When your child has a high temperature, a fiery sore throat, and a tongue that looks like a strawberry, it is natural to worry. Strep throat caused by Group A Streptococcus is a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics, and in children it needs to be identified and treated promptly to prevent complications. If you are looking for a private doctor in London who can see your child today, examine them properly, and start treatment immediately, Clinique Alpa offers same day paediatric consultations.
What Is Strep A and How Do I Recognise It?
Group A Streptococcus causes a range of infections from mild sore throats to scarlet fever. In children, the classic signs include a severely sore throat with difficulty swallowing, a high temperature, a characteristic “strawberry tongue” (a red, bumpy tongue), inflammation and redness at the back of the throat, swollen glands in the neck, and sometimes a fine, sandpaper like rash on the body. Not every sore throat is Strep A, but when the combination of fever, strawberry tongue, and throat inflammation is present, the diagnosis is likely and antibiotics should not be delayed.
From Our Practice: A Child Who Needed More Than Paracetamol
A child was brought in by a parent with a high temperature, runny nose, cough, and sore throat that had been going on for more than 3 days. The child was nauseous but not vomiting, and had a reduced appetite. Their medical history included eczema and there were no drug allergies.
On examination, the temperature was 36.9 degrees (it had been higher at home), and critically there was a strawberry tongue with significant throat inflammation. The ears were normal, but there were crackles audible in the right lower chest. Oxygen saturation was 99 per cent and heart rate 124.
The combination of strawberry tongue, throat inflammation, and chest crackles pointed to a streptococcal A infection that had also affected the lower respiratory tract. We started an appropriate antibiotic at the correct dose for the child’s weight, advised paracetamol and ibuprofen in a 4 hourly rotation for temperature control, recommended isolation for approximately 1 week to prevent spread to siblings and classmates, and provided clear safety netting: return immediately if the temperature reaches 39 to 40 degrees, if there is vomiting, or if the child becomes drowsy or difficult to rouse.
Strep A in children is not something to wait and see with. Early antibiotics reduce symptom duration, prevent complications such as rheumatic fever and peritonsillar abscess, and reduce transmission to others. A same day assessment and prompt treatment is the standard of care.
Book a Same Day Paediatric Appointment
If your child has a sore throat with fever and you are concerned about Strep A, contact Clinique Alpa today.
Visit cliniquealpa.co.uk or call 0208 882 8088.