Autor(es): Gear J H

Resumo: In considering the diagnosis of a patient admitted to the Johannesburg Hospital, suffering from an illness characterized by high fever - complicated by a hemorrhagic state from which he died, a list of possible causes of his illness was drawn up. This list included the arthropodborne viral infections prevalent in southern Africa, namely, chikungunya fever, Sindbis fever, West Nile fever, yellow fever, - Rift Valley fever; viral infections associated with rodents, such as Lassa fever; the viral infection associated with monkeys, Marburg virus disease; the rickettsial infections; tick-bite fever (the variety of spotted fever of tick typhus occurring in southern Africa) - Q fever; the bacterial infections, especially the coccal infections, plague septicemia, - meningococcal, staphylococcal, - streptococcal septicemia; - the blood protozoal infections malaria - trypanosomiasis. In addition, rubella, Gasser's syndrome, Henoch-Schönlein purpura, - viperine snakebite were briefly described in this review. All of these conditions may be complicated by the development of a hemorrhagic state. The circulation of large numbers of infecting organisms, by they viruses, rickettsiae, bacteria, or protozoa, may initiate the coagulation cascade, the formation of fibrin - its deposition in the finer blood vessels, - the aggregation - entanglement of platelets resulting in marked thrombocytopenia - bleeding. This bleeding tendency is greatly aggravated when the infection specifically involves the parenchymal cells of the liver; such a condition results in defective formation of coagulation factors such as prothrombin. The proper care of patients in whom a hemorrhagic state has developed requires urgent - accurate diagnosis followed by immediate - appropriate treatment that will combat the infection - alleviate the hemorrhagic state - liver disorder. If the hemorrhagic state is due to one of the dangerous infectious fevers, adequate protection of the medical, nursing, - laboratory staff concerned is also vital.

Imprenta: Reviews of Infectious Diseases, v. 1, n. 4, p. 571-591, 1979

Descritores: Chikungunya virus - Cell ; Chikungunya virus - Cytopathology ; Chikungunya virus - Pathogenesis ; Chikungunya virus - Infectious diseases ; Chikungunya virus - Viral infections ; Chikungunya Virus - Virus ; Chikungunya virus - Chikungunya fever ; Chikungunya virus - Public health

Data de publicação: 1979

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