Severe complicated measles

All children with severe complicated measles should receive urgent treatment and referral. Give the first dose of vitamin A to the child and an appropriate oral Cotrimoxazole antibiotic and then refer the child urgently. If there is clouding of the cornea, or pus draining from the eye, apply eye ointment.

Measles with eye or mouth complications

Identifying and treating measles complications in infants and children in the early stages of the infection can prevent many deaths. As you treated earlier, these children should be treated with vitamin A. It will help decrease the severity of the complications as well as correct any vitamin A deficiency. The mother should be taught how to treat the child's eye infection with Tetracycline eye ointment and mouth ulcers with gentian violet at home

Eye infections If pus is still draining from the eye, ask the mother to describe how she has treated the eye infection. If treatment has been given correctly, you should refer the child to the hospital. If not, teach the mother the correct treatment; this may help to solve the problem.

  • If the pus is gone but redness remains, tell the mother to continue the treatment.
  • If no pus or redness, tell the mother she can stop the treatment.


    • How to treat the eye Infections with Tetracycline eye ointment?:

    • Mother washes her hands.
    • Ask the child to close the eye and use clean cloth and water and then wipe the pus.
    • Then apply tetracycline eye ointment in both eyes 3 times daily.
    • Ask the child to look up then squeeze a small amount of ointment on the inside of the lower lid.
    • Wash hands again.
    Treat until redness is gone do not use other eye ointments or drops, or put anything else in the eye.

    Mouth ulcers should be treated with gentian violet twice daily as follows:

    • Wash hands.
    • Clean the child's mouth with a clean, soft cloth wrapped around a clean stick or the end of a spoon and wet with salt water.
    • Apply gentian violet (0.25%) in the mouth ulcer.
    • Wash hands again.

    Treating mouth ulcers helps the child to start normal feeding again more quickly.

    Follow-up care for measles with eye or mouth complications

    You should give follow-up care to the child after two days: you should look for red eyes and/or pus draining from the eyes and you should check to see whether the child still has the mouth ulcers. If the child's mouth ulcers are worse, or there is a very foul smell from the mouth, you should refer the child to the hospital. If the mouth ulcers are the same or better, you should tell the mother that she must continue to use the gentian violet for a total of five days.

    Give Vitamin A for MEASLES. Three doses:

    • Give the first dose in the clinic.
    • Give the mother one dose to give at home the next day.
    • Give the third dose in clinic in 2 weeks.

    Dose Vitamin A to Treat Measles, Measles With Mouth or Eye Complication. Pre-Referral Treatment

    Age Vitamin A capsules
    200000 IU 100000IU 50000U
    Up to 6 months
    ( treatment only)    		 1/2 capsule 1 capsule
    6 months up to 12 months 1/2 capsule 1 capsule 2 capsules
    12 months up to 5 years 1 capsule 2 capsules 4 capsules

    Last modified: Wednesday, 1 March 2017, 1:57 AM