An adolescent female has grouped vesicles on her oral mucosa. To
determine whether these are caused by HSV1 or HSV2, the primary care pediatric nurse practitioner will order which test?

Question

An adolescent female has grouped vesicles on her oral mucosa. To
determine whether these are caused by HSV­1 or HSV­2, the primary care pediatric nurse practitioner will order which test?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most definitive test for determining whether the vesicles are caused by HSV-1 or HSV-2 is a viral culture. This involves swabbing the fluid from the vesicles and attempting to grow the virus on a culture medium. While the other tests listed may also aid in the diagnosis of HSV infection, only a viral culture can provide a definitive identification of the virus type.

An Adolescent Female Has Grouped Vesicles on Her Oral Mucosa