Dermatological history

Not going to go into a whole bunch of details here: just adapt your standard history, but make sure you focus on the following features:

• Duration of rash: and how it has changed
• Treatment tried so far - Really go into details, how much cream do you apply, how often a day? The biggest problem is often compliance. Try coating a 2 year old in emollient three times a day; no easy task!
• Associated symptoms; itching / fever / pain - these can be big clues, as well as
• Sick contacts - if someone at school has chicken pox, that's probably a helpful clue.
• Travel - more chance of infective cause.
• Medications - drug rections are a going to be caused by drugs.
• 'Systemic review: feeding etc.. - can be a sign of more serious disease.
• Past medical history - most of the allergic and autoimmune rashes will be repeat presentations.