petechiae on legs

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Specializes in NICU.

I hate to do this, y'all, but I'm so busy these days I don't want to hit the student health center up if I don't have to. Tonight when I got undressed for bed I noticed the inner aspect of both my legs (from mid-thigh to lower calf) are just covered in petechiae. It looks like a really diffuse hickey, or like the marks you get when you itch something too hard. It doesn't itch at all, though, and I'm not using any new detergent or soap or anything. I've been really tired recently, but hey, I just started nrsg school so that might not be significant. :chuckle I had some ambiguous rheumatoid factor lab tests a couple years ago.

Help Rashy Girl!

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Specializes in ICU.

I would very definitely go to the health clinic - no fever with that??

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Could be idiopathic thrompocytopenia purpura, which is a clotting disorder. You need to get bloodwork done ASAP with particular attention paid to platelets.

Let us know what happens. Get yourself over to the clinic or even the ER NOW.

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Specializes in NICU.
Could be idiopathic thrompocytopenia purpura, which is a clotting disorder. You need to get bloodwork done ASAP with particular attention paid to platelets.

Let us know what happens. Get yourself over to the clinic or even the ER NOW.

whoa. thanks, guys. I'll be at the clinic first thing in the AM!

eta: no fever, just tired and I've lost five pounds in the last week...

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Specializes in ICU.

Promise us that if you feel any worse - at all - please please go to the ER - straight away. I worry because I have seen far too many meningococcus infections where the first sign was petechiae.

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Specializes in NICU.
Promise us that if you feel any worse - at all - please please go to the ER - straight away. I worry because I have seen far too many meningococcus infections where the first sign was petechiae.

Oh jeebus, I'm in a dorm, too. Hopefully the sleeping thing will happen soon, and then I will be banging on the health center door first thing. Thanks so much for the help and advice, y'all! Let's all pray it's a non-pruritic heat rash or something! Or mono. I could live with mono...

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Specializes in ICU.

I doubt you have it but please be careful - I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is nothing more than an allergy or something equally silly.;)

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Specializes in NICU.
I doubt you have it but please be careful - I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is nothing more than an allergy or something equally silly.;)

me too! I do so love having free health care thru student services, so I won't do something dumb like wait. Although I just called the 24 hour clinician number and woke up the psychiatrist on call - I guess that's the only after hours service they have! ooops...

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Nursing Education.

What happened when you went to the clinic today.

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Specializes in NICU.
What happened when you went to the clinic today.

Unfortunately, my "first thing in the morning" turned out to be 4pm (slept straight through my alarm...sooo tiired) so they wouldn't see me, but I have an appt at 8 tomorrow. I'll let y'all know what happens...

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Specializes in NICU.
Unfortunately, my "first thing in the morning" turned out to be 4pm (slept straight through my alarm...sooo tiired) so they wouldn't see me, but I have an appt at 8 tomorrow. I'll let y'all know what happens...

Update: I got the "it's probably a virus" brush-off, but they told me to stay home from clinicals today, eat toast and fluids, and did a CBC and Chem 7, told me to come back if I wasn't better by Friday.

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