Herpes Flashcards
(5 cards)
what is herpes caused by ?
Herpes is caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus of which there is type 1 and type 2.
How does herpes usually present ?
It can present with a prodrome (symptoms prior to the appearance of lesions) and then starts typically as a group of papules which become vesicles.
A prodrome is experienced by about 90% of patients and can vary from a mild tingling sensation to shooting pains in the buttocks, legs or hips a few days before an episode.
How to diagnose
A swab taken from the ulcer using an NAAT e.g. PCR, will give a diagnosis and type the virus.
how often will the herpes recurrence happen ?
A patient with HSV-1 can experience a recurrence in the first year, whereas a patient with HSV-2 may have an average of 4-6 recurrent episodes in the first year.
Studies have shown that frequency of recurrences decreases over time, and recurrent episodes tend to last only a few days.
how to treat herpes ?
The main treatment is with antivirals, which reduce the severity and duration of an episode e.g Aciclovir 400mg TDS or Aciclovir 200mg 5 times a day for 5 days.
These include analgesia, saline soaks and topical anaesthesia.
