Preparing for an appointment

You're likely to first see your family doctor or your child's pediatrician. However, when you call to set up your appointment, you may be urged to seek immediate medical care if your child is experiencing any of the following:

• High fever
• Severe sore throat with difficulty swallowing
• Intense abdominal pain or vomiting
• Severe headache

What you can do

Before your appointment, you might want to write a list of questions for the doctor:

• How soon after my child begins treatment will he or she begin to feel better?
• Is my child at risk of any long-term complications related to scarlet fever?
• Is there anything I can do to help soothe my child's skin while it heals?
• When can my child return to school?
• Is my child contagious? How can I reduce my child's risk of passing the illness to others?
• Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing? What if my child is allergic to penicillin?

In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to talk about in-depth. Your doctor may ask:

• When did your child begin experiencing symptoms?
• Has your child had a sore throat or difficulty swallowing?
• Has your child had a fever? How high was the fever, and how long did it last?
• Has your child had abdominal pain or vomiting?
• Has your child been eating adequately?
• Has your child complained of headache?
• Has your child recently had a strep infection?
• Has your child recently been exposed to anyone with a strep infection?
• Has your child been diagnosed with any other medical conditions?
• Is your child currently taking any medications?
• Does your child have medication allergies?