A Practical Clinical Review of Recognition, Diagnosis, Initial Management, and Referral of MPOX

Vollständiger Abstract

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Mpox can present to primary care with a wide spectrum of skin and mucosal disease, ranging from a few localized lesions to disseminated or complicated infection. Contemporary presentations may lack the classical generalized rash or prominent systemic prodrome, creating diagnostic overlap with herpes simplex, varicella-zoster, syphilis, molluscum contagiosum, bacterial skin disease, and other causes of vesicular, pustular, or ulcerative lesions. Primary-care clinicians therefore have a key role in recognition before laboratory confirmation. This practical clinical review provides a frontline approach to suspicion, immediate infection-prevention measures, lesion-based PCR testing, assessment for important coinfections, severity stratification, supportive management, and timely referral. The central sequence is: suspect mpox, protect patients and staff, test appropriately, assess severity and risk, and determine safe outpatient management versus escalation of care.