Whew! We made it to the last week of Environmental Emergencies. I thought that it would never end.

A terrified government worker who frequently receives threatening mail with strange powder in it presents with a rash accompanied by fever. The rash has been present for 4 days. What features of simple chickenpox (from his unimmunized child) differentiate it from a more concerning rash (such as smallpox)?

Answer
Simple! The lesions of chicken pox (variCELLA), appear to be crops of lesions in various stages- some are new, some are scabbed, and some are healing. The lesions of smallpox, (variOLA MAJOR), appear to be in the same stage. As well, a patient with smallpox will appear very very very ill.

 

RIVERS 2014.

By: Andy Grock and Sally Bogoch

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Categories: EM Principles

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