antibiotics, the patient is given antipyretic drugs, the sore throat is soothed and the body is hydrated.

Scarlet fever in adults – complications

Undiagnosed scarlet fever is improperly treated, which results in serious complications.

The most common complications in adults are:

1. glomerulonephritis,
2. myocarditis,
3. otitis media
4. sinusitis,
5. sepsis and the patient’s death as a result.

Scarlet fever in adults – prevention

There is no vaccine for scarlet fever yet. One illness does not provide immunity for the rest of life. Therefore, the only reasonable way to prevent illness is good hygiene, especially in autumn and winter, when the most cases are recorded. If a disease appears in our environment, we should be especially careful when contacting an infected person. And the best, if possible, let us completely refrain from contact with the sick person. Remember that a sick person infects for about 21 days.

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