Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going

to be talking to you about hand, foot and mouth disease. And you can find written notes on this topic

at zero tofinals.com slash hand, foot and mouth or in the dermatology section of the zero

to finals pediatrics book.

So let's get straight into it.

Hand foot and mouth disease is caused by the Coxsacki A virus.

Incubation is three to five days before symptoms start.

Let's talk about the presentation.

The illness starts with typical viral upper respiratory tract symptoms such as tiredness, sore throat, dry cough and a raised temperature.

After one to two days, small mouth ulcers appear, followed by blistering red spots across the body.

As the name suggests, these spots are most notable on the hands, feet and around the mouth.

Painful mouth ulcers, particularly on the tongue, are also a key feature.

The rash may be itchy.

So how is it managed?

The diagnosis is made based on the clinical appearance of the rash.

There's no treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease.

Management is supportive with adequate fluid intake and simple analgesia such as paracetamol,

if required.

The rash and illness results spontaneously without treatment after a week to 10 days.

Hand foot and mouth disease is highly contagious and advice should be given about measures to avoid

transmission, such as avoiding sharing towels and bedding, washing hands and carefully handling dirty nappies.

There's a few complications to be aware of, although these are rare and include dehydration,

...