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Center for Diseases and Control and Prevention. (2018, May
8). About infectious Mononucleosis. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/epstein-barr/about-mono.html
This article sheds
light of various aspects of infectious mononucleosis such as causes, symptoms,
transmission, prevention and treatment, and diagnosis. According to the Center
for Diseases and Control Prevention (CDC), infectious mononucleosis is a contagious
disease caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The disease is also referred to as
mono and is usually common among teenagers. As per the reports, there is at
least one out of four youngsters who get the EBV and eventually develop
infectious mononucleosis. There are various symptoms of the disease that tend
to appear approximately five weeks after being infected with the virus. From
the article, it is evident that the symptoms might be gradual or happen all
simultaneously. According to the CDC, the most common signs of infectious
mononucleosis include “extreme fatigue, sore throat, fever, headaches, rash,
swollen lymph nodes and liver”.
The transmission mechanism of
infectious mononucleosis is through EBV though other viruses can be
responsible. Basically, the EBVs are spread through bodily fluids, most common
being saliva. It is also vital to mention that these viruses can also be
transmitted through other avenues such as sexual contact, blood transfusion,
and organ transplant. The prevention mechanism is by avoiding the risk factors
which are keeping away from sharing personal items, drinks, and kissing. Some
of the ways to ameliorate the adverse signs is by staying hydrated, taking
rest, and over-the-counter medications. However, it is advisable not to take
penicillin antibiotics. Furthermore, avoiding contact sports is recommended to
prevent the swelling of spleen. The diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis is
usually done through identification of the associated signs. Finally, patients
with infectious mononucleosis tend to show increased number of white blood
cells, fewer platelets, and abnormal functioning of the liver.
Dumoulin, A., & Eyer, M. (2018). Common causes of
infectious mononucleosis. Revue Medicale Suisse, 14(622),
1799-1802.
This article seeks
to establish the common causes of infectious mononucleosis and provides its
diagnosis. First and foremost, the common cause of infectious mononucleosis is
said to be Epstein-Bar virus (EBV). Nonetheless, the idea of considering other
possible etiologies ought to be on the table. The authors mention that the
virus is usually transmitted through kissing and common symptoms include
fatigue, sore throat, and fever. In order to identify the syndrome, it vital
for patients to get a blood test. From the study, it is clear that after the
initial infection the EBV remains in the white blood cells. People with the EBV
tend to shed the virus in their saliva thus having higher chances of infecting
others at this time. Acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
medications are helpful in ameliorating the pain and fever.
The
authors assert that there are no visible symptoms of the syndrome for patients
less than 5 years. The incubation time is the period between when an individual
gets infected and when the actual signs appear. Dumoulin and Eyer argue that
“the period is usually between 30 to 50 days and the primary signs include
fatigue, fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes”. Another common symptom
is enlarged spleen which accounts for almost 50 percent of the infected
population. There are few to none symptoms when it comes to an enlarged spleen.
In some rare incidences, persons with the syndrome might experience seizures,
behavioral deviations, and brain inflammation. There is no specific treatment
though patients are advised to have a rest, use pain medications, and
corticosteroids.
.
Ebell, M. H., Call, M., Shinholser, J., & Gardner, J.
(2016). Does this patient have infectious mononucleosis? The rational clinical
examination systematic review. Jama, 315(14),
1502-1509.
The primary objective of this article
is to understand the literature with respect to clinical examination and the
number of white blood cell in diagnosing infectious
mononucleosis. In this study, the authors try to figure out whether or not an
early diagnosis of the disease can help improve patient outcomes. To accomplish
this objective, the authors collected data from PubMed (ranging from 1966 to
2016) and also EMBASE (from 1947 to 2015). This information helped address the
research problem. The research findings indicated that infectious mononucleosis
was very common among individuals between the ages of 5 to 25 years. The
highest number of individuals with the disease was between the ages 16 to 20
years, experiencing signs such as sore throat. However, the chances of
developing infectious mononucleosis reduced with the lack of lymphadenopathy.
On the other hand, the chances increased if individuals had posterior cervical
adenopathy.
The
most common symptoms for infectious mononucleosis
were found to be sore throat and fatigue. It is also vital to mention that the
presence of atypical lymphocytes had a substantial impact on the development of
infectious mononucleosis. The research study helped understand how health care
providers can identify the presence of infectious mononucleosis in all
populations. In both youngsters and adults, the common symptoms such as sore
throat, posterior cervical inguinal adenopathy, and lymphocytosis are highly
connected to the development of infectious mononucleosis. The fact that this
disease is highly common among young people, it is advisable to avoid the risk
factors in order to minimize its impact on health care. The spread mechanism of
the disease is through bodily fluids; therefore, avoiding direct contact with
other people.
Womack, J., & Jimenez, M. (2015). Common questions about
infectious mononucleosis. American Family Physician, 91(6).
The authors of this article mention
that Epstein-Barr infections are approximately 95 percent of the entire global
populations. Despite the fact that Epstein-Barr viruses (EBVs) are usually
asymptomatic, it is common for patients to exhibit signs of infectious
mononucleosis (IM). The authors here also reiterate the fact that the syndrome
is common among individuals of the ages 15 to 24 years. Womack and Jimenez
mention that “health care providers ought to identify such disease by
pinpointing the signs such as sore throat, fever, fatigue, tonsillar
enlargement, and pharyngeal inflammation among others”. The diagnosis for the syndrome can be carried
out through a heterophile antibody test where there is an approximately71 to 90
percent accuracy. Nevertheless, the test plan is said to have a 25 percent
false-negative rating during the initial first week of acquiring the virus.
The
authors also argue that there are low chances of developing infectious mononucleosis if the lymphocyte number is
less than 4, 000mm. It is essential to indicate that the presence of
EBV-specific immunology M antibodies usually confirms the disease. Nonetheless,
it is important for patients to get tested to eliminate any chances of having
the virus. In addition, the idea of symptomatic relief is usually the basis of
treatment. As the authors assert, the use of antivirals and glucocorticoids do
not have any positive impact on the severity of the disease or patient outcomes
in general. The idea of avoiding contact sports is usually helpful since it
reduces the chances of contact among the infected personnel. Health care
providers agree on one factor that is reducing physical activity to prevent the
rapture of splenic and other adverse impacts of the disease. Furthermore, the
proportion of the populace with the highest chance of developing infectious
mononucleosis is the young since they have high risk of developing airway
obstruction.
Bibliography
Center for Diseases and Control and
Prevention. (2018, May 8). About infectious Mononucleosis. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/epstein-barr/about-mono.html
Dumoulin, A., & Eyer, M. (2018).
Common causes of infectious mononucleosis. Revue Medicale Suisse, 14(622),
1799-1802.
Ebell, M. H., Call, M., Shinholser,
J., & Gardner, J. (2016). Does this patient have infectious mononucleosis? The
rational clinical examination systematic review. Jama, 315(14),
1502-1509.
Womack, J., & Jimenez, M. (2015).
Common questions about infectious mononucleosis. American Family
Physician, 91(6).
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