From the Research
For adult patients who have had measles, follow-up care should focus on monitoring for complications and ensuring complete recovery, with a follow-up appointment scheduled within 1-2 weeks to assess resolution of symptoms and evaluate for potential complications, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1. After the acute illness, the following steps should be taken:
- Check for lingering respiratory issues, neurological symptoms, or secondary bacterial infections
- If the patient developed pneumonia during measles, a chest X-ray may be warranted to confirm resolution
- For patients who experienced significant weight loss or dehydration, assess nutritional status and hydration
- Vitamin A levels should be checked and supplementation considered if deficient, as measles can deplete vitamin A stores, according to a study published in the Lancet 2
- Immunocompromised patients require closer monitoring, with follow-up visits potentially every 1-2 weeks until fully recovered Patients should be advised that they may experience fatigue for several weeks after infection, which is normal, and that the immune system can remain suppressed for weeks to months after measles infection, making patients more susceptible to other infections during this period 2. It is also important to note that, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, adult patients who have had measles are considered immune to measles for life after recovering from natural infection, and therefore do not require additional vaccination or boosters 3.