Paediatrics: Common infections characterized by rash

Common infections characterized by rash

Infections in childhood often have an associated rash. The skin lesion will give some clue to the potential cause.

An exanthem is a rash that ‘bursts forth or blooms’ towards the end of incubating an infection. The six classic exanthemata are characteristically:

•   widespread, symmetrically distributed on the body;

•   red, discrete, or confluent macules or papules.