Presentation

Rash

Key Conditions

Key conditions are the core conditions that the Paediatric Undergraduate and Clerkship Directors of Canada (PUPDOC) felt are essential for graduating medical students to know. The Key Conditions are neither a differential diagnosis nor a clinical approach. They highlight conditions that may be unique to paediatrics, that are essential, or that are common. Key Conditions can present in a number of ways – each is listed as under the most common Clinical Presentation.

Clinical Approach

Clinical approaches represent one of many methods to think through a clinical presentation, and narrow down a differential diagnosis. There are many conditions that can present with similar symptomatology. These presentations are not meant to contain an exhaustive list of differential diagnoses, but rather outline how to think through patient signs and symptoms, and understand some of the most common and important Paediatric conditions. There are many different ways to approach any clinical presentation, and these approaches are not meant to replace clinical judgement.

Vignette

A 5 year old girl is brought to the emergency department due to a rash that has worsened over the last 48 hours

Diagrams

Pre-Clerkship

Lecture materials and small group cases are posted here for University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine students. Access to these materials are password protected.

Lectures

Small Groups

Clerkship

Lecture materials and small group cases are posted here for University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine students. Access to these materials are password protected.

Objectives

By the end of the Paediatric Clerkship, a medical student will be able to:

  1. Recognize the clinical features and propose a management plan for patients with acne, cellulitis, diaper rashes, eczema, impetigo, scabies, seborrhea dermatitis, and urticaria.
  2. Recognize the clinical features of viral exanthems, drug eruptions, Henoch Scholein purpura, and scarlet fever.

Half Day Cases

  • A 6 month old infant has an erythematous, scaly rash over his cheeks and the backs of his legs. This started at 4 months of age, an seems to be getting worse
  • A 5 year old child comes to the emergency department with 4 days of fever, and a rash that has developed over her torso and her extremeties
  • A 6 year old is brought to the emergency department with a dark purple rash on his legs. When you examine him, you notice that these lesions are non-blanchable

Resources

The following resources have been reviewed and collated by canuc-paeds. These resources are aimed to provide information at the level of the medical student. These include overviews of topics, clinical resources, and useful guidelines that contain relevant materials.

Papers 

  • Newborn skin: Part 1 Common rashes. O’Connor NR et al. .
    American Family Physician 2008; 77(1): 47-52. .
    Good general article on common newborn rashes including seborrhea dermatitis. Good visuals.
  • Evaluating the febrile patient with a rash. . Mckinnon HD Jr et al. .
    American Family Physician 2008; 62(4): 804-816. .
    General article on viral exanthems with good tables and pictures.
  • Atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis. Epps RE. .
    Pediatrics in Review 2010; 31(7): 278-286. .
    Review article of atopic dermatitis, treatment and complications- good visuals.(Atopic dermatitis p 278-283.) .

Videos 

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Last updated 09 August 2021.