Hand,%20foot%20-and-%20mouth%20disease Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms

Etiology

Most common cause of hand, foot & mouth disease (HFMD) is coxsackievirus A16 (CA16)
- Other possible causes are group A & B coxsackieviruses, & enterovirus 71
- Enterovirus 71 infection may be accompanied by neurologic complications & has been associated w/ disease outbreaks

Pathophysiology

Infection may spread to household member & close contacts
- Person to person spread by direct contact w/ unwashed contaminated hands, nasal & throat discharge, saliva, fluid from blisters, stool, or contact w/ contaminated surfaces
- The 1st week of illness is the most contagious period

Signs and Symptoms

Characterized by fever, vesicular stomatitis, & papular/vesicular lesions located peripherally (eg palms of hands, knees, soles of feet, buttocks or genitalia)
- Hand, foot & mouth disease may present as solely peripheral or oral, or both

Oral vesicular lesions are 1-3 mm, mostly found on the buccal mucosa, tongue & soft palate
- Vesicles may have ulcerated at the time of examination

Each oral lesion is surrounded by erythema & is tender to touch
- Oral lesions commonly develop 1-2 days after onset of fever

Patient may complain of sore throat or sore mouth, fever & may be difficult to feed
- Skin lesions begin as non-itchy rash that develops over 1-2 days

Risk Factors

Age may determine susceptibility to the disease & protective antibody levels
Close contact (eg household, daycare)
- Patient may be asymptomatic & may serve as reservoir for spread of infection

Impact Dermatology Masterclass 2019

30 Oct 2019

In a sponsored IMPACT Dermatology Masterclass 2019 by DCH Auriga, the latest dermatological insights were shared by Professor Dr Helmut Schöfer on sertaconazole for fungal infections, and Dr Cheong Wai Kwong on innovations in atopic dermatitis management.

Navigating the CPP patient journey – case-based discussion for nurses

06 May 2021

In a webinar held on 27 March 2021, paediatric endocrinology nurses Karen Blair, Kate Davies, and Siti Zarina Yaakop shared insights and clinical experience based on their frontline roles in caring for patients with central precocious puberty (CPP) and supporting their family members.

Advancing into the era of CAR T-cell therapies: Tisagenlecleucel in the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Prof. Franco Locatelli, Dr. Udo Holtick, Dr. Francesca Lim, 21 May 2021

Tisagenlecleucel is the first therapy to be approved by the Singapore Health Sciences Authority under the Cell Tissue and Gene Therapy Product Regulations enacted on 1 March 2021. On 4 March 2021, Novartis organized a launch symposium for tisagenlecleucel, a CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for the treatment of paediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and adults with r/r diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy. The invited speakers were Prof Franco Locatelli from the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, Dr Udo Holtick from the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, and Dr Francesca Lim from Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Prof William Hwang from National Cancer Centre, Singapore, chaired the symposium.