Nursing

Thank you for receiving my order the instructions for this assignment is to Select a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and do research on it. Write a 3-5 page paper about the condition/issue. The document that I upload with the guidelines for writing has every heading that should be included on this paper and instructions.

ANSWER

Module 05 Written Assignment – Sexually Transmitted Infections

Syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually and vertically transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. It is riskier in pregnant people due to adverse pregnancy outcomes like premature delivery, neonatal illness, and miscarriage. The main method of transmission of syphilis is through sexual intercourse with an ill person. The bacteria enter the body through abrasions in the skin or mucus membranes. The main signs of syphilis infection include painless sores on the genitals, tongue, lips, or rectum. The condition develops in stages where symptoms vary with each stage. Syphilis is a dangerous disease that both genders can contact though it can be cured and certainly prevented.

Pathophysiology

            The root cause of syphilis infection is spirochetes that cause tissue damage. It uses fibronectin particles to attach to the endothelial surface of the blood vessels in organs (Lithgow et al., 2020). It causes irritation and destruction of the small blood vessels resulting in vasculitis. The disease starts from the transmission and then disseminates to any body organ, leading to its adverse stage.

Etiology

            The Treponema pallidum bacteria that causes syphilis is transmitted through intercourse and orally to any age or gender. It is spiral-shaped bacteria that develops on the mucus of the mouth or genitals. The primary risk factors of the infection are unprotected sex, HIV, and multiple sex partners.

Clinical Manifestations

Syphilis infection has four stages, and the signs and symptoms in each stage vary. The main stages of the disease are primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary. It is most infectious during the primary and secondary stages. The primary stages occur within 3 to 4 weeks after transmission of the bacteria, and its main symptom is swollen lymph nodes. During the secondary phase of the disease, skin rashes and a sore throat may occur. The body may also develop other symptoms like headaches, fatigue, fever, aching joints, and weight loss. If the infection is not treated, it then extends to the latent stage. During this stage, the symptoms experienced in the first two stages disappear. However, the bacteria remain in the body, which can take years to progress to the terminal stage. In the tertiary stage, the disease can be life-threatening, and the main adverse outcomes include memory loss, blindness, loss of hearing, heart disease, neurosyphilis, or even destruction of soft tissue and bone (Li et al., 2020).

Treatment

            Despite the infection being characterized as life-threatening, it can be treated. However, syphilis is easy to cure if diagnosed and treated in its early stages. Hagihara et al. (2018) asserted that it could be diagnosed by testing samples of blood or cerebrospinal fluid. The ideal treatment of the infection at all stages is penicillin which is an antibiotic drug that helps to kill the organism that causes syphilis. Though, if the disease is diagnosed during the first two stages, a single injection of penicillin is preferred.

Conclusion

            Syphilis infection has been associated with various behavioral factors like multiple sex partners, unprotected sex, or close contact with syphilitic body sores. It is mainly caused by bacteria known as Treponema pallidum and can cause substantial morbidity and death if not treated. The infection develops in four different stages, and its signs and symptoms may vary with each stage. The preferred treatment for syphilis is penicillin which helps to kill the bacteria. However, it is easier to cure the disease when diagnosed and treated at its early stages than in its final stage.

References

Hagihara, M., Yamagishi, Y., Kato, H., Shibata, Y., Shiota, A., Sakanashi, D., Suematsu, H., Watanabe, H., Asai, N., Koizumi, Y., Furui, T., Takahashi, S., Izumi, K., & Mikamo, H. (2018). Frequency of treponema pallidum invasion into cerebrospinal fluid in primary or secondary early-stage syphilis. Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy, 24(5), 404-406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiac.2017.11.007

Li, S., Nguyen, I. P., & Urbanczyk, K. (2020). Common infectious diseases of the central nervous system—clinical features and imaging characteristics. Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery, 10(12), 2227-2259. https://doi.org/10.21037/qims-20-886

Lithgow, K. V., Church, B., Gomez, A., Tsao, E., Houston, S., Swayne, L. A., & Cameron, C. E. (2020). Identification of the Neuroinvasive pathogen-host target, LamR, as an endothelial receptor for the treponema pallidum Adhesin Tp0751. mSphere, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.1128/msphere.00195-20