Infectious childhood diseases


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Infectious childhood diseases


Children’s nurses will come in contact with infectious diseases as part of their everyday practice. The ability to diagnose these quickly will result in the quick and safe isolation of the child, providing optimum care for the family while protecting public safety. This chapter outlines the main infectious diseases identified by the Health Protection Agency (2010). Readers should also consider the traffic light system contained within the NICE (2013) guidance. This traffic light system provides a framework to assess the severity of the illness encountered by the child.


Table 82.1 Childhood infections



























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Jun 7, 2018 | Posted by in NURSING | Comments Off on Infectious childhood diseases

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Rashes and skin infections* Infectious period Symptoms What to do
Chickenpox *1–3 weeks 1–2 days before the rash appears, but continues to be infectious until the blister crust over

  • Mild flu-like symptoms:

    • general malaise
    • aching, painful muscles
    • moderate to high fever

  • Rash starts as red itchy spots that blister.

Fluid in the blister turns cloudy and crusts over. The crusting naturally falls off after 1–2 weeks		 There is no cure for chickenpox as it is a viral infection but care could include:


  • Analgesia and antipyretic treatment
  • Fluids
  • Strategies to reduce scratching
  • Cool light cotton clothing
  • Those who are newborn, pregnant or immunosuppressed may be administered antiviral treatment
Measles *7–18 days Symptoms usually disappear 7–10 days after the onset of the illness Symptoms start around 10–12 days with:


  • High fever
  • Coryza (runny nose)
  • Conjunctivitis (non-purulent)
  • Koplik spots
  • Rash appear around 4 days after the initial symptoms. Start small red spots behind the ears, moving to face and head before clustering and spreading over the body
  • Photophobia (light sensitivity)
There is no specific treatment for measles as it is a viral infection but care could include:


  • Analgesia and antipyretic treatment
  • Gentle cleaning of the eyes
  • Regular fluids
  • Darkened room
Rubella *2–3 weeks 1–5 days after the appearance of the rash

  • Cold-like symptoms
  • Distinctive red–pink rash starting behind the ears before spreading around face, neck, trunk and the rest of the body. Rash last approximately 3–7 days
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Moderate to high temperature
There is no specific treatment for rubella as it is a viral illness but care could include:


  • Analgesia and antipyretic treatment
  • Fluids
  • Strategies to reduce scratching
  • Cool light cotton clothing
Impetigo *1–3 days for streptococcal infections and 4–10 days for staphylococcal infections If untreated the sores will remain infectious as long as they persist