Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)

HSV-1 (Oral Herpes — 'Cold Sores'):

- Painful clusters of vesicles on/around lips → rupture → shallow ulcers - Primary infection may cause gingivostomatitis (severe in children) - Latent in trigeminal ganglion; reactivated by: fever, sun, stress, trauma, immunosuppression - Herpetic whitlow: HSV infection of finger (healthcare workers at risk) HSV-2 (Genital Herpes): - Painful genital vesicles/ulcers - Primary infection: systemic symptoms (fever, myalgia, lymphadenopathy) + severe genital pain, dysuria, urinary retention - Recurrent episodes are milder and shorter; prodrome: tingling/burning before lesions appear - Latent in sacral dorsal root ganglia - Highly contagious during active outbreak; may be transmitted without visible lesions (asymptomatic shedding) Neonatal herpes (serious): - Transmitted during delivery through infected birth canal - Can cause encephalitis, disseminated disease, death - C-section is indicated if active HSV genital lesions are present at onset of labor - Cesarean must be performed before or within 4 hours of membrane rupture For NCLEX-PN (United States), items rarely announce the topic in the first sentence. Anchor to objective data, trajectory, and the safest next step for the role named in the...