Hydrophobia is clinical feature of:

BHU NO-2019

Medical Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: BHU NO-2019

Explanation

Hydrophobia, an intense fear of water, is a pathognomonic (a sign characteristic of a specific disease) symptom of rabies.
It is caused by excruciatingly painful and involuntary spasms of the pharyngeal and laryngeal muscles when the patient attempts to swallow liquids.
The rabies virus is a neurotropic virus that travels to the central nervous system, leading to severe neurological symptoms, including hydrophobia and aerophobia (fear of drafts of air).
The disease in humans is also known as hydrophobia due to this distinctive symptom.

Option A: Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, presents with symptoms like high fever, chills, and painful, swollen lymph nodes called buboes. It does not cause hydrophobia.
Option C: Anthrax is a bacterial infection caused by Bacillus anthracis. Its clinical presentation depends on the route of exposure and includes cutaneous (black eschar), inhalation, or gastrointestinal symptoms. Hydrophobia is not a feature.
Option D: Filaria refers to filariasis, a parasitic disease caused by nematode worms. It affects the lymphatic system and can lead to chronic swelling (lymphedema) and elephantiasis. It does not involve the central nervous system in a way that causes hydrophobia.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Identification of pathognomonic signs of infectious diseases helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Recognizing hydrophobia as a sign of rabies is critical for any healthcare professional. It indicates a late-stage, almost invariably fatal infection, shifting the focus of care from prevention to palliative management and strict infection control.
Nurses must implement stringent infection control measures when caring for a patient with rabies, as the virus is present in saliva and other body fluids. This includes wearing appropriate PPE (gloves, gown, mask, goggles).
What if a patient presents with an animal bite but shows no symptoms? The priority is immediate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), including wound cleaning, rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), and a course of rabies vaccine. PEP is highly effective in preventing rabies if administered promptly and correctly.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question stem, which is 'Hydrophobia'.
Recall the definition of hydrophobia: an extreme or irrational fear of water, especially as a symptom of rabies in humans.
Systematically evaluate each option to see which disease is classically associated with this symptom.
Rabies is famously known as 'hydrophobia' because of the painful throat spasms that occur when trying to swallow.
Eliminate the other options by recalling their primary clinical features: Plague (buboes), Anthrax (eschar), and Filaria (lymphedema).
Confirm that Rabies is the only plausible answer directly linked to the symptom of hydrophobia.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 p. 1693-1695

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart B (pp 202-403 of 604) pp. 140-142, 138-140