Question

A 27-years old female presents to the Emergency Department of a local Hospital. She has a cough and complains of shortness of breath. An elevate temperature is noted along increased pulse rate. She states that her daughter had stayed home from school for the past few days and was diagnosed with an upper respiratory viral infection: a) What is the chief complaint? b) What I the etiology of her chief complaint? c) What follow-up questions would you ask about chief complaint? d) Are there any possible routes of transmission involved? Which one(s)? e) What would you do to keep from spreading this infection to other patients?

Answer 1

The flu is a viral infection caused by theinfluenza virus, a respiratory virus. Thecommon cold is also a viral infection caused by the adenovirus or coronavirus and there are many, many subsets with alot of variability. ... Colds tend to produce runny nose, congestion, sore throat

Etiology - Although many types of viruses can cause a common cold, rhinoviruses are the most common culprit. A cold virus enters your body through your mouth, eyes or nose. The virus can spread through droplets in the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes or talks.

Possible routes for transmission- it is spread through air , though it is airborne infection, droplets, contaminated food and water.
Practice preventive measures which keep cold virus from entering the nose:

Wash hands after contact with cold sufferers and objects and surfaces they may have contaminated.
Keep fingers out of the eyes and nose.
Avoid having cold sufferers cough and sneeze on you or in your direction.