Calling the P-F docs please

[Sanch]

I’m a nobody with no credentials I’m willing to share on the internet so take this as the single dissenting opinion so far. I would not be going to urgent care if the concern is Lyme disease, they won’t treat that there.

Shortness of breath, call 911
If it starts spreading into a web like pattern in the veins in the area, with localized warmth and rapid heart rate, call 911
Localized neurological deficit, touching skin with the pin of a needle can’t be felt, call 911

Lyme disease? Requires multiple courses of antibiotics over 6 months and the Unlucky NP or PA working at the urgent care on a federal holiday isn’t the person to deal with a 6 month long antibiotics course. If you can find an urgent care with an MD or a DO that is board certified in internal medicine, then that would be worth going to. But urgent cares are a dice shoot when it comes to anything remotely complex.

But I’m a nobody and it’s generally better to err on the side of caution and go in, depending on what the urgent care provider wants to do. They can always make things worse. Medical errors are usually around the second or third leading cause of death in the US each year.

[Sensei]

Certainly could be Lyme. Definitely worth a course of doxycycline if it were my kid.

It would be a mistake to send serology to determine if treatment is necessary. Run very fast if your “provider” recommends this…

[Paul D]

I'm with Sensei. I don't deal with this stuff on a daily basis but even I am suspicious of Lyme disease. If it was my kid, I would do the doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for 10 days course and monitor for clinical signs and be done with it. If you are afraid of committing to an antibiotic course, I think the guidelines recommend at a least a prophylactic dose of doxycycline (100-200 mg once) and monitoring. Good luck and hope your kid gets better.

[Hambo]

Not a doc, but I've had spider bites that looked similar.

[UNK]

Attachment 73951

I found this on my kids arm. I’m thinking it looks like the bullseye rash of Lyme disease. Neither me or my wife have pulled any ticks off of her. We are planning to take her to the pediatrician tomorrow to get it checked out. Am I being a nervous nelly or does it really look like the telltale sign of Lyme?

Thanks in advance. Again, we are getting her checked tomorrow.

Little late to the party but I think as soon as you notice something like that the first thing to do is mark the outer edge with a ball point pen or fine tip marker to see if its spreading and how fast. No experience with lyme but Ive seen spider bites that looked like that.

[RoyGBiv]

I've had spider bites that looked a lot like that, but, definitely get it checked. Ticks can be very tiny.

+1 for marking the edges with a pen or sharpie.

https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/rashes.html

[Jared]

Ok, wife took her to convenient care today. They aren’t sure if it’s a tick or a spider bite, said not serious enough to warrant antibiotics at this time.

It did look better this morning in the picture my wife sent me before they went to the doc. Doc gave a cortisone cream scrip which wife/mom applied when they got home. It looks a hell of a lot better now. Kid is totally fine and normal acting.

Doc did say if we see other symptoms to follow up.

Spider bite makes more sense than tick bite given location and other factors. Wife saw a pic on the net of a Parsons Spider bite that looks nearly identical to what’s on my girls arm. But the important thing is that for now, kid seems good to go.

Thanks to everyone that replied for the advice.

[BillSWPA]

I am not a doctor, but my son has had tickborne illnesses twice. Once was lime, once was something else. If whoever you visit does not want to provide a prescription for doxycycline, I would visit another doctor.


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[Clusterfrack]

My understanding is that spider bites are rare, and significantly overdiagnosed. Just statistically, I’d guess it’s likely a tick bite. If that was on me or any of my family, I’d go for a course of antibiotics.

https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-...e-probably-not

[OlongJohnson]

Even if it's a spider bite and not an infection (now), monitor that stuff. I got bitten by a spider and it seemed to be OK, but damaged tissue under the surface and created a whole infected cavity that required attention weeks later. I still have a pocket that fills with gunk and needs to be cleaned out 15 years later.