- So far, 60 cases of monkeypox have been reported in our country.
- This disease has already been classified by the WHO as an international public health emergency.
- The Ministry of Health developed the first Mexican guide for the care of patients with monkeypox.
For all health professionals there are documents that must be consulted constantly. They are the ones that contain the general indications of support to serve the patients in the best possible way. That is why it is important that you know the First Mexican medical guide for the management of patients with monkeypox.
In this case, it is a manual prepared by the Health Secretary (SSa) and available free of charge to all medical staff. The objective is to offer sufficient tools to workers at all levels of care to carry out their daily work.
The document consists of 50 pages and represents the perspective of all public institutions in the health sector. While it was made after a careful evaluation of the available scientific evidence.
In its introduction, it states that it hopes that, when exercising their clinical judgment, health professionals will consider the entire content of this guide together with the needs, abilities, preferences and values of the people in their care.
It also emphasizes that this guide does not supplant the responsibility of making decisions appropriate to the circumstances of each individual, focusing on people and considering the will of their families, caregivers or guardians.
Objective of the Mexican guide against monkeypox
The purpose of this document is provide a reference guide for the initial management of monkeypox. It also offers guidance for first contact staff in care units in the public or private sector.
Consult the Guide issued by @SSalud_mx for the medical management of monkeypox cases.
All the information in: https://t.co/f7oNyVQ4lL pic.twitter.com/eSRktGKPvR— ccinshae_mx (@CCINSHAE_mx) July 26, 2022
Within its content, it offers aspects such as the correct way to diagnose this disease. The clinical presentation includes symptoms and lesions that may be difficult to distinguish, and They can resemble other diseases, mainly chicken pox.
Complications in patients
- Bacterial skin infections: skin lesions can be complicated, generating secondary bacterial infection such as cellulitis or abscesses. These should be treated with antibiotics against Gram-positive bacteria such as Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.
- Exfoliation: People with a large rash may develop exfoliation which in turn could lead to dehydration and protein loss. The percentage of affected skin should be calculated and the treatment considered as burns. Skin grafting is only recommended in severe cases.
- There are other less common complications such as: dehydration, conjunctivitis, keratitis, pneumonia, sepsis and encephalitis.
Possible sequelae of monkeypox
Although most cases do not present sequelae, it is described that one of those that could occur are disfiguring scars (called pockmarks in English), corneal scar, blindness and mental health complications.
As you can see, the Mexican guide for the attention of cases with smallpox of the monkey is of great support for your daily work. Remember that the full document can be downloaded at this link.