THROAT DISORDERS
Introduction
The case provided in this paper involves a middle-aged female who was presented to the emergency unit complaining of strep throat (Wilson & Nadol, 2012). Upon assessment, she reported having a history of strep throat, and her condition had started the day before. At night, she felt childish and feverish. During examination, the head, eyes, ears, nose and throat were found to be positive of tonsillar swelling without exudates. Her vital signs revealed; - temperature of 101F, heart rate of 112, respiratory rate of 22, and blood pressure of 96/94 hg/mm (Buttaro et al., 2013). Hence, the focus of this paper is an explanation of differential diagnosis for the patient, the role of patient history and physical examination in the diagnosis, and the suggestion of potential treatment options for the patient.
Differential diagnosis
There is a number of differential diagnoses for strep throat. Among them is the epiglottis. Epiglottis tends to exhibit symptoms almost similar to those of strep throat (Buttaro et al., 2013).
However, it is differentiated from strep throat by severe and acute onset of sore throat. In addition, patients suffering from epiglottis have a notable change in the quality of their voice. In other words, their voices have a muffled texture. Lastly, epiglottis is characterized by fever and drooling of saliva, a symptom not notable in strep throat (Wilson & Nadol, 2012).
Another differential diagnosis for strep throat is retropharyngeal, peri tonsillar and lateral abscess. Inasmuch as these conditions can exhibit typical symptoms with strep throat such as fever, they show other conditions that help in distinguishing them strep throat. The above named states show symptoms of sore throat, muffled voice and neck pain in addition to symptoms of strep throat. However, these conditions are mostly reported in young children (Wilson & Nadol, 2012). The other differential diagnosis for strep throat is infectious mononucleosis. This type of infection exhibits same symptoms like the ones exhibited by people suffering from strep throat. However, infectious mononucleosis is marked by other extra symptoms such as extended duration, splenomegaly, and adenopathy(Wilson & Nadol, 2012).
Role of patient history and physical examination in the diagnosis
The patient history provided in the case study is crucial in patient diagnosis. In the first instance, strep throat is easily communicable through the air (Wilson & Nadol, 2012). Hence, any contact with an infected person increases the likelihood of an individual suffering strep throat. Additionally, strep throat can reoccur in the future if it was treated properly in the past. Hence, a recent medical history of strep throat indicates that the present case of the disease is as a result of recurrence of the recent strep throat (Buttaro et al., 2013).
The physical examination provides important information that is crucial to the correct diagnosis of the patient. Body temperatures of 1010F are higher than normal, indicating the presence of fever. Hence, the patient has fever, which is one of the symptoms of strep throat. Strep throat affects the head, eyes, ears, nose and throat by causing swellings of tonsils. In some cases, the tonsils exudates streak of pus or forms white patches (Wilson & Nadol, 2012). Hence, the effect of the condition on these body parts confirms the presence of strep throat. Strep throat also causes swelling of lymph nodes, making them appear tender in the neck. From the physical examination, the patient has a supple neck with bilateral, tender, enlarged anterior cervical nodes. This confirms the presence of strep throat (Buttaro et al., 2013).
Treatment Options
Antibiotics such as penicillin and amoxicillin are widely used in the treatment of strep throat. However, in this case the patient is allergic to penicillin. Hence, the patient may be prescribed with other medications such as Clindamycin, Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, and Cephalexin (Wilson &Nadol, 2012).
Conclusion
In conclusion, strep throat is a condition characterized by fever, swelling of lymph nodes and pain in the throat. The differential diagnoses of this condition include epiglottis and infectious mononucleosis. Treatment option includes Clindamycin, Azithromycin, Clarithromycin and Cephalexin (Wilson &Nadol, 2012).
References
Buttaro, T. M., Trybulski, J., Polgar Bailey, P., & Sandberg-Cook, J. (2013). Primary care: A collaborative practice (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Wilson, W., &Nadol, J. (2012).The clinical handbook of ear, nose, and throat disorders. Boca Raton: Parthenon Pub. Group.
