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My Patient’s Diagnosis
Objective: Research a known condition using scientific sources and prepare to present your findings like a medical researcher.
PATIENT PROFILE
● Patient Name: Mateo ● Age: 36 ● Symptoms: Muscle Aches (thighs and backs), fever and chills, nausea, shortness of breath, dry cough. ● Known Diagnosis: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
PART 1: BUILD BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Use at least TWO scientific or medical sources to answer the following. (Examples: CDC, NIH, Mayo Clinic, WHO, PubMed, medical journals)
- What causes this illness?
Contact with rodents such as rats/mice (as seen in this case), especially when exposed to their urine, saliva, or droppings. HPS can also be spread from rodent bites and scratches, but only in rare cases.
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2. How does it affect the body?
When hantaviruses reach the lungs, they invade tiny blood vessels called capillaries, eventually causing them to leak. Your lungs fill with fluid (pulmonary edema), resulting in severe dysfunction of the lungs and heart. It can also cause nausea and dry cough later into the infection.
3. What are the common symptoms and warning signs?
Fatigue, Fever, Muscle Aches, Headaches, Chills, abdominal problems, nausea, shortness of breath, dry cough. Warning signs include flu-like symptoms and muscle aches/fatigue.
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4. How is it diagnosed by doctors? They begin with a history and symptom review especially if the patient has come in contact with mouse droppings or has been in an endemic area. Then they do blood work and look for low platelet count, elevated hematocrit , leukocytosis , elevated liver enzymes, hypoxia. Then they will perform a chest x-ray or a CT scan and look for bilateral interstitial infiltrates or pulmonary edema.
5. What treatments exist today?
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection. Patients should
receive supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of
symptoms.
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Choose ONE of your sources and answer the questions below.
● Title of Source: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome ● Author or Organization: Mayo Clinic ● URL (if online): _https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hantavirus-pulmonary -syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351838
Is this source credible? How do you know? ● Mayo Clinic is credible for a few reasons. Firstly, they receive top rankings for quality and patient care from organizations like the U.S. News & World Report. Their accolades are not the only factor when determining their credibility, the organization is recognized for its expertise in a myriad of medical specialties, including cardiology, cancer, and neurology, to name a few.
How does this source help you better understand your patient? ● Mayo Clinic helps us better understand our patients by providing ample and helpful information on HPS. They go into depth on symptoms such as fever and chills, muscle aches or pain, headache. Understanding these symptoms can help us discover what disease Mateo has.
PART 3: TEACH LIKE A DOCTOR
In 3–5 bullet points, explain this illness in friendly language as if you were a guest speaker for younger kids.
- It starts from tiny germs in mouse poop or pee – Sometimes wild mice carry a virus that can make people very sick if they breathe in dust from where the mice have been.
- It feels like a bad flu at first, then gets much worse – You might get a fever, tired muscles, and cough, but in just a few days, it can make it really hard to breathe and require a hospital visit.
- Doctors can help if it’s caught early – There’s no special medicine yet, but with oxygen, special machines, and good care, many people can get better and go back to normal.
SUBMISSION CHECKLIST:
Before submitting, make sure you have:
Answered all research questions Found at least 2 credible sources Evaluated 1 source Explained the illness clearly for others
