IS IT STREP THROAT?
There have been several cases of Strep throat at school this past month. On top of common colds, we are also coming into allergy season, so sometimes a sore throat can be related to either of these conditions. With a cold there might be post nasal drip, nasal congestion, cough, sneezing, runny nose or low grade fever. Colds are caused by a virus and need to run their course. Allergies have similar symptoms and can be treated with antihistamines.
What makes the difference with Strep is that it is a bacteria that needs to be treated with antibiotics. Strep will not go away on its own and you run the risk of serious illness if it is left untreated.
Symptoms of Strep may include:
- red, raw, sore throat that is persistent
- white patches to the back of throat or tonsils
- enlarged and red tonsils, sometimes with white patches
- pus to the back of the throat
- temperature >101
- swollen, tender lymph nodes to neck
- hurts to swallow, may have decreased appetite or stomach ache
- rash to body that is pink, dry and has sandpaper-feel
However, symptoms of Strep can sometimes be vague. You might think that every case of Strep starts with a sore, red throat or fever. Surprisingly, in many instances the only symptom may be a stomachache. If your child has not been feeling well for a few days, it is probably a good time to visit the doctor.
The definitive diagnosis is with a throat swab done in the doctor's office. Results of the rapid Strep test is available within 10 minutes. If the initial culture is negative, another test is run a few days later and this later one may show that there is Strep, and treatment should begin immediately.
If your child is diagnosed with Strep, please contact me to let me know. Your child may not return until they have been on an antibiotic for 24 hours.
If your child requires a dose of antibiotic while at school, please complete the Medication Administration Plan found in the health form section on our Byam website (in nurse corner) and have a responsible adult deliver the medication to the office (child may not carry medication). The medication bottle must have a prescription label and all directions noted.
At home you should throw away old toothbrushes and replace with new ones to prevent the continuing spread of infection. No sharing of drinks, glasses or straws. Wash hands frequently.
Also remember that our fever policy is that a child may not be in school if temp is >100.0 AND/OR there has been Tylenol/Motrin given to reduce fever in the past 24 hours.
Here's to a healthy spring!
Nurse Regan
