Hand Foot Mouth

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Hi- I work at a K-8 school. One of the 4th graders presented today with what I suspect is hand foot mouth disease. I did send her home due to it being highly contagious but just wondering what policies other school have about a child's return. I also suggested to her mom to consult with the child's pediatrician to confirm diagnosis.  

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Specializes in pediatrics, school nursing.

Our DPH does not consider HFMD an excludable illness, unless the child is febrile. 

However, my unwritten rule is that if the lesions are unable to be covered (I.e. on the hands or face) with intact blisters or if they are open and oozing, they should stay home until the lesions have crusted over. If the lesions are able to be covered, they are OK to be in school with enhanced cleaning practices in the classroom and enhanced hand hygiene amongst the class's students and staff. I encourage families to bring the kid to me on their first expected day back so I can make the call on what "crusted over" means.

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We also do not exclude for HFM unless there is a temp over 100 or student is not well enough to learn.  I've had a ton this year, more than any other year so far.  

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Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..

At our school, for awhile HFM became the new "head lice"- everyone was looking for it, asking kids about and digging for symptoms, hysteria over very very mild- unconfirmed symptoms. Our Principal is amazing- we stuck to the guidelines - "no fever and the kid feels like being here". It finally wore itself out, now I don't hear anything about it. Yipppeeeee!

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Specializes in pediatrics, School LVN.

We have HFM running rampant through our district, (and the county) our policy is the same as everyone else, no fever, no oozing blister (blisters that can be reasonable bandaged are OK) and the child feels OK to be at school then they can be here. I swear the panic over HFM is worse than the height of COVID. Hopefully it will be resolved by the time we come back from break.

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Specializes in pediatrics, school nursing.
Glitternurse said:

We have HFM running rampant through our district, (and the county) our policy is the same as everyone else, no fever, no oozing blister (blisters that can be reasonable bandaged are OK) and the child feels OK to be at school then they can be here. I swear the panic over HFM is worse than the height of COVID. Hopefully it will be resolved by the time we come back from break.

My personal theory for why people get so worked up over it is because they have heard your fingernails fall off and that makes them freak out. And while I know that can happen, it's not very common. But it all boils down to vanity.

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