THE NURSE'S ACTION IN FRONT OF THE SUSPECT AND/OR CONFIRMATION OF MONKEYPOX DISEASE (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Known in Brazil as monkeypox, the disease is a rare viral infection caused by Monkeypox (MPX), which is related to the human smallpox virus and the cowpox virus. The infection can happen through contact with animals that carry the virus (mainly rodents) and person-to-person transmission is possible, especially in close contact, with the possibility of sexual transmission also being considered. The contents of blisters can be particularly contagious, as can scabs from infected skin lesions. Thinking about these questions, and seeking to answer how the nurse must act in front of the patient with suspected and/or confirmed Monkeypox, the present study has the general objective of describing, through the literature, the nurse's performance during the care of patients with suspicion and/ or confirmation of Monkeypox disease. Methodologically, an integrative review was carried out with works published between 2020 and 2022, demonstrating that, despite being an old disease, the cases registered in Brazil and in the world in the last three years made Monkeypox a very current and worrying pathogen. Thus, analyzing the origin, transmission, symptoms and treatment/prevention of Monkeypox ; differentiating this pathology from human smallpox ( Orthopoxvirus Simiae x Smallpox ) and varicella (chickenpox); and relating nursing care and attention in cases of suspicion and/or confirmation of the virus, it was seen that the role of nurses in this context is paramount. Not only to curb the spread of the virus through proper care in patient care and public awareness, but also to diagnose the pathogen, veto the dissemination of scientifically unproven information and promote vaccination.