Home › Guides › Skin rashAcute Skin Rash — What Could It Be? Reading time: 5 minutes Updated April 2026
Rashes range from harmless contact dermatitis to life-threatening sepsis. Here is a guide to the most common types and when to act.
Common causes Urticaria (hives): raised, itchy wheals — often allergicEczema / contact dermatitis: red, itchy, dry or oozingViral exanthema: measles, rubella, roseola, Hand-Foot-MouthBacterial: erysipelas (well-demarcated red swelling, fever), impetigoShingles (herpes zoster): painful vesicles in a dermatomal patternTick bite / erythema migrans: expanding red ring after tick attachment (Lyme disease)Drug rash: after new medicationCall 112 immediately for: Petechial rash — small purple spots that do not blanch under glass pressure (sepsis/meningococcus) Rash with breathing difficulty, facial swelling, or shock (anaphylaxis) Fever + rash + confusion Rapidly spreading painful redness with fever (necrotising fasciitis) When to call DoktorAkut New severe rash without emergency signs Shingles — early antiviral treatment (within 72 h) reduces complications Suspected tick-associated erythema migrans — antibiotic treatment Erysipelas — red, warm, tender, well-demarcated area, often with fever Drug rash — review of medications Chronic recurrent hives What the doctor can do on site Clinical examination and photo documentation Rapid tests where appropriate IV or IM antihistamine / corticosteroid for severe urticaria Antiviral prescription for shingles Antibiotic prescription for erysipelas / Lyme disease Topical treatment recommendation (cortisone cream, moisturiser) Tick removal if still attached Ticks in Munich The wider Munich area (Englischer Garten, Isar river banks, surrounding forests) is a known FSME/TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) risk zone per RKI. Use repellent, check skin after walks. For attached ticks, we offer removal and risk assessment.
FAQ
Can DoktorAkut remove a tick? Yes, with sterile forceps. We document the bite, discuss Lyme/FSME risk, and prescribe antibiotics if Lyme is suspected.
How urgent is shingles? Start antivirals within 72 hours for best outcome. If you see painful blisters in a strip pattern, call us today.
General information. Emergency: 112.
Sources: RKI, AWMF dermatology guidelines.