Chagas disease: clinical overview and implications for nursing
Lennox, H.A.; Karcz, D.A.; Tales, H.; El Masri, M.
Medsurg Nursing Official Journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses 16(4): 229-235; Quiz 236
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 1092-0811 PMID: 17907695 Document Number: 606927
Chagas disease, an infection caused by a protozoan parasite and previously endemic to Mexico and Central and South America, is becoming more prevalent in the United States and Canada. Because nurses and physicians in health care settings may be the first to encounter undiagnosed cases of Chagas disease, it is essential that public health personnel and health care providers in general become more familiar with the disease, including its incidence and prevalence, clinical manifestations, diagnostic criteria, treatment options, and implications for nursing.