Question
Are there distinct differences between scarlet fever and red face wind in clinical practice? How should an accurate diagnosis be made for patients who cannot determine whether they have scarlet fever or red face wind?
Answer
Red face wind, also known as red face disease, is a facial dermatosis primarily caused by blood stasis in the heart and liver meridians, wind-heat invasion, and skin indentation. Its main symptom is facial flushing. Scarlet fever, on the other hand, is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by beta-hemolytic streptococcus, most common during winter and spring, often occurring in children aged 2 to 8. The distinctive symptoms of scarlet fever include a rash, which typically fades after 3 to 5 days, followed by varying degrees of desquamation, such as rice bran-like peeling or large-scale peeling. In rare severe cases, patients may experience high fever, seizures, coma, even shock, and may also develop myocarditis, nephritis, and other complications.