A new viral illness known as monkeypox has been deemed a worldwide health emergency. Even though this condition has been there for more than 50 years, the current increase in cases and the growing body of knowledge about it have made it necessary for practicing doctors to conduct a focused evaluation. For a narrative review, researchers offered a detailed overview of the epidemiology, presentation, assessment, and treatment of monkeypox.
The orthopoxvirus that causes monkeypox is endemic throughout central and western Africa. A worldwide health emergency was proclaimed in July 2022 due to an outbreak in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America in May and June 2022. Touch with an infected person or animal and contact with a contaminated object are all ways the disease can be spread. Lymphadenopathy and a prodromal flu-like sickness are the disease’s symptoms. A centrifugal rash that affects the face, palms, soles, and oral mucosa is usual. Lesions develop over several phases. It was rare to experience complications, including encephalitis, pneumonitis, eye diseases, or bacterial skin infections. Testing using the polymerase chain reaction is frequently used for confirmation. As of July 2022, there were no United States Food and Drug Administration-approved medications, particularly for monkeypox, and most patients get better with symptomatic therapy. However, antiviral therapy should be considered for several patient groups at risk of severe consequences.
To guarantee proper diagnosis and treatment of this growing illness, emergency practitioners must be thoroughly aware of the appearance, assessment, and management of monkeypox.
Reference: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735675722005290
