Rash Identification

[Kidzaplenty]

I am dealing with my Screamer, and his mysterious rash that I just can't identify. So, I thought perhaps I could post some pics and someone might be able to shed a bit of light on what I am dealing with. The doc has it listed as an unspecified viral rash. I just really wish I knew exactly what it is and if I need to be concerned about my others getting it (four have no vaccinations at all) or about it causing The Screamer long lasting problems.

The specifics, he has a rash but no other "specific" symptoms; no runny nose, cough, or such, though he may have had a low grade fever for a few days, Spike did, and he is cranky and may have some minor pain but I can't be sure. Sporadically over his whole body, but concentrated on his left side hand/wrist/ankle and his left eye/face. It itches a lot. He has bumps and blisters (largish) on his hand. His eye/face is more of a slightly raised, rough patch. It continues into his hair, though you can't really see it in pics and is spreading to his other eye. He has sporadic spots (not "chicken pox" blisters but red bumps) that itch all over with "clumps" of them (where a few in the clumps seem to have blisters) on his wrist and ankle (again, left side mostly). And he is scratching them raw.



I am not sure if he got into something (poison ivy? one sided only?) or if it is some sort of "childhood" disease (chicken pox? shingles? odd form of measles?). The docs don't even know what some of them look like any more with all the vaccines, and don't believe children can be got any more. I was actually told by one doc when my daughter had Scarlet Fever (very "textbook" case) that she did not have it, that it did not exist any more. And told that my other daughter did not have chicken pox (because, of course, there is a vaccine for that) when she was covered in pox blisters. So, I am wondering if this is a variant of some disease that has mutated from the vaccine.

Here are some pics, though it is hard to see the whole rash (the flash seems to wash it out).

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

We have been using benadryl, hydrocortisone, and now an antibiotic. I am kinda concerned about his eye being damaged some how.

[balancedmama]

That looks to me more like a contact dermatitis type rash than an illness. Any time outside? It could be early poison ivy/oak - maybe it started in that crusty spot on the hand and then he rubbed his eye with the back of his hand, thus spreading the oil.

The one on his wrist looks a lot like poison ivy to me. Having just gotten over it, I think it's burned in my memory. It looks red/inflamed for the first bit and then starts to form a weeping/blistery rash which breaks open and starts again a few times.

[balancedmama]

This is about a week into one patch of my poison ivy.

[Kidzaplenty]

I had considered poison ivy, but I don't know where he could have gotten it. I have never seen any around us and though my Mom had some a time back, we have not visited her in weeks before the rash broke out.

Poor Baby just seems so miserable at time. (And other just seems "normal".)

For your poison ivy, what did you do to help with it? Anything at all? Or is it just best to let it run its course?

[Tilia]

I just got over poison ivy on my hand and knees. I got it from weeding the landscaping. I live in town and haven't been in the woods in ages.

I actually got rid of it by dabbing it with a q-tip with paint thinner

Not very healthy but it worked. I also have heard of bleach baths. Just a half a cup in your bath. Of course that doesn't sound safe for his eye. It sounds bad but it is similar to the chlorine in a pool.

[Kidzaplenty]

I would give bleach a try (I have heard it works wonders on all sorts of fungus and such) but like you said, around his eyes, not such a great idea. And it being around his eyes, I am not sure I can do anything at all. Poor thing. As of right now, about 80% of his face is covered.

[balancedmama]

I just realized I wrote a whole post last night and didn't click submit.

Here it is:
This was the first time I have ever gotten it. We just moved in to a new house and I must have had just a tiny bit of a stick scratch my arm when I was out in the yard. I never saw it at the time but after extensive searching we found a TINY bit of it growing. I thought it was a mosquito bite so I scratched it and spread it down one arm and over to the other.

The key to poison ivy/oak is that the urushiol oil will continue to cause reactions until it's gone...and it's hard to get rid of. I had to SCRUB my arms with a medicated gritty product - I think it was made by Cortaid (but was non-cortisone). That was the most itchy horrid rash I think I have ever had.

My concern would be that if your baby has it around the eye, that is going to get BAD within a couple of days. I'm not sure how you could even really clean the oil out of that area if it's still there in a safe manner. But I'd do my best to clean the areas with the hottest water tolerable and strongest product you're comfortable with. There are definitely things at drugstores that are designed to help rid you of urushiol oil.

I think if you really think it's poison ivy, you need to make another trip to the HCP. Poison ivy rash can actually get pretty serious and spread internally. If that IS what it is, then your baby obviously still has the oil on him since its spreading. You may need a steroid to help combat the reaction.

[Kidzaplenty]

So, another question for those aquainted with poison ivy, shouldn't it spread to others?

This is a nursling toddler that tandums with an infant, if it were poison ivy, shouldn't at least I and the baby have some? Would seem so to me.

Anyways, I am going on the assumption that it is poison ivy. And being around his eye, I can't really put much of anything on it. But, I have been reading up on it and it seems that it spreads due to the poison oils of the plant that are on the skin and clothing and such. So...I have started washing his face with Dawn (you know, it cuts grease and oil). His face is actually looking better!

It had spread to cover his entire face and is now on his chest. But, it now looks "splotchy" rather than a full coverage. So, I am thinking the Dawn is helping, as well as the benedryl.

[Tilia]

Yeah, you would think that you would have it too.

If it is poison ivy on his face, it should look like raised pink pimples with "grease" coming out. Sometimes it turns yellow. There should be a line of them or an area of them. Then it starts looking thick and crusty. If you can kill the oil with Dawn then it should stop spreading.

I am surprised that his doc didn't identify the rash as poison ivy.

Maybe it isn't poison ivy if it is getting better with the benadryl.

I hope its not, cause mine lasted three weeks and I was good about not scratching.