Assessment of the clinical presentation and treatment of 353 cases of laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis in Hawaii, 1974-1998.
Clin Infect Dis
; 33(11): 1834-41, 2001 Dec 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-11692294
ABSTRACT
Leptospirosis is frequently misdiagnosed as a result of its protean and nonspecific presentation. Leptospirosis, a zoonosis with global distribution, commonly occurs in tropical and subtropical regions; most reported cases in the United States occur in Hawaii. All laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis cases in the State of Hawaii from 1974 through 1998 (n=353) were clinically evaluated. The most common presentation involved nonspecific signs or symptoms, including fever, myalgia, and headache. Jaundice occurred in 39% of cases; conjunctival suffusion was described in 28% of these cases. Initiation of antibiotics before the seventh day of symptoms was associated with a significantly shortened duration of illness. Because early recognition and initiation of antibiotic therapy are important, clinicians should familiarize themselves with the clinical presentation of leptospirosis, and when evaluating a patient with a febrile illness, they should obtain exposure and travel histories and entertain the possibility of leptospirosis in the differential diagnosis.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Leptospirose
Limite:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
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Child
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Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
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Infant
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Male
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Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2001
Tipo de documento:
Article