Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Smallpox diagnostic criteria
Introduction
Overview
Overview
The diagnosis of smallpox is guided by a CDC algorithm that follows certain major and minor criteria.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
For the diagnosis of smallpox, the CDC along with other organizations, created a group of major and minor criteria:[1][2]
Major Criteria
- On any singular part of the body, there need to be lesions in the same stage of development
- Characteristic pustules:
- Well circumscribed and round
- Confluent or with a depression in the middle
- Fever occurring approximately 1-4 days before rash begins
- The fever is usually >102 degrees Fahrenheit (T ≥38.3ºC)
- With fever, at least one of the following symptoms:
Minor Criteria
- Patient appears toxic or near death
- Initial lesions will be on the oral mucosa and face, progressing in a centrifugal fashion towards the arms and feet
- There will be lesions on the palms and soles
- Most of the lesions will be on the distal extremities and face
- Evolution of the rash from macules to papules, to pustules, and finally to scabs
Diagnostic Algorithm
Below is an algorithm aimed to guide the diagnosis of smallpox:
References
References
- ↑ Moore, Zack S; Seward, Jane F; Lane, J Michael (2006). “Smallpox”. The Lancet. 367 (9508): 425–435. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68143-9. ISSN 0140-6736.
- ↑ Seward JF, Galil K, Damon I, Norton SA, Rotz L, Schmid S; et al. (2004). “Development and experience with an algorithm to evaluate suspected smallpox cases in the United States, 2002-2004”. Clin Infect Dis. 39 (10): 1477–83. doi:10.1086/425500. PMID 15546084.
- ↑ “Public Health Image Library (PHIL), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (PDF).
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: João André Alves Silva, M.D. [2]