February 15 2015 Shannon Heaton a 24yearold female 54 123 lb

February 15, 2015

Shannon Heaton, a 24-year-old female (5’4”, 123 lbs.) is complaining of aches throughout her head, back, and neck. In addition, the patient claims to be feeling weak, is suffering from extreme nausea and vomiting, and that bouts of cold-sweats are keeping her from sleeping well at night. Shannon’s bloodwork showed a normal hematocrit and buffy-coat levels; however, her relative proportion of granulocytes was slightly elevated.

Shannon was given a subcutaneous IV before leaving the clinic. In addition, the patient was prescribed Emetrol for nausea, and was instructed to rest and remain hydrated. Lastly, Ms. Heaton was told to call the clinic if her symptoms do not subside within the next five days.

February 21, 2015

Shannon Heaton (115 lbs.) has returned to the clinic with an increased severity of aches, nausea, cold-sweats, and fatigue. The patient is now jaundiced with a swollen and tender abdominal area, and her bloodwork showed a hematocrit level of 29% and an overabundance of eosinophils. Shannon’s pulse and blood pressure were normal, and she showed no signs of confusion or disorientation. Finally, Ms. Heaton was asked the following questions in an attempt to identify her ailment:

Question                                             Patient’s response      

Are you allergic to any medications?                        Penicillin.

Are you allergic to any foods?                         Cheese.

Any other allergies?                                       Cat and dog hair. Grass.

Any tattoos or piercings within last six months?        No.

Within the last year?                                 Yes, nose piercing.

Blood transfusion within the last six months?            No.

Within the last year?                                 No.

Travel outside the country within the last six months?         No.

Within the last year?                                 Yes.

Where and when did you travel?                          West Africa, from June 2 – 30, 2014

Purpose of travel?                            Graduation present

Did you get all appropriate vaccinations?              Yes.

Any other medication while traveling?          Yes, Lariam. Six of eight doses

Did you drink unfiltered water?                    Yes, but rarely

Did you eat anything that caused indigestion?      No.

Any other relevant or critical information?             During her trip, the patient

experienced “night terrors”. Shannon also had (protected) sexual intercourse with a tour guide.

from the case study answer the following questions :

1. What further tests should be conducted to confirm your diagnosis for this patient?

2. What type of pathogen caused Shannon’s ailment? Explain how this pathogen affects the blood and overall physiology of humans.

Solution

Allergy test could be conducted to check if the patient had developed some allergic reaction to a particular food item indigenous to west Africa. Food poisoning also seems to be another reason which is mainly caused by Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria etc.

A test can also be conducted to identify STD if any contracted by the patient.