6. Gonorrhoea Flashcards
what is gonorrhoea a member of?
the Neisseriaceae family
what type of bacteria is gonorrhoea?
gram-negative diplococci
where does gonorrhoea grow?
only on enriched media e.g. chocolate agar
where does gonococcus primarily infect in females?
the cervix and urethra
what can gonococcus infections in females lead to?
acute cervicitis with vaginal discharge and ‘urethra syndrome’ where the urethra is infected
what are the complications of gonococcus infections in females?
PID: occasionally with tubo-ovarian abscess
Bartholins abscess
Disseminated gonococcal infection
what is Disseminated gonococcal infection?
a rare complication that affects women more than men
what are the common symptoms of Disseminated gonococcal infection?
pain on the joints
tenosynovitis
rash
what is tenosynovitis?
inflammation and swelling of a tendon
what does gonococcal infection in males cause?
gonococal urethritis
complications of gonococcal infection in males?
epididymitis
disseminated gonococcal infection
diagnosis of Neisseria gonorrhoea?
a fragile organism and doesn’t survive transportation well
how should specimens be taken for sampling gonorrhoea?
specimens should be taken and plated directly onto media at the bedside (as occurs in GUM clinics)
how do you collect specimens for gonorrhoea in females?
endocervical swab
urethral swab
rectal swab
pharyngeal swab
how do you collect specimens for gonorrhoea in males?
urethral, rectal, pharyngeal swabs
what is the lab diagnosis carried out for gonorrhoea?
gram stain
the characteristic appearance of gram-negative diplococci allows a presumptive diagnosis to be made (in some patients)
why is a culture for gonococcal infection needed?
far more sensitive than microscopy
how should organisms that resemble Neisseria on culture be confirmed as Neisseria gonorrhoeae?
on the basis of biochemical tests in order to distinguish them from other species
why is sensitivity testing important?
as antibiotic resistance patterns are valuable in guiding future management guildlines
treatment for Neisseria gonorrhoeae?
N. gonorrhoeae may vary in sensitivity
initial therapy usually guided by severity of symptoms and local knowledge of sensitivity patterns
what is common in treatment for Neisseria gonorrhoeae?
penicillin resistance
