RISK FACTORS: Hot humid environment, Occlusive bandages, Plastic undersheets, High fever
GENERAL MEASURES
β’ Avoid wearing heavy, tight clothing or garments causing friction
β’ Avoid plastic or occlusive dressings/garments in hot environments
β’ Avoid excessive use of soap and contact with irritants
β’ Frequent cool baths with Aveeno colloidal, oatmeal or cornstarch
β’ Provide cool, dry environment for 8-10 hours a day
β’ Topical applications of lotions containing lanolin, calamine, boric acid and menthol
DRUG(S) OF CHOICE
β’ Topical steroids to relieve pruritus - 0.1% betamethasone (Valisone) bid for 3 days
β’ Systemic antibiotics in cases of bacterial secondary infection - antibiotic effective against staphylococci, e.g., dicloxacillin 250 mg qid for 10 days (unless resistance)
β’ If sweating due to fever, antipyretic drugs may be useful
PATIENT MONITORING As needed for persistence of symptoms
PREVENTION/AVOIDANCE
β’ See General Measures
β’ Acclimatize slowly to hot weather
POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS
β’ Secondary bacterial infections
β’ Miliaria profunda secondary to repeated miliaria rubra (can cause anhidrosis)
EXPECTED COURSE/PROGNOSIS
β’ Benign - responds to cooling
β’ Avoidance of causative agents is key