Infections clinical presentation

Kern, A. Echinococcus granulosus infection Clinical presentation, medical treatment and outcome. Langenbecks Arch. Surg. 2003 388 413-420... 

Various syndromes associated with hypereosinophilia involve skeletal muscle. There is a rare form of polymyositis which is characterized by this feature (defined as exceeding 1,500 eosinophils/mm for at least six months). Clinical presentation includes skin changes, heart and lung involvement, and peripheral neuropathy as well as proximal myopathy. The condition must be distinguished from trichinosis and other parasitic infections associated with hypereosinophilia. Muscle biopsy findings are interstitial and perivascular infiltrates in which eosinophils predominate but are accompanied by lymphocytes and plasma cells, and occasional muscle fiber necrosis. Fascitis may also be associated with hypereosinophilia (Shulman s syndrome). This condition is characterized by painful swelling of skin and soft tissues of trunk and extremities and weakness of limb muscles. Biopsy of muscle... 

The clinical presentation of MM in HIV-infected patients is similar to that in other patients with vasculitic neuropathy (Hoke and Comblath 2004). It is characterized by symptoms and signs of sensory involvement, with numbness and tingling in the distribution of one peripheral nerve trunk. Sequential involvement of other noncontiguous peripheral or cranial nerves progresses over days to weeks. The initial multifocal and random neurologic features may evolve to symmetrical neuropathy (Ferrari et al. 2006). 

Acute pharyngitis presents a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. The majority of sore throats are caused by a variety of viruses fewer than 20% are bacterial and hence potentially responsive to antibiotic therapy. However, antibiotics are widely prescribed and this reflects the difficulty in discriminating streptococcal from non-streptococcal infections clinically in the absence of microbiological documentation. Nonetheless, Strep, pyogenes is the most important bacterial pathogen and this responds to oral penicillin. However, up to 10 days treatment is required for its eradication fixm the throat. This requirement causes problems with compliance since symptomatic improvement generally occurs within 2-3 days. 

Findings on physical examination, along with the clinical presentation, can help to provide the anatomic location of the infection. Once the anatomic site is identified, the most probable pathogens associated with disease can be determined based on likely endogenous or exogenous flora. 

Describe the signs, symptoms, and clinical presentation of central nervous system (CNS) infections. 

Although many clinical studies have been performed evaluating antibiotics for ABRS, no randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have used pre- and posttreatment sinus aspirate cultures as an outcome measure. Despite this, antibiotics appear to resolve symptoms more quickly and reduce failure rates and complications compared with no treatment.35-37 Since diagnosis usually is based on clinical presentation and not sinus aspirate cultures, clinicians must attempt to differentiate ABRS from viral rhinosinusitis. Therefore, it is important to limit antibiotic use to cases where infection is unlikely to resolve without causing prolonged disease patients with mild to moderate symptoms that persist for 10 days or worsen over 5 to 7 days and patients with severe symptoms,31,34... 

Bacterial colonization of pressure sores is common. Because infection impairs wound healing and may require systemic antimicrobial therapy, the clinician must be able to distinguish it from colonization. Table 70-8 describes the clinical presentation of infected pressure sores. 

The clinical presentation of infected bite wounds is presented in Table 70-10. 

Most bite wounds require antibiotic therapy only when clinical infection is present. However, prophylactic therapy is recommended for wounds at higher risk for infection. These include human bites, deep punctures, bites to the hand, and bites requiring surgical repair.43... 

The clinical presentation for IE is quite variable and often nonspecific. A fever is the most frequent and persistent symptom in patients but may be blunted with previous antibiotic use, congestive hear failure, chronic liver or renal failure, or infection caused by a less virulent organism (i.e., subacute disease).3 Other signs and symptoms that also may occur are listed in the Clinical Presentation box with some discussed further in detail below. 

Describe the epidemiology and clinical presentation of the various gastrointestinal infections. 

Describe the clinical presentation typically seen with primary and secondary intraabdominal infections. 

The clinical presentation of osteomyelitis may vary depending on route and duration of infection, as well as patient-specific factors such as infection site, age, and comorbidities. In hematogenous osteomyelitis, the patient typically experiences systemic and localized signs and symptoms.3 4 7 12 13 In comparison, patients with chronic infection typically present with only localized signs and symptoms.4 6 A cardinal sign of chronic osteomyelitis is the formation of sinus tracts with purulent drainage.2,3,6... 

Unlike OPC, diagnosis of esophageal candidiasis is not based solely on clinical presentation, instead requiring endoscopic visualization of lesions and culture confirmation. Due to the invasive nature of these procedures, most practitioners opt to treat the infection presumptively, reserving endoscopic evaluation for patients who fail therapy. 

The approach to antifungal therapy in patients with endemic fungal infections is determined by the severity of clinical presentation, the patient s underlying immunosuppression, and potential toxicities and drug interactions associated with antifungal treatment. 

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