Oh, another nbme7 question? What a twist

[username456789]

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I'm trying to stay away from this board on my last day of studying, but another quick Q:

On the question about the obvious HSV encephalitis with temporal lobe stuff, the question asked what the appropriate test was. Was it HSV cx or PCR? I assume PCR is quicker so you'd do that since the patient was in rough shape? I really know very little about actually doing that kind of stuff.

 

[knuckles]

Was Tzanck smear a choice?

 

[username456789]

Was Tzanck smear a choice?

Nah it was just something like:

HSV PCR
Other disease cx
HSV cx
Other disease fluorecent Ab test
Some other incorrect answer


IT was definitely HSV so it was definitely HSV PCR or HSV cx. I didn't pay for the feedback for some reason, so I don't know if I got it right, but I picked PCR.

 

[knuckles]

In that case, I think you're right.

An RNA polymerase test of CSF, polymerase chain reaction (PCR),21,22 permits a more definitive diagnosis because it is both sensitive and specific. In this test, 2 sets of oligonucleotide primers amplify gene products from HSV-1 and HSV-2. This is the diagnostic test of choice.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/341142-overview

 

[Vikingwizardguy]

cx = culture?

if so, I didn't know you could culture viruses...even a Tzanck wouldn't work in this case because there aren't ulcers to get a smear from.

 

[username456789]

cx = culture?

if so, I didn't know you could culture viruses...even a Tzanck wouldn't work in this case because there aren't ulcers to get a smear from.

Yeah sorry that's the usual clinical abbreviation.

You can definitely do viral cultures, I just don't know much about them.

Anyway I should NOT be on here right now. In mild freakout mode.