Schick test is used in confirming the diagnosis of?

Appeared in: SJH Nursing Officer - 2019

Explanation

The Schick test is specifically designed to determine a person's susceptibility to diphtheria.
It is an in-vivo neutralization test where a small dose of diphtheria toxin is injected intradermally.
A positive reaction (inflammation) indicates a lack of neutralizing antitoxin antibodies, meaning the person is susceptible.
A negative reaction (no inflammation) indicates the presence of sufficient antibodies, meaning the person is immune.

Option A: Tuberculosis is not diagnosed using the Schick test. The primary screening test for TB is the Mantoux tuberculin skin test (PPD).
Option C: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection diagnosed through serological tests, not the Schick test.
Option D: The Schick test is not used for Scarlet fever. The historical test for susceptibility to scarlet fever was the Dick test.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Diagnostic tests for infectious diseases to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Understanding historical tests like the Schick test provides context for the development of modern immunology and vaccination programs.
While the Schick test is rarely performed today due to widespread DTaP/Tdap vaccination, the principle of in-vivo toxin neutralization is a fundamental immunological concept.
A nurse's primary role is in educating patients about the importance of routine immunizations, which have effectively replaced the need for susceptibility testing for diseases like diphtheria.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question that tests your knowledge of specific diagnostic tests for infectious diseases.
First, identify the key term in the question stem: 'Schick test'.
Next, recall or deduce the disease associated with this specific test.
Evaluate each option: Tuberculosis (Mantoux test), Diphtheria (Schick test), Syphilis (VDRL/RPR), and Scarlet fever (Dick test).
Match the 'Schick test' to 'Diphtheria' to identify the correct answer.
If unsure, try to eliminate incorrect options by associating them with their correct diagnostic tests.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Microbiology Applied AnjuDhir 3e Part 2 p. 106-108

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