31 Infections in the compromised host Flashcards
What are primary and secondary defects of innate immune system?
Primary is more common in paediatric population
Secondary more common in adults
Primary -
- complement deficiency
- phagocyte cell deficiencies - e.g chronic granulomatous disease
Secondary -
- burns
- trauma
- surgery
- catheter
- foreign body e.g joint/ shunt
What are defects of adaptive immune system?
Primary
Primary (T/ B cell defects) -
- B cells - Burton-type agammaglobulinaemia due to lymphocyte production error in bone marrow
- T cells - DiGeorge. Thymus problem means lymphocytes cannot mature
- SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency) which is genetic defect in which antibodies cannot be fully formed by B cells, and T cells cannot produce antigen recognition receptors
What are defects of adaptive immune system?
Secondary
Secondary -
- malnutrition
- infectious disease
- neoplasia
- radiation
- chemotherapy
- splenectomy
Which infections cause immunosuppression?
Measles Mumps Rubella EBV CMV HIV HTLV
Mycobacterium tuberculosis/ leprae
Brucella
Burn wound become colonised within few hours of injury. What are most common pathogens?
Pseudomonas Staph aureus Staph pyogenes enterococci Candida
Once skin invaded, can easily invade lymphatics/ blood
Staph epidermidis in blood culture is often contaminant.
In which clinical situations should we be concerned?
IE
Prosthetic joint septic arthritis
Haematological malignancy - why are they risk of infection?
Significant neutrophil deficiency
What are examples of opportunistic pathogens?
Any opportunistic pathogen infection should mean we consider testing patient for HIV
Viruses
HBV HCV HIV Polyomaviruses - BK, JC Adenovirus Herpes - HSV, VZV, EBV, CMV, HHV6, HHV7, HHV8
What are examples of opportunistic pathogens?
Any opportunistic pathogen infection should mean we consider testing patient for HIV
Fungi
Candida Aspergillus Cryptococcus Histoplasma PCP
What are examples of opportunistic pathogens?
Any opportunistic pathogen infection should mean we consider testing patient for HIV
Parasites
Toxoplasma
Strongyloides
What are examples of opportunistic pathogens?
Gram-positive
Staph aureus Coagulase-negative staph Streptococci Listeria Nocardia Mycobacterium TB/ MAC
What are examples of opportunistic pathogens?
Gram negative
Enterobacteraceae
Pseudomonas
Legionella
Bacteroides
How do glucocorticoids cause immunosuppression?
- induce the apoptosis of lymphocytes
- alter leukocyte migration and redistribution
- inhibition of cytokine gene expression, resulting in a decreased release of interleukins (IL), interferons (IFN) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), such as IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ and TNF-α,
Histoplasmosis lives in soil, transmitted airborne. Causes mild infection in immunocompetent. Can cause infection in immunocompromised years after exposure
Which countries have histoplasmosis?
Have low threshold for investigation if have ever visited these areas -
USA
SA
Sub-Saharan Africa (African histoplasmosis)
Asia
Histoplasma can spread from alveoli, via lymphatics, and cause disseminated disease many years later.
How to diagnose histoplasma infection?
Culture of blood, sputum, BAL may yield organism
May need bone marrow/ lymph node biopsy