Table 1.

Key points to identify in the triage of a febrile patient with a rash

	Key points to identify
Chief complaint	• General health in last 7 to 21 days
	• When fever started, relationship to rash, actual temperatures measured, and method used to obtain temperature
	• Risk for exposure to ill persons, those recently immunized
	• History of recent travel, camping, hiking
	• General immune status (ie, risk for immunocompromise)
	• History of immunizations
	• Allergies, especially eczema, psoriasis
Associated symptoms	• Headache, backache, tender joints
	• Significant lymphadenopathy
	• Nuchal rigidity
	• Photophobia
	• Oral lesions
	• Increased respiratory secretions
Physical assessment
Vital signs	• Fever, tachypnea, tachycardia
General appearance	• “Ill appearing” (has signs of systemic disease)
Skin and mucous membrane lesions	• Type, shape, arrangement, distribution