Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Difference between revisions
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== Medications == | == Medications == | ||
Doxycycline is the standard medication prescribed when physicians are suspicious of RMSF (CDC). Adults are prescribed to take 200mg by mouth or IV two times per day. Children who weigh less than 100lbs are to take 2mg/lb by mouth and those children who weigh above 100lbs are suggested to take the same dosage as an adult, 200mg by mouth or IV, two times per day. (emedicine article). Medical treatment should be continued for a minimum of 3 days after one's fever had decreased. Typically, medical treatment of this disease will last anywhere from 7-14 days in length. (CDC article)<br> | |||
If an allergy to doxycycline exists, there are other forms of treatment that exist. Chlorampenicol is another antibiotic that may be prescribed, however, this medication has some adversve side effects such as: aplastic anemeia and grey baby syndrome (CDC article). General spectrum antibiotics have not been found to be effective against RMSF and sulfa drugs may actually worsen the infection. | |||
Tetracyclines have been found to increase hypthrombiemic effects of anticoagulants, and they have also been found to decrease the effectiveness of common oral contratceptives (e medicine article) | |||
== Diagnostic Tests/Lab Tests/Lab Values == | == Diagnostic Tests/Lab Tests/Lab Values == | ||
Revision as of 21:09, 2 April 2011
Original Editors - David Grinnell from Bellarmine University's Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems project.
Lead Editors - Your name will be added here if you are a lead editor on this page. Read more.
Definition/Description[edit | edit source]
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a tick born disease, due to an intracellular pathogen known as Rickettsia rickettsi (JEADV)1. This pathogen is carried by ticks and is transmitted to humans via a bite from an infected tick. Three known ticks in the United States carry this pathogen: the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni) and the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineous). The American dog tick carries the pathogen in the western United States, and the wood tick carries the pathogen in the eastern United States. (Medline reference)2. This infection was first described in the Rocky Mountains in Idaho in 1896. Howard Ricketts found the causative agent in the early 1900’s. (JEADV)1. This systemic infectious disease is treatable, however, if left untreated can be fatal.
Prevalence[edit | edit source]
United States
Between 1993 and 1996, there were 1253 reported cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This amount of confirmed incidence is roughly 2.2 cases per million. (JEADV). Since that time period there has been some increase in confirmed cases. In 2008, the number of cases has jumped to approximately 8 per million. However, the number of fatalities has decreased and currently is about 0.5%. 3
Even though the disease is known as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, it is more commonly found in the eastern United States. Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia are among the states that have confirmed the largest number of cases.4
Worldwide
Other cases of RMSF have been confirmed in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Columbia, as well as Brazil. Currently, there haven’t been any confirmed cases of RMSF beyond the boarders of the American continents.3
Characteristics/Clinical Presentation[edit | edit source]
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Associated Co-morbidities[edit | edit source]
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Medications[edit | edit source]
Doxycycline is the standard medication prescribed when physicians are suspicious of RMSF (CDC). Adults are prescribed to take 200mg by mouth or IV two times per day. Children who weigh less than 100lbs are to take 2mg/lb by mouth and those children who weigh above 100lbs are suggested to take the same dosage as an adult, 200mg by mouth or IV, two times per day. (emedicine article). Medical treatment should be continued for a minimum of 3 days after one's fever had decreased. Typically, medical treatment of this disease will last anywhere from 7-14 days in length. (CDC article)
If an allergy to doxycycline exists, there are other forms of treatment that exist. Chlorampenicol is another antibiotic that may be prescribed, however, this medication has some adversve side effects such as: aplastic anemeia and grey baby syndrome (CDC article). General spectrum antibiotics have not been found to be effective against RMSF and sulfa drugs may actually worsen the infection.
Tetracyclines have been found to increase hypthrombiemic effects of anticoagulants, and they have also been found to decrease the effectiveness of common oral contratceptives (e medicine article)
Diagnostic Tests/Lab Tests/Lab Values[edit | edit source]
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Etiology/Causes[edit | edit source]
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Systemic Involvement[edit | edit source]
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Medical Management (current best evidence)[edit | edit source]
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Physical Therapy Management (current best evidence)[edit | edit source]
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Alternative/Holistic Management (current best evidence) [edit | edit source]
- Meningoceccemia
- Enteroviral infection
- Typhus
- Ehrlichiosis
- Other rickettsial dieseases
- Immune complex vasculitis
- Typhoid fever
- Leptospirosis
- Dengue
- Infectious mononucleosis
- Bacterial sepsis
- Gastroenteritis or acute abdomen
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
Case Reports/ Case Studies[edit | edit source]
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Resources
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Recent Related Research (from Pubmed)[edit | edit source]
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References[edit | edit source]
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