Not Strep??

[SuzySunshine]

So I didn't take A in today. She's been acting fine but has been coughing, has a runny nose and did have a fever. I've been treating her with ibuprofen. I figure it's just a bad cold like R and I had but now seem to be over. However I just got a note from her teacher that said they've had a few cases of steep reported. We've never had strep, I don't know what to look for. DH says if it was strep she wouldn't be eating because it hurt, she's been eating fine and I've asked her several times if her throat hurts and she says no.

My parents are coming Wednesday so if we think it's strep I need to take her in tomorrow so we can get her started but I also don't want to waste the trip...


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[Meenah]

My oldest had strep multiple times, and her only presenting symptoms were headache and stomach ache, she never complained of a sore throat. Her throat was always minimally red with some exudate, but that was never her complaint. I also saw these same symptoms when I worked in the ER.

[corn poffi]

White tonsils are usually a good indicator of strep.

[Meenah]

This is from Up To Date:

In children <3
years — Streptococcal infections usually manifest with atypical symptoms
in children younger than three years of age [10].
Instead of a well-defined episode of pharyngitis, they may have protracted
symptoms of nasal congestion and discharge, low-grade fever, and tender anterior
cervical adenopathy [11].
This GAS symptom complex is called "streptococcosis."

Infants younger than one year may present with fussiness, decreased appetite,
and low-grade fever. They often have older siblings or day care contacts with
GAS infection

[SuzySunshine]

Is that a link? I'm on my phone and it doesn't seem to work...


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[Deebs]

My kids throw up and can't eat. Until Sam reached kindergarten, our peds never even tested for it because the big reason to treat is to prevent rheumatic fever, and there hasn't been an outbreak since the 80s, and even then it hit kids older than 6. In Bloomington, our ped had two kids get Steven-Johnson's syndrome - one when the mom pushed for abs treatment of an ear infection early in the course, and one in a case of strep. He said after that, he really thought about who he tested and why. We always worried more about complications from antibiotics - just a risk benefit thing. Now, we have her treated so she won't miss a ton of school, but that's really the only reason. A probably has the same upper respiratory infection that seems to be hitting the whole country. It's been in our house for 3 weeks now, and is horrible.

[Meenah]

No, not a link. It is the website UpToDate.com

[SuzySunshine]

Thanks I will look at it.


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[ladymoreta]

A probably has the same upper respiratory infection that seems to be hitting the whole country.

Wow - I had no idea it was so widespread. DS has a really bad cold right now. DD got a milder version and appears to be mostly over it, but she's nursing, so I guess I've had it before.


Laurie

[Deebs]

We have friends in California, Austin, Columbus, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Virginia who all have kids with basically the same symptoms (thank you FB) and our friend in Peds EM in Tampa said he's seeing a ton of it. My DS Is still a snot ball three weeks later, although I'd say my a achiness, sore throat, and other real symptoms lasted about a week.

[HouseofWool]

I feel pretty fortunately that we have been spared this (knock on wood). But we did have the GI bug that went around. Again, thank you FB for letting me know that it was country wide, not just local.

[Pollyanna]

I agree that it doesn't sound like strep but also that the presentation of strep in her age is not always a sore throat. DD9 got it when she was three and four and both times she had a fever, stomach pain, and interestingly could not stand anything touching her skin. It took me a few days to take her in but I learned a lot about strep presentation in a young patient. If you are concerned just make sure you leave a note with your folks giving them the right to make medical decisions for your kiddos (you probably already did this) and they can take her in if necessary.

[peggyfromwastate]

My kids only symptom at that age was a high fever (102) and scarlet fever-- the rash that comes with strep sometimes. An ER doc (unhelpfully) told us our kids weren't sick one time bc they were eating goldfish crackers. Then we showed them the rash...

Shrug. Strep as an adult is MISERABLE. I caught it one of those times and I thought I was going to die lol. Plus I developed an allergy to penicillin and had bad swelling and respiratory problems. Blah.

[Michele]

IME strep has random symptoms like others have mentioned. I was under the impression it needed to be treated with antibiotics though so Deebs, that's interesting.

[SuzySunshine]

So this morning I'm pretty sure she does have it, she has an appointment at 10:30. If she starts the antibiotics this morning can she go back to school tomorrow? I've read a couple places online that have said once she's taken it for 24 hours she can...(assuming her fever is gone of course)

ETA: Tomorrow is pancake and pajama day that she's been looking forward to for weeks, I don't even thing grandma and grandpa arriving is going to make up for missing that.