16 - Infectious Diseases including Travel Infections Flashcards
What is antimicrobial stewardship?
Process of persuading prescribers to use evidence-based prescribing to prevent antibiotic overuse and therefore prevent antibiotic resistance
Preserves future effectiveness of antibiotics

What are some of the steps in antimicrobial stewardship for every prescriber?
- Prescribe the most appropriate dose, for the shortest time to be effective and the most appropriate route, with the narrowest spectrum abx
- Take microbiological samples before prescribing antibiotic and review prescription when get the results
- Consider delayed prescribing for self-limiting conditions
- Explain to patients why antibiotics might do them more harm than good
- Avoid repeat antibiotic prescriptions within 6 months

What scenarios do the AMS team review?
- Set local antimicrobial guidelines and review regularly
- Review patient safety events
- Ensure antibiotic pack sizes are appropriate for course length

What is the 10 point approach to a patient with a suspected infection?
- What is the evidence for the infection?
- How severe is it?
- Any patient factors to consider?
- Which organ system is infected?
- What is the likely microorganism?
- Which anti-microbial therapy is best?
- Which route of administration is best?
- Any other treatment needed?
- Any risk of transmitting to others?
- How do we follow up and achieve discharge?

What are some causes of immunosuppression?
- HIV
- Immunosuppressive drugs e.g steroids, chemo
- Primary immunodeficiency
- Age
- Malnutrition
- Malignancy
- Asplenism

What do you need to consider with vaccinating immunosuppressed patients?
- Cannot have live vaccines as can develop disseminated disease
- Try to give inactivated vacines two weeks before immunosuppressive therapy as poor antibody response when immunosuppressed
- Need to be offered flu and pneumovax
How are nosocomial infections managed?
- Identify: e.g screening of MRSA
- Protect: isolate multiantibiotic resistant microbes, highly transmissable diseases or hgih risk groups
- Treat: using local guidelines
- Prevent: modify risk factors e.g improve nutrition, remove catheters, clean hands
What are the preventative measures used in hospital to stop infection spreading?
- Hand washing/gelling (wash for C.Diff)
- Bare below elbows and tie back hair
- Scrubs in highly infectous areas
- PPE
- Aseptic techniques
- Clean environment

What is the difference between standard isolation and respiratory isolation?
Respiratory:
- Negative pressure room if AGP or room with door closed at all times if NAGP
- Respiratory precautions sign on door
- Gown, gloves, face shield and mask/FFP3
- Dispose of waste in the room
- Hand hygeine after glove removal
- Limit movement to other departments and visitors

What are the most common organisms causing infection in the following systems and what antibiotics are used to treat them:
- Skin/Soft tissue
- MSK
- Respiratory

- Skin: Staph Aureus, Coagulase negative Staph (S.Epidermidis), Group A Strep (S.Pyogenes), MRSA
- MSK: same as above, Pseudomonas for diabetic foot, TB)
- Respiratory: S.Pneumoniae, H. Influenzae, Legionella, Mycoplasma, Rhinovirus, Adenovirus, Influenza

What are the most common organisms causing infection in the gastrointestinal system and what antibiotics are used to treat them?

Diarrhoea: Rotavirus, Adenovirus, Campylobacter, C.Diff, Salmonella
Peritonitis: Enterobacteriacae

What are the most common organisms causing infection in the following systems and what antibiotics are used to treat them:
- Genitourinary Tract
- CNS
- Endocarditis

GU: Enterobacteriacae, P.Aeruginosa, N.Gonnorrhea, C.Trachomatis
CNS: S.Pneumonia, N.Meningitidis, HSV, TB, Listeria (>55 or immunocompromised)
Endocarditis: Strep Viridans, Enterococci, S.Aureus, MRSA

What are the most common organisms causing infection in the following systems and what antibiotics are used to treat them:
- Line infections
- Hospital acquired
- Sepsis


What is the gram stain of the following:
- S.Aureus
- S.Epidermidis
- C.Diff
- S.Pneumoniae
- S.Pyigenes
- H.Pylori
- Salmonella
- Campylobacter
- Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
- H.Influenzae

What are some examples of common parasites?
- Protozoa: malaria, entamoeba histolytica, giardia lamblia
- Hyatid disease
- Schistosomiasis

What are some examples of notifiable diseases?
- Mumps
- Measles
- Food poisoning
- Malria
- SARS
- TB
- Tetanus
- Whooping cough

What are some bacteria that are encapsulated?
- N.Meningitidis
- H.Influenzae
- S.Pneumoniae
These are destroyed in spleen so sickle cell or after splenectomy need prophylactic vaccinations as higher risk of infection from these
What is the definition of the following:
- Endotoxin
- Exotoxin
- Enterotoxin
Endotoxin: LPS complex on outer membrane of gram negative bacteria that can activate complement and trigger inflammatory response
Exotoxin: toxin secreted by bacteria that works at different site to bacterial growth
Enterotoxin: exotoxin that targets the gut e.g C.Diff
How can antibiotics be grouped by their actions?
Affect:
- Cell wall synthesis
- Nucleic Acid synthesis
- Protein synthesis

What are the two different categories of antibiotic resistance and give some examples of each?
Intrinsic: due to structural characteristics e.g vancomycin cannot outer membrane of gram negative bacteria
Acquired: bacteria have evolved via mutation due to selection pressue from antibiotic use (including agricultural antibiotics)

What are some examples of antibiotics that inhibit cell wall synthesis?
Beta lactams: penicillins, carbapenems, cephalosporins
Non beta lactams: glycopeptides

What is Tazocin?
Piperacillin + Tazobactam
(beta lactam + betalactamase inhibitor)
What are the indications for the following antibiotics:
- Benzylpenicillin (Penicillin G)
- Phenoxymethylpenicillin (Penicillin V)
- Co-Amoxiclav
- Tazocin
- Flucloxacillin
- Vancomycin
- Cetriaxone
Penicillin G: usually gram positive such as streptococci (chest, endocarditis, cellulitis), meningococcus
Penicillin V: prophylaxis after splenectomy, rheumatic heart disease
Co-Amoxiclav: chest, pyelonephritis, cellulitis, bone
Tazocin: broad spectrum gram positive and negative, neutropenic sepsis, nosocomial infection
Flucloxacillin: staphylococcus e.g skin, bone, post viral pneumonia
Vancomycin: complicated gram positive e.g MRSA, oral for C.Diff
Ceftriaxone: meningococcus
What are some examples of antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis?
- Aminoglycosides
- Macrolides
- Tetracyclines
- Fusidic acid
- Chloramphenicol
















































