Child health · UKMLA & AKT
Rubella (German measles)
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise rubella (german measles) — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Incubation: 14-21 days; up to 50% subclinical
- Prodrome (1-5 days): low-grade fever, malaise, mild URTI, conjunctivitis
- Suboccipital and postauricular lymphadenopathy - highly characteristic, often precedes rash
- Rash - pink-red discrete maculopapular, starts on face, spreads cephalocaudally to trunk and limbs; fades within 3 days (unlike measles)
- Forchheimer spots - petechiae on soft palate; supportive but not pathognomonic
- Arthralgia/arthritis - more common in adult women; small joints of hands and wrists
- Fever - usually mild (37.5-38.5°C), unlike the high fever of measles
- Infectious period: 7 days before rash to 7 days after rash onset
Unlock the full Rubella (German measles) revision
Get the complete high-yield notes (4 more sections covering investigations, management and complications), 10 practice questions, mock exams and AI tutoring. Start free.