Resolved question:
Hello
I have a three year old daughter who developed an itch all over her body. Several doctors said that it was a kind of eczema caused by extreme heat. It continued to bother her (and me) until she developed puss filled blisters on the palm of her hands. First, on the right one and then on the left one, mostly (there was one on her foot too). A dermatologist we later visited told us it was Scabies, for which he prescribed her a cream (permethrin 5.0% with Methyl Paraben 0.8% and Propyl Paraben 0.02%) to be applied twice (just to be safe) which seemed to have caused a slight irritation of her skin. Along with that, he prescribed Amoxilin and an additional syrup with Chlorphenramine. It seemed to do the job. She developed diarrhoea and we stopped the antibiotics after (what i believe was) 4 days, but it might have been five.
One month has passed and she has now developed the same blisters on her left hand and a slight itch. Here is my question: Can it be a reoccurrence of Scabbies? We changed her mattress, washed everything she wears, and kept her away from her bedroom (which she shares with a one year old baby who did not contract scabies. If so, wouldn’t we the parents and our one year old with whom she has daily and close contact have also developed/contracted the scabies? and can we give her another dose of the same medication (Cream and Antibiotics)?
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Dermatologist
Hello
Thanks for posting your query at DoctorSpring.com. I can understand your concern.
From the history provided by you, it could have been scabies. The other three members of the family ideally would get scabies due to close contact, but the incubation period of scabies being one month, you might start showing symptoms now since a month has passed. The very fact that she has a recurrence suggests that all the family members haven't been treated and need to be treated as the infection still persists in the subclinical form among the family members.
I would recommend that she reapply the permethrin cream once. Also she seems to have got an allergy to the scabies mite antigens which is referred to as hypersensitivity.
She needs to be administered an anti histamine syrup like hydroxyzine for which a prescription from the doctor will be required.
Application of fucidin cream over the lesions in hand will resolve it. This will need a prescription from your doctor.
The one year old child needs to be treated with a cream called crotamiton and not permethrin.
Both of you, the parents need to apply the permethrin cream.
Hope my recommendations are helpful. Please let me know if you have any queries.
Take care
Hello Dr Kruti. Thank you for your assistance. The question that comes to my mind is does this Mite infection/ infestation and it's consequences (the acropustulosis on her hands for instance) have a chance of going away on its own? In other words, if not all the mites are dead, will she ever be cured or will they simply persist? Will they just keep reproducing and spreading?
Hello
The scabies mite doesn't keep reproducing n spreading if proper treatment is taken by all the family members living together.
The mite is killed with treatment and the person is relieved of the infestation.
The main problem is when the infection keeps spreading among family members from one to the other and back. Hence treatment of everyone is important, but once that is done, there is nothing to worry and the infestation does not persist.
The acropustulosis needs to be treated with an antibiotic cream.
Hope I have answered your queries.
Please let me know if you have any queries.
Take care