Skip to main content

Monkey POX management and Tecovirimat (TPOXX)

The global monkeypox outbreak has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO.

Monkeypox is a smallpox-like illness that can be accompanied by a range of significant medical complications. Monkeypox is less dangerous and contagious than smallpox. To date there are no standard or optimized guidelines for the clinical management of monkeypox

Photo credit: UK health security agency



Symptoms of monkeypox can include:

  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches and backache
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Chills
  • A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus.

 The virus can spread from person-to-person through:

  • direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids
  • respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex
  • touching items (such as clothing) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids
  • pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta

Infection is also possible from infected animals, either by contact or bitten by the infected animal 

Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox

Monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others.

Symptoms normally resolve in two-four weeks, treatment usually helps manage them. 

Treatment and Management:

Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, famotidine, plus lidocaine cream and honey for the rash. 

Avoid scratching, Epsom salt warm bath can help with lesions on the body. Lidocaine and baking soda can help oral lesions. Saline and lidocaine/benadryl/maalox gargle helps oral lesions. 

Antivirals, such as tecovirimat (TPOXX) 200 mg capsules, may be recommended for people who are more likely to get severely ill, like patients with weakened immune systems



ADVERSE REACTIONS: Common adverse reactions in healthy adult subjects (≥ 2%) were headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting

How to obtain TPOXX

TPOXX is available through the Strategic National Stockpile. To request TPOXX, clinicians and pharmacists can contact their state/territorial health department or CDC (Emergency Operations Center 770-488-7100; Poxvirus@cdc.gov)


References: 

1. https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html

2. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/208627s000lbl.pdf

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mounjaro, Is it a game changer for weight loss and diabetes?

  MOUNJARO™ ( Tirzepatide) was approved for medical use in the United States in May 2022 WEIGHT LOSS: (Not approved by FDA for weight loss) Eli Lilly and Company is  finalizing an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fast-track approval to sell tirzepatide for chronic weight management. MOUNJARO™ is a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist indicated in adults for type 2 diabetes mellitus management. CONTRAINDICATIONS Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2  Known serious all to tirzepatide or any of the excipients in MOUNJARO                                                                    ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thyroid health- Quality of Life

  Let's get a TSH blood test for our family and friends Normal serum TSH ranges are higher in the  people age 70 to 80 years ; based on this, higher serum TSH goals may be needed as a patient ages.  The American Thyroid Association (ATA) suggests raising the target serum TSH to 4-6 m IU/L for 70 years-old and up The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped hormone-producing gland located at the front of the neck. The thyroid gland secretes two main hormones:  thyroxine (T-4) and triiodothyronine (T-3).   These hormones regulate energy levels, metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, body temperature, heart rate.  Hypothyroidism happens when the underactive thyroid gland doesn't make enough hormones. Hypothyroidism affects up to 10% of the general population (5% undiagnosed) . A n autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's diseas e where our body  makes antibodies that attack healthy thyroid tissues  is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in soc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Heart healthy

*Clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) includes acute coronary syndrome (ACS), those with history of myocardial infarction (MI), stable or unstable angina or coronary or other arterial revascularization, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), or peripheral artery disease (PAD) including aortic aneurysm, all of atherosclerotic origin. Should I initiate statins or not? The 2014 National Lipid Association (NLA) recommendations provides a more comprehensive, patient-centered approach to identifying ASCVD risk.   In 2013, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) issued guidelines to use the intensity of statin therapy as the treatment goal instead of LDL-C or non–HDL-C targets, as in previous guidelines, to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk (  Andrus & Lacaille, 2014  )  The guideline classifies statin therapy as  high-intensity (lowers LD...
7 comments
Read more