Question
What are the symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease?
Answer
The patient is a 5-year-old boy who has a slight cough, nasal congestion, and runny nose. He started to develop ulcers in his mouth yesterday. Today, red rashes appeared on his hands. At the hospital, a blood test showed only that his average hemoglobin level and average hemoglobin concentration were low, with everything else normal. The doctor diagnosed it as herpetic gingivostomatitis. However, small red spots also appeared on his feet in the afternoon, and he did not have a fever. It is important to pay attention to oral care to maintain cleanliness in the mouth, which helps in healing the wounds and alleviating pain. You can first use 0.9% NS or 2% SB to thoroughly clean the mouth, especially the ulcerated areas, followed by an area-specific application of polyinosinic acid. To relieve pain during eating for the child, apply 2% lidocaine to the mouth 10-15 minutes before eating.