Diagnosis is when a disease is acknowledged correctly by a health professional. It is identified by recognising different signs and symptoms that the sufferer is displaying. It is also confirmed by various laboratory tests and clinical investigations that are carried out by health professionals.
Polio
Poliomyelitis is diagnosed in several ways. Health professionals recognise the disease by a variety of signs and symptoms such as abnormal reflexes, difficulty breathing and swallowing and lastly back and neck stiffness. Health professionals then carry out a series of tests, they can include blood tests, Cerebrospinal fluid testing (CSF), testing the muscle reflexes and the health professional will question the patient about their recent holidays across the globe.
Blood tests are carried out by taking a sample of blood from the patient, it is then sent of to the laboratory to look for antibodies and the amount of leukocyte in the blood. Antibodies show that the body is fighting the virus.
CSF tests are carried out using a needle that is specified for the spine, the needle then extracts a sample of the fluid, which is then sent of to the laboratory to be tested. The health professionals look at both sugar levels and blood cells to see if there had been an abnormal change due to the virus.
Throat culture test is used to identify any bacterial, viral or fungal infection in the throat. Poliomyelitis attacks the throat tract once it enters the body. Throat culture is when a swab is used to streak a patient’s throat to obtain a sample of the infected cells. This is then taken to the laboratory where is it tested for poliomyelitis.
Poliomyelitis is differentiated from other diseases to confirm diagnosis by the different symptoms and tests that are carried out. Muscle spasms are one of polios symptoms, when a patient has the communicable disease it usually proceeds even after getting fevers however, when a patient is suffering from other influenzas, muscle spasms usually stop after the fever has gone. Furthermore headaches are another symptom of poliomyelitis, it usually occurs when there is pressure on the spinal fluid, and does not respond to painkillers, however when a patient has influenza it does respond to painkillers. The only way the headaches can be stopped is to carry out a CSF procedure that will reduce the pressure by a lumbar puncture.
Also a throat culture can differentiate poliomyelitis from other diseases because when the poliovirus enters the body it settles in the throat tract, which then allows the throat culture test to be carried out.
Treatment
When a disease id diagnosed health professionals have to think about all the different types of treatments and procedures they have available for that disease. This may involve having to go to a private hospital, or a different hospital within the country due to lack of facilities. However some diseases cures have yet to be found, this then prevents health professionals to provide efficient care and treatment, as they have no antidote for the particular disease.
Health professionals have not yet found a cure for the poliomyelitis virus till this day but they do offer patients different treatments called “Supportive Care”. This is when health professionals focus on relieving their patients from pain of the symptoms, whilst the antibodies are fighting the disease. Portable ventilators can be provided for those who have gained breathing problems due to the virus, this will help them breath efficiently and allow enough oxygen to reach the body. Health professionals also encourage their patients to do exercise to maintain the strong balanced reflexes in their muscles, they provide physiotherapists to those who have the worst condition of polio which is paralysis to try find other ways they can live their life. Furthermore health professionals promote to their patients to change their diets and eat healthier foods because the vitamins and minerals help fight the
