Alexander M. Patch Elementary School
Stuttgart, Germany

Sick Enough To Stay Home?

It's seven o'clock in the morning, and your child feels ill.  Is it back to bed --or off to school.  This symptom-by-symptom guide will help you decide.  Keep in mind that the school policy is, if the child is ill or injured to the degree he/she cannot function fully in the learning environment, PLEASE KEEP THE CHILD HOME.  When the child is in school, he/she must be healthy enough to participate in all aspects of school life, including recess and physical education activities.  Exceptions to this policy require a medical excuse from a physician.

Here are some of the complaints you'll most likely hear from your child and the guidelines to help you judge their seriousness...

Tummy Aches

Diarrhea illnesses can be very contagious.  Frequent, watery, mucousy and sometimes-bloody diarrhea is a sure ticket to stay home, both for your child's sake and to prevent an outbreak in the classroom.  Add vomiting and your child is certainly too weak to attend school.  As soon as the vomiting is over and the stools are no longer watery, and your child feels well again, he/she may return to school. 

Runny Noses and Coughs

Most colds DO NOT threaten an outbreak through the classroom.  If anything, your child has already exposed his classmates, since children are most contagious a day or two before they feel sick.  Some colds DO NEED HOME CARE, however.  Basically, it comes down to a study of nasal secretions--How Much, Where and What Color?  If your child's nasal secretions are thick, yellow and green, especially if accompanied by a fever, headache, earache, frequent night-waking, and if he/she looks pale, this is a STAY at HOME, see the doctor cold.   

Eye Drainage

Some runny eyes signal a contagious infection, CONJUNCTIVITIS (pinkeye).  To tell which is plaguing your child, gently wipe away the drainage using a cotton ball dipped in warm water.  Do the eyes look bloodshot and itch?  It may be pinkeye, which is quickly treated by antibiotic eye ointment or drops.  See the Doctor. 

Coughs

If your child seems generally ill, and has a fever, chills and is coughing up green or yellow sputum, check in with the Doctor. 

Sore Throats

Strep throat is very contagious and your child must stay home.  Besides having a fever and generally miserable feeling, your child may complain of a stomachache and a sore throat, and sometimes an allover sunburn-like rash appears.  He/she may also have swollen, tender glands beneath his/her jawbone.  Bring the child to the doctor for confirmation and a prescription for antibiotics if necessary.   

Herpangina, a fairly common viral infection causes a very sore throat with fever, painful swallowing, swollen gums and gray dots sprinkled over the roof of the mouth.  Antibiotics are UNNECESSARY.  This infection is highly contagious and the child MUST stay home until the fever and throat spots are gone.   

Impetigo

A bacterial infection of the skin begins as tiny red spots resembling picked-at pimples.  These enlarge to circular, coin-size blisters that rupture and produce an oozy, sticky, honey-colored crust.  They tend to occur in patches, spread by the child's scratching, and are typically found beneath the nose and on the buttocks, though they may crop up anywhere on the skin.  The child must be seen by a doctor for a prescription antibiotic cream and/or an oral antibiotic. 

Ringworm

A rash caused by a fungus, less contagious than impetigo.  It begins as a round, red, coin-size area in the skin, often on the face or scalp.  The center of the rash clears, leaving and elevated red scaly ring with a pale center.  An antifungal cream is necessary--See the doctor. 

Chicken pox

Is the most contagious of all childhood infections, and a sure license to stay home.  It begins as a flulike illness (low-grade fever and tiredness) and the spots appear a day later.  Initially, they resemble tiny bites all over the back, chest, abdomen and face.  The spots will then change from pimples to blisters if they are chicken pox.  After several days, the early spots will crust.  A child can return to school once ALL the spots are scabbed over. 

Your child may become ill or injured during the school day.  Although there is almost always a school nurse on duty, a sick child belongs at home.  It is essential that EMERGENCY INFORMATION be kept up-to-date in the main office.  Change of home, work or emergency phone numbers should be updated as needed. 

If you have any questions at any time feel free to call the nurse @ DSN 430-4030 or Civilian 680-4030.