Question
Does a 9-year-old child with mild hand, foot, and mouth disease need to be isolated, and for how long? How can one determine if it’s hand, foot, and mouth disease? The child has a fever up to 39.5 degrees Celsius, and after taking antipyretic medication, the fever recurs. The child has had urine tested at a provincial hospital, but it was not diagnosed as hand, foot, and mouth disease; instead, it was determined to be a bacterial infection. After taking medication, the fever did not subside. Later, the child was diagnosed with mild hand, foot, and mouth disease at a pediatric hospital.
Answer
Hand, foot, and mouth disease usually has a good prognosis without complications and typically heals within a week. Treatment primarily focuses on symptomatic relief, including antiviral medications and herbal remedies for clearing heat and detoxifying. These may include Virazole, banlangen (isatis root), and vitamins B and C. In case of complications, intramuscular injections of gamma globulin may be administered. During the illness, it is important to strengthen the child’s care by maintaining oral hygiene. Before and after defecation, the face can be washed with physiological saline or warm water. Foods should be non-irritating and in liquid or semi-liquid forms. Regarding which hospital offers more accurate diagnosis, since the initial symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease are similar to those of other diseases, diagnoses may vary between hospitals. It is recommended to determine diagnosis and treatment plans based on the doctor’s professional opinion and detailed examination results. If there are doubts about the diagnosis or treatment, seeking a second opinion or consulting more specialized medical institutions is advisable.