Do children with hand, foot and mouth disease need to apply methylene blue?

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Hand, foot and mouth disease is an infection. When children have hand, foot and mouth disease, blisters will appear more and more, making parents worried and often resort to applying methylene blue medicine. However, methylene blue medicine does not need to be applied because it has no effect and makes it difficult to recognize blisters for doctors at examination.

1. What is hand, foot and mouth disease in children? Is it dangerous?

Hand, foot and mouth disease is an infection caused by coxsackie virus A16 and enterovirus 71. These viruses live in the gastrointestinal tract and are spread from person to person through casual contact.
The disease often occurs in infants and children under 5 years of age because the child's immune system has not yet fully developed, so it is not able to fight off the viruses that cause the disease. In fact, older children and adults are also at risk. Spring, summer and autumn are three times when children as well as adults are very susceptible to diseases.
Hand, foot and mouth disease leaves many complications for children if not properly cared for and treated. Therefore, early recognition of signs to treat hand, foot and mouth disease in children is essential.
Signs to identify a child with hand, foot and mouth disease:
In the early stages: The incubation period lasts 3-7 days and often has no symptoms. In the early stages of illness: Children have typical flu-like signs such as fatigue, sore throat, low-grade fever (ranging from 38 to 39 degrees Celsius). In the full-blown stage: After about a day or two, symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease appear. Your baby will have blisters on his skin, around his mouth, inside his cheeks, palms and feet, buttocks, or around the anus. Bubbles contain a lot of fluid and can burst, causing a child a lot of pain. These blisters usually disappear after about 1-2 weeks. Besides, when having hand, foot and mouth disease, in addition to the above-mentioned signs such as fever, red rash, refusing to eat or not wanting to eat, children also have the following signs such as muscle aches, headache, stiff neck; jitter; not sleeping well or sleeping more; may startle; young children often have salivation due to sore throat; Children only like liquid foods and cold drinks.

2. Do children with hand, foot and mouth disease need to apply methylene blue?

When children have hand, foot and mouth disease, blisters will appear more and more, making parents worried and often resort to applying methylene blue medicine. However, applying methylene blue on hands and feet is not necessary because it has no effect, but at the time of examination, it is difficult to recognize the blisters.
So what medicine to apply hand, foot and mouth? Accordingly, parents can use Betadin solution to apply skin lesions after bathing the child.

3. Treatment and prevention of hand, foot and mouth disease in children

3.1. Treatment of hand, foot and mouth disease in children Diet:
Food hygiene such as eating cooked, drinking cooked; ensure the use of clean water in daily activities; absolutely do not let children eat, suck, suck or suck on toys. Children should be given liquid soups with all the nutrients they need to recover. Avoid hard, salty, spicy or sour foods, too acidic fruit can cause irritation and pain. Use some drugs:
Antipyretic: When the child has a high fever of 38 degrees Celsius or higher, parents need to use paracetamol at a dose of 10-15mg/kg, after 4-6 hours can be used again if still high fever. If the child cannot drink or has difficulty taking the medicine, an rectal suppository can be used. Rehydration and electrolytes: During the treatment of hand, foot and mouth disease in children, parents should add water and electrolytes to the child by drinking oresol, hydrite... or drinking cold coconut water to help relieve pain, uncomfortable but more importantly, the high potassium and electrolyte content is the perfect way to prevent dehydration. Antiseptic: When children have fever and mouth ulcers, they need to add vitamin C and zinc, use glycerin borate solution to wipe the mouth before and after eating. Oral gel (kamistad, zytee...) antiseptic and pain reliever helps children eat and drink easier.

In addition, there are other drugs used depending on the specific condition of the disease. For pediatric patients with encephalopathy - meningeal symptoms must be treated in the hospital and will be prescribed anticonvulsants such as phenobarbital; Give antibiotics when the child has bacterial meningitis and is closely monitored for respiratory symptoms.
For children with complications of encephalitis, paralysis, mental disorders, convulsions, anti-brain edema, anticonvulsants and antibiotics must be used to prevent superinfection, to correct disorders of water, electrolytes, acid-base balance and Closely monitor pulse, temperature, blood pressure, breathing rate, breathing pattern, consciousness...
Children with respiratory failure, cardiovascular collapse need special treatment at the Intensive Care Unit such as oxygen, breathing. machine, anti-shock fluid, dobutamine, antibiotics to prevent superinfection, intravenous lmmunoglobulin (gammaglobulin)...
Cleanliness:
Skin hygiene for the child to avoid bacterial superinfection: It is necessary to bathe the child with water with mild antiseptic properties such as tea leaves, spinach leaves, lemon essential oil... For children to gargle with warm salt water. Advise children to maintain good hygiene, do not put their hands in their mouths, do not suck on toys. Thoroughly clean bottles and nipples. Note that the stuffed animals children come into contact with must be clean. Parents and caregivers need to wash their hands with soap before cooking, feeding, after coming into contact with children, and after using the toilet. Maintain hygiene, clean the house with 2% chloramine solution or other disinfecting solutions. 3.2. Prevention of hand, foot and mouth disease in children There is currently no specific vaccine for hand, foot and mouth disease, so to prevent the disease, everyone needs to:
Breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life can help protect protect your child's body against certain infections, including hand, foot and mouth disease. Wash hands often with soap (both adults and children), especially before preparing food, before eating/feeding children, before holding children, after using the toilet or changing diapers, cleaning birth for children. Perform well in food hygiene such as eating cooked, drinking boiling; eating utensils must be washed before use (preferably soaked in boiling water); ensure the use of clean water in daily activities; do not give food to children; do not let children eat, suck, suck on toys; do not let children share napkins, handkerchiefs, eating utensils such as cups, bowls, plates, spoons, toys... Regularly clean surfaces and daily contact tools such as children's toys, utensils school supplies, table/chair tops, floors with soap or common cleaning agents. Do not allow children to come into contact with sick or suspected sick people. When a child is sick, it is necessary to isolate the sick child at home. Do not allow children to go to kindergartens, schools, places where children play together in the first 10-14 days of illness.
Pediatrics department at Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, otitis media, pneumonia in children, .... With modern equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that is the dedication from the doctors with professional experience with pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of the parents.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.