The hands may also peel dramatically after the child is better. The illness is treated the same as strep throat without the rash, and is generally really not more serious. Penicillin remains the antibiotic of choice for the treatment of strep throat, except in people with a penicillin allergy. An injection of penicillin can be given, but is typically recommended only if a patient is unlikely to comply with a 10 day course of an oral antibiotic. The most important part of treatment is finishing all 10 days of the antibiotic to prevent rheumatic fever.
Rheumatic fever is a serious complication of untreated or partially treated streptococcal infection.
Not all of these are usually present, but a few must be to make the diagnosis. There also has to be laboratory evidence of a recent strep infection, either by throat culture or blood test. It is very important to diagnose and treat rheumatic fever, as it causes life-long problems, especially related to injury to the heart. Prevention of rheumatic fever is actually the primary reason we treat strep throat . Without antibiotics, strep throat resolves on its own, but then there is a risk of rheumatic fever.