An infection model

Question 1

what does the infection model consist of

Answer 1

pathogen
————->infection———–>management————–>Outcome
patient

Question 2

what factors must you consider for ‘patient’ part of infection model?

Answer 2

age 
gender
physiological state (pregnant)
pathological state (diabetes, immunosuppression)
social factors(sexual partners, travel)
calendar time 
relative time (how much time it takes to incubate a disease)
place -current and recent

Question 3

name some mechanisms of infection

Answer 3

contiguous (direct) spreads-skin to skin contact or mucous membrane to mucous membrane
inoculation -injected into tissue
haematogenous- spread through blood stream (eg if someone with a boil squeezes it)
ingestion
inhalation
vector
vertical transmission- mother to child(in utero or breastmilk)

Question 4

what does ‘management’ consist of ?

Answer 4

history 
examination
investigations
treatment (specific & supportive )
infection prevention

Question 5

examples of specific treatment

Answer 5

antimicrobials
surgery- drainage,debridgement (removal of dead,damaged?infected tissue to improve the healing process), dead space removal

Question 6

examples of supportive treatment

Answer 6

symptom relief

physiological restoration

Question 7

what does “outcome” consist of ?

Answer 7

ranges form cure to death.

may be chronic infection