Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of immunodeficiency (immune deficiency, susceptibility to infection).
Family history
- What is the general health status of your relatives?
- Are there any common immune system diseases in your family?
- Are relatives susceptible to infections?
Social history
- What is your occupation? Do you work in shifts?
- Is there any evidence of psychosocial stress or strain due to your family situation?
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- What symptoms have you noticed?
- Do you suffer from recurrent infections? What is the nature of these infections? Respiratory infections? Gastrointestinal infections? Ear infections? Sinus infections? Skin infections (e.g., fungal infections)?
- How long have these symptoms existed?
- Have you lost any weight?
- Do you have any other symptoms?
Vegetative anamnesis including nutritional anamnesis.
- Do you get enough exercise every day?
- Do you eat a balanced diet?
- Do you sleep well and sufficiently?
- Do you do competitive sports?
- Are you underweight? Please indicate your body weight (in kg) and height (in kg).
- Do you smoke? If yes, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, what drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (infections, diabetes mellitus, autoimmune diseases e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, tumor disease, intestinal disease).
- Operations
- Allergies
- Environmental history
- Exposure to ionizing radiation
- Noise
- Radiation syndrome – complex of symptoms that may occur after therapy/exposure to ionizing radiation.
Drug history
- Anticonvulsants (carbamazepine)
- Hormones
- Glucocorticoids (betamethasone, budenoside, cortisone, dexamethasone, fluticasone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone).
- Immunosuppressants (azathioprine, ciclosporin (cyclosporin A), everolimus, mycophenolic acid, mycophenolate mofetil, sirolimus (rapamycin), tacrolism).
- Monoclonal antibodies – Rituximab → immunodeficiencies with protracted depletion of B lymphocytes and/or hypogammaglobulinemia.
- MTOR inhibitors (everolimus, temsirolimus).
- Proton pump inhibitors (PPI; acid blockers) – esomeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole.
- Cytostatic drugs (6-mercaptopurine methotrexate, etc.).
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Information without guarantee)
