This is an automatically translated article.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a fairly common disease in young children. With proper treatment and care, the child will soon recover from the disease and leave no complications. So what medicine should children with hand, foot and mouth apply?
1. Causes and manifestations of hand, foot and mouth disease in children
Hand, foot and mouth disease is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus. The disease is usually mild and goes away on its own after a few days. Hand, foot and mouth disease can occur at any age, but it is most common in children under 5 years of age. This disease is very contagious, the virus can be spread from an infected person to a healthy person through direct contact with saliva, respiratory secretions, or fluid from blisters, feces or indirectly through contaminated surfaces. such as toys, tables, chairs, bowls, chopsticks,...) are not cleaned.
Hand, foot and mouth disease caused by a group of common intestinal viruses are Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71 (EV71). In which, Coxsackievirus A16 is the most common cause with mild symptoms, Complications are few and usually resolve on their own. Enterovirus 71 often causes more severe illness, leading to more serious complications, even death.
When having hand, foot and mouth disease, children often have symptoms such as:
Sore mouth. Sore throat Crying, poor appetite, vomiting. Fever is usually below 38.3 degrees Celsius. Children with high fever and vomiting often have serious complications. Red sores or blisters with a diameter of 2-3mm on the lining of the mouth, gums, and tongue. Children drool a lot due to increased salivation. A blister-like rash on the soles of the feet, palms, knees, and buttocks.
2. What medicine is applied to children with hand, foot and mouth disease?
Currently, there is still no specific treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease, the treatment is mainly symptomatic treatment and waiting for the disease to pass. Children with complications need to be hospitalized for timely monitoring and treatment.
Medicines commonly used in the treatment of children with hand, foot and mouth disease include:
Fever reducers, pain relievers: Use fever reducers, pain relievers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen if the child has a fever and a lot of pain. Do not give aspirin to children with viral infections, as it can cause Reye's syndrome in children. Using these drugs with the main purpose of reducing pain, so even if the child does not have a fever or only has a slight fever, it can still be used for the child. The drug dose is similar to that of paracetamol 10-15mg/kg/time, can be repeated every 4-6 hours, not more than 5 times/24h; ibuprofen 10mg/kg/time, can be repeated every 6-8 hours. Rehydration and electrolytes: Due to the child's fever and bowel movements, they will lose water and electrolytes, can give the child oresol or hydride solution. Note, it is necessary to mix the solution according to the dosage instructions on the package or exactly as prescribed by the doctor. Skin lesions care: With the skin lesions of hand, foot and mouth disease do not need any special care, the blisters will usually go away on their own. You just need to keep the baby's nails clean and trim to avoid scratching and causing infection. With large blisters that are at risk of infection, skin antiseptics such as methylene blue, silver ion cream, etc. However, many parents make the mistake of applying medicine to all. skin lesions in children. This is completely ineffective in treating the disease for children. Doing so carries the risk of side effects when the child puts the medicine in his mouth or causes systemic absorption when too much is applied.
Treatment of sores in the mouth and throat: With ulcers in the oral mucosa, the throat can use glycerin borate solution to wipe the child's mouth before and after eating. Oral gels such as kamistad, zyttee also have antiseptic and analgesic effects to help children eat and drink easier. Anti-allergic drugs: If the child has a lot of itching, wanting to scratch his hands will cause scratches and risk of skin superinfection, the doctor will consider giving the child an anti-allergy medicine to help reduce the itching. To use drugs safely for children in the treatment of hand, foot and mouth, you need to note:
Absolutely do not give your child more than the prescribed dose, or use medicine not prescribed by a doctor. Antibiotics are only used in cases where it is determined that there is a complication of bacterial superinfection and only used when prescribed by a doctor. Antiviral drugs such as acyclovir and other antiviral drugs are not effective in treating hand, foot and mouth disease. In case the child has a lot of itching, oral antihistamines or creams can be used. It is best for you to take your child to the doctor so that the doctor can accurately assess the child's condition, thereby prescribing the right medicine for the child to recover quickly.
3. Medicines should not be used in hand, foot and mouth disease
Many parents, when they see that their children have hand, foot and mouth disease, are often impatient, so they buy topical medicines to help their children recover and quickly reduce symptoms such as pain, itching, antiseptic...
However, Skin lesions caused by hand-foot-and-mouth disease are usually painless, so applying medication for pain relief is not necessary. Especially currently, topical drugs with local anesthetic effects and pain relief are not recommended by doctors for this disease.
With lesions in the mouth that can cause pain and cause children to stop eating, oral medications should not be used, especially in children under 3 years of age, unless prescribed by a specialist.
Burns in lesions of hand, foot and mouth disease are rarely broken, it will often shrink, dry out and disappear, leaving no scars, so there is usually no need to apply medication for the purpose of antiseptic. Only use antiseptic with large broken blisters, nodules in the intimate area that are prone to infection, can be applied to prevent superinfection.
Do not use topical corticosteroids to apply to children with hand, foot and mouth disease: Topical drugs contain corticosteroids, which can cause side effects that weaken the immune system and make the disease worse.
Do not use topical drugs of unknown origin, as they can cause skin irritation side effects.
Some parents apply acyclovir to their children with the hope of killing the virus to help them recover quickly. However, topical acyclovir is completely ineffective against the virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease.
Currently, Pediatrics - Vinmec International General Hospital is the address to receive and examine diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, respiratory disease, illness. infection, hand, foot and mouth disease,... With modern equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that, Vinmec has a general examination in conjunction with a nutritionist to develop separate menus for children so that children can always grow up healthy in each stage.
Vinmec International General Hospital with a system of modern facilities, medical equipment and a team of experts and doctors with many years of experience in medical examination and treatment, parents can rest assured to visit examine and treat children at the Hospital.
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.
