Question of the Week # 6

A 24 y/o college freshman who lives in a dormitory brought to the ER with complaints of fever, headache and neck stiffness. Lumbar puncture revealed gram negative diplococci. He was started on ceftriaxone and vancomycin. However, over the next two hours he develops complicated disease with renal failure and purpura. He becomes comatose and was intubated by the anesthetist for airway protection. After knowing that the patient likely has a meningococcal disease, the ER staff, the anesthetist and the residents who initially cared for the patient are very concerned and requests chemoprophylaxis. What is the most appropriate course of action?

A. Give Rifampin to the resident who collected blood from the patient

B.  Give Rifampin to the anesthetist

C. Give Ceftriaxone to the Nurse who took care of the patient

D. Give Rifampin to the ER physician who initially evaluated the patient

E. Give Rifampin to all those who took care of the patient.

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35 Thoughts on “Question of the Week # 6

  1. Wasif Sheikh on August 1, 2010 at 4:19 pm said:

    B

  2. Vishakha on August 3, 2010 at 4:20 am said:

    E??

  3. Cesar on August 4, 2010 at 5:52 am said:

    rifampin to the anesthesiologyst who perform the intubation, it has more
    risk from the exposition

  4. Malvika on September 4, 2010 at 4:20 am said:

    eee

  5. comsouls on September 8, 2010 at 12:54 pm said:

    B.

    Health care worker with prolonged contact and exposed to the pt. respiratory secretions should have antibiotic prophylaxis

  6. Dr. Red,

    Would you confirm the answer for us please? I too think its B.

  7. sireesha reddy on October 18, 2010 at 5:08 am said:

    B…because the meningocci are transmitted through oral and respiratory secreions..

  8. I too think its B .

  9. I think now its B
    Dr Red, would you please confirm the answer?

  10. Rahul. on February 5, 2011 at 5:26 pm said:

    The answer that should have appeared in 3 days of posting the Q, is still not available…
    USMLE galaxy, shine some light on this discussion!

  11. mutua.md on February 10, 2011 at 3:28 pm said:

    E
    Dr. Red…
    are you there?

  12. B is the answer

  13. Frank on April 7, 2011 at 2:10 pm said:

    I think E is the correct answer

  14. svr on May 6, 2011 at 1:50 am said:

    answer is B person who intubated the patient

  15. raju on June 6, 2011 at 5:50 pm said:

    B POOR ANESTHETIST

  16. Manuel on June 22, 2011 at 4:20 pm said:

    B is the answer

    Household contacts of patients with meningococcal
    disease have an attack rate of 4 cases per 1000, which is 500 to 800 times greater than the general popula-tion.
    Antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis is recom-mended for close contacts (household members, day care center contacts, and anyone directly exposed to the patient’s oral secretions). Antimicrobial chemo-prophylaxis ideally should be started within the first 24 hours after the initial case is diagnosed, with prophylaxis starting greater than 14 days after contact offering little benefit.

    Household contacts – includes recent visitors who have stayed overnight in the 7 days preceding the case’s illness; those who share the same dormitory, military barracks, hostel bunkroom. Should receive clearance antibiotics and vaccination.
    2)
    Sexual contacts – sexual partner(s) of case + intimate kissing partners. Should be treated as household contacts and receive clearance antibiotics and vaccination.
    3)
    Travel contacts – seated immediately adjacent to a case on flight > 8 hours in duration. Should receive clearance antibiotics.
    4)
    Childcare contacts – children and staff in same room group at a child-care facility attended by index case for one period of ≥ 4 hours in 7 days preceding onset of case’s illness require clearance antibiotics.
    5)
    School and University contacts – depending of the nature of the contact and whether it occurred in relation to a specific outbreak (eg. related to a particular class) then clearance antibiotics may be appropriate.
    6)
    Health care worker contacts – only medical personnel who are directly exposed to a case’s nasopharyngeal secretions (ie: person who intubated case if facemask)

    Rifampin 600 mg taken orally twice a day for two days is the recommended antibiotic for chemoprophy-laxis,
    but should not be used in pregnant women due to its teratogenic effects. Other alternatives include
    ciprofloxacin 500 mg orally, or ceftriaxone 250 mg intramuscularly.

  17. ISIDORE on June 28, 2011 at 11:25 pm said:

    Hello all!
    In some cases you mentioned duration of exposure and in others not should the minimum time for exposure be considered 4 hours to be safe ?

  18. Answer is definitely B the person who intubates and is directly exposed to the oral secretions of pt needs to be prophylaxed.

  19. b is the answer.

  20. Elli Lucy on August 10, 2012 at 3:41 am said:

    b

  21. i think is E , we don’t know the lenght or the extent of the contact in the ER so to be on the safe side i would say E

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