HFMD or skin infection? KKH?...

My 2nd brother called me up 2 nights ago and out of concern, he asked if Renee had the same symptoms as his girl, Sheena has got blister-like rashes on her palm and they're getting more rapidly. The first thing that came to our minds and even the GP they've consulted was - HFMD?
They were referred to KKH but the attending doc was not sure and luckily there's a senior consultant on duty then at the emergency paediatric dept and upon checking with him, they said that it's not HFMD, most probably just some virus infection or dermatitis(skin inflammation) and they're referred to a skin specialist with an appt. scheduled in March(geez, thought they're supposed to be 'specialists' in this area. I guess only the seniors are consultable there, esp if it's of something out of the norm, as the docs there are mostly those fulfilling their service...So, I told my bro to just straight head to a paediatric clinic if anything shld happen in the future and he felt these docs will make them go round n round in the future. Besides, the fees for senior consulting is not much cheaper than a pte PD clinic but save the trouble).
In the meantime, if the condition got better prior to that, then it could juz be some virus infection *Phew*... Hope she gets well real soon, so that she can enjoy her CNY!

Though she's ok now but it reminded me that sometime ago, I've done some research and found this info abt HFMD, from http://www.hpb.gov.sg/ and would like to share its info here with everyone, parents or not, I think this is a good piece of info that we should know(do share this around, for the good health/safety of all our children):

click onto the attachment to enlarge it

For those who still can't see it clearly, I've cut and pasted here the relevant info:
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease(HFMD) is a highly contagious viral disease. It spreads through contact with saliva, nasal discharge, faeces or fluid from the blisters of an infected person. It affects mainly young children, especially those below 5 years.

Watch out for these symptoms:
1. Fever for 2-3 days and sore throat
2. Mouth ulcers
3. Small fluid-filled blisters on the hands, feet and occasionally on the buttocks, arms and legs

If your child shows signs of the above symptoms, consult your family doctor Immdiately.

In rare caases, HFMD can cause severe vomitting, drowsiness, fits, severe headache and breathlessness. Bring your child to the Children Emergency Department of NUH or KKH if he has these serious symptoms.

If your child has HFMD:

• Keep him away from public places
• Keep his toys, books, eating utensils, towels and clothes separate from others
• Consult your doctor before sending him back to his school, kindergarten or childcare centre
• Use diluated bleech to clean his toys, the floor and any surfaces he comes into contact with(if bleech contains 5.25% of sodium hypochlorite, dilute 1 part with 10 parts of water)

To avoid infection, all family members should:

• Wash their hands thoroughly and regularly with soap and water
• Cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing
• Use serving spoons when sharing food
• Have a balanced diet, excercise regularly and get enough rest