RESEARCH ANALYSIS ON SCARLET FEVER

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According to my research on the case involving the sudden illness of an 11-year old girl known as Sarah, I concluded that Scarlet fever is a condition that can even lead to death if left unattended or ignored. Based on the information I gathered from medical research sources, Scarlet fever is a disease caused by bacteria known as Streptococcus or the Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria (Park, 1925). According to different scientists, these bacteria can be mostly round in the mouth or nasal passages. The bacteria, which produces a poison that causes the red rash, is mainly made by human beings, which are termed the primary hosts.

Sarah woke up with a high fever and a sore throat, a condition which grew worse the next day after she noticed more signs of red and yellow patches on her throat, followed by sandpaper like rash, which later developed in all parts of the body (Stevens et al., 1989). Based on my research on related diseases according to the listed symptoms, I concluded that the little girl was suffering from Scarlet fever, which affects humans of such age and with exact or similar symptoms. According to several scholarly and medical researchers, the main symptoms are a red rash, sore throat, and high fever, which were the exact complaints made by Sarah.

The bacterium which causes Scarlet fever is transmitted by human beings in different ways. Based on my research, I found out that the bacterium exists mainly in the mouth and in closer parts to the mouth. Thus it can be easily transmitted through saliva droplets (Wessels, 2016). Breathing in air droplets from an infected person may lead to an instant transmission. Thus it is a partial airborne disease. Touching anything which contains water droplets may also lead to communication if the same hands are placed on the mouth or nose of an infected person. Drinking from the same bottles and cups is also prohibited, especially from people who may be contracted the disease, as it is highly contagious.

Like any other bacteria, Streptococcus can be treated early and controlled from causing further harm to the infected. The condition is well known to be treated by specialists such as Pediatricians or specialists from Primary care (French, 1939). In my case here, Sarah should be attended by a Pediatrician as they are well known for dealing with matters concerning infants and small children. Based on the facts I obtained from my thorough research, this condition is accompanied by a lot of pain from the red rash all over the body. Thus the pediatrician is advised to give the affected a dosage of Analgesic for releasing the excess pain. Some Penicillin antibiotics should accompany the painkillers as they are responsible for killing the bacteria. The condition is treated for four to five days under a 24-hour medical plan.

Scarlet fever is termed one of the most complicated diseases as it can last up to a whole week in the human body system if unnoticed. During that period, an infected person is always at a high risk of transmitting it to other people before they decide to take the first antibiotics (French, 1939). The condition may become worse if ignored, a situation that makes the infected person capable of transmitting the disease for over two weeks or more. Upon this stage, the infected are already diagnosed with all the symptoms of this disease, and medication starts. If Scarlet fever is not treated in this stage, the situation now worsens to other critical conditions. The fever grows to a higher level called Rheumatic fever, which comes along with other severe constraints on the affected body. Some of the worst diseases caused by the worsening of Scarlet fever are liver problems, heart damages, or kidney disorder. The condition also affects respiratory organs; thus, infections such as pneumonia may arise due to ignorance (Blake et al., 1924). Several heart failures originating from the condition may lead to death, and that is the worst that can happen to an infected infant or a child.

Based on the research I did on this case, Sarah can be treated, and the condition can heal very well if only the parents or guardians of the young girl observe all the prescribed instructions by the physician. With enough antibiotics, the disease is treated, and the infected person is always expected to recover completely, with no marks or scars on their body with prove of any occurrence of the disease (Weinstein, Clifford, 1946). Over the years, research has also shown that the mortality rate of this condition is a bit lower compared to other related diseases and that death may occur if another critical condition is involved or any form of ignorance. Lastly, according to my study, I noticed that this situation is widespread among young kids; thus, the parents should play a significant role in ensuring that children are in good condition as it is much harder for them to notice or control themselves.

References

BLAKE, F. G., TRASK, J. D., & LYNCH, J. F. (1924). Observations on the Treatment of Scarlet Fever with Scarlatinal Antistreptococcic Serum: Preliminary Report. Journal of the American Medical Association, 82(9), 712-714.

French, J. O. (1939). The sulphanilamide treatment of scarlet fever. Epidemiology & Infection, 39(5), 581-596.

PARK, W. H. (1925). Scarlet fever: etiology, prevention by immunization, and antitoxic treatment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 85(16), 1180-1186.

Stevens, D. L., Tanner, M. H., Winship, J., Swarts, R., Ries, K. M., Schlievert, P. M., & Kaplan, E. (1989). Severe group A streptococcal infections associated with a toxic shock-like syndrome and scarlet fever toxin A. New England journal of medicine, 321(1), 1-7.

Weinstein, L., & Clifford, C. T. (1946). Effect of types of treatment on the development of antistreptolysin in patients with scarlet fever. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 63(2), 449-450.

Wessels, M. R. (2016). Pharyngitis and scarlet fever. Streptococcus pyogenes: Basic Biology to Clinical Manifestations [Internet].