Senior nurse lecture tularemia

Senior nurse lecture tularemia

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  SENIOR NURSE LECTURE SERIES TULAREMIA
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  DEFINITION  Tularemiais a rare infectious disease that can attack the skin, eyes, lymph nodes, lungs and, less often, other internal organs. Often called rabbit fever or deer fly fever, tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. The disease mainly affects mammals, especially rodents, rabbits and hares, although it can also infect birds, reptiles and fish.  Tularemia spreads to humans through several routes, including insect bites and direct exposure to an infected animal. Highly contagious and potentially fatal, tularemia usually can be treated effectively with specific antibiotics if diagnosed early.
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  SIGNS & SYMPTOMS  Most people exposed to tularemia who become sick generally do so within two to 10 days. Several types of tularemia exist, and which type you get depends on how and where the bacteria enter the body. Most commonly, they enter through skin or mucous membranes, but they can also be inhaled or eaten. Each type of tularemia has its own set of symptoms.
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  SETS OF SIGNS& SYMPTOMS  Ulceroglandular tularemia  This is by far the most common form of the disease. Signs and symptoms include:  A skin ulcer that forms at the site of infection — usually an insect or animal bite  Swollen and painful lymph glands  Fever  Chills  Headache  Exhaustion
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  SETS OF SIGNS& SYMPTOMS  Glandular tularemia  People with glandular tularemia have the same signs and symptoms of ulceroglandular tularemia, except no skin ulcers.
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  SETS OF SIGNS& SYMPTOMS  Oculoglandular tularemia  This form affects the eyes and may cause:  Eye pain  Eye redness  Eye swelling and discharge  An ulcer on the inside of the eyelid
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  SETS OF SIGNS& SYMPTOMS  Oropharyngeal tularemia  Usually caused by eating poorly cooked wild animal meat or drinking contaminated water, this form affects the digestive tract. Signs and symptoms include:  Fever  Sore throat (pharyngitis)  Mouth ulcers  Vomiting  Diarrhea
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  SETS OF SIGNS& SYMPTOMS  Pneumonic tularemia  More common in the elderly and in people with typhoidal tularemia, this causes signs and symptoms typical of pneumonia:  Cough  Chest pain  Difficulty breathing  Other forms of tularemia also can spread to the lungs.
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  SETS OF SIGNS& SYMPTOMS  Typhoidal tularemia  This rare and serious form of the disease usually causes:  High fever  Extreme exhaustion  Vomiting and diarrhea  Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)  Enlarged liver (hepatomegaly)  Pneumonia
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  CAUSES  Insectbites. Although a number of insects carry tularemia, ticks and deer flies are most likely to transmit the disease to humans. Tick bites cause a large number of cases of ulceroglandular tularemia.  Exposure to sick or dead animals. Ulceroglandular tularemia can also result from handling or being bitten by an infected animal, most often a rabbit or hare. Bacteria enter the skin through small cuts and abrasions or a bite, and an ulcer forms at the wound site. The ocular form of tularemia can occur when you rub your eyes after touching an infected animal.  Airborne bacteria. Bacteria in the soil can become airborne during gardening, construction or other activities that disturb the earth. Inhaling the bacteria can lead to pneumonic tularemia. Laboratory workers who work with tularemia also are at risk of airborne infection.
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  CAUSES  Contaminatedfood or water. Although uncommon, it's possible to get tularemia from eating undercooked meat of an infected animal or drinking contaminated water. The signs include vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive problems (oropharyngeal tularemia). Heat kills F. tularensis, so cook meat to the right temperature — a minimum of 160 F (71.1 C) for pork and ground meat and game meat, 145 F (62.8 C) for farm-raised steaks and roasts — to make it safe to eat.
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  CULPRIT
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  RISK FACTORS Living in or visiting certain areas  Having certain hobbies or occupations
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  COMPLICATIONS  Inflammationof the lungs (pneumonia).  Infection around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).  Irritation around the heart (pericarditis).  Bone infection (osteomyelitis).
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  PREVENTION  Attemptsto develop a tularemia vaccine have not been successful so far. If you work in a high-risk occupation or live in an area where tularemia is present, these measures may help reduce your chance of infection:  Protect yourself from insects.  Use an insect repellent.  Take care when gardening.  Handle animals carefully.  Protect your pets.
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  SENIOR NURSE LECTURESERIES PRESENTED BY: JOEL P. DANTE R.N. CODE & TRAUMA SENIOR NURSE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT CCMC