Anaerobes

Question 1

Any organism that cannot grow on a non-nutrient deficient medium in an aerobic or CO2 atmosphere but will grow in an oxygen-free atmosphere

Answer 1

Anaerobe

Question 2

Strict anaerobes lack this enzyme, which in aerobes protects them against ________.

Answer 2

superoxide dismutase

superoxide

Question 3

Where do anaerobes live outside the body?

Answer 3

Soil, fresh and saltwater

Question 4

Where do anaerobes live in the body?

Answer 4

GI tract, genitourinary orifices, skin

Question 5

Why can we get anaerobes living on mucosal surfaces?

Answer 5

Due to laminar flow - barely any air flows at the extremities, and thus anareobes can survive

Question 6

Most of the anaerobes that cause infection are from where?

Answer 6

Endogenous - something happens that causes our own anaerobes to get to the wrong spot

Question 7

Anaerobic infections are typically ________, so are properly termed ______ infections since they also contain _______.

Answer 7

polymicrobial
mixed
aerobes

Question 8

What are clinical clues to anaerobic infection?

Answer 8

Foul odour to lesion or discharge
Infection located in proximity to mucosal surfaces
Bite wounds
Gas in tissues or discharges
Mixed organisms seen on gram stain fail to grow in aerobic culture

Question 9

What type of abscesses commonly involve anaerobes?

Answer 9

Brain abscesses, dental abscesses, lung abscesses

Question 10

Which intraabdominal infection is not due to anaerobes?

Answer 10

Spontaneous peritonitis

Question 11

Breast abcesses due to anaerobes are generally localized where?

Answer 11

Below the nipple (areola)

Question 12

What are infections that seldom involve anaerobes?

Answer 12

Meningitis
acute sinusitis and otitis
pharyngitis
bronchitis
acute cholecystitis
spontaneous peritonitis
UTIs
acute osteomyelitis

Question 13

What are guidelines for anaerobic specimen collection?

Answer 13

1. Specimen must not be contaminated with normal flora (will be loaded with anaerobes - i.e. cannot isolate)
2. The specimen to be sent to the lab must be protected from exposure to air

Question 14

Why can you just send the pus in a container for bacteriology?

Answer 14

The entire pus will maintain anaerobic conditions in any container.

Question 15

What is the most important thing to do when treating abscesses?

Answer 15

Surgical debridement, drainage and elimination of dead space

Question 16

How do antibiotics play into treatment of abcesses?

Answer 16

Indicated in the majority of cases - whether or not surgery has been indicated

Question 17

In normal patients, anaerobes above the diaphragm are ________ _________ and those below it are __________ ________.

Answer 17

penicilin susceptible

penicillin resistant

Question 18

Large gram-positive spore-forming rod genus.

Answer 18

Clostridium

Question 19

What are the different Clostridiums that we are going over?

Answer 19

C. tetani
C. botulinum
C. perfringens
C. difficile

Question 20

Intermittent tonic spasms of voluntary muscles caused by plasmid-encoded protein

Answer 20

Tetanus

Question 21

What is the plasmid encoded exotoxin that causes tetanus?

Answer 21

Tatanospasmin

Question 22

Paralysis due to tetanus is due to what?

Answer 22

Muscles are so tight that you cannot move

Question 23

Tetanus may follow from fairly trivial wounds after about - days.

Answer 23

5-10

Question 24

Which nerves go into spasm first in tetanus? Why? What is the clinical manifestation?

Answer 24

Cranial nerves b/c they are the smallest

lockjaw = trismus

Question 25

What is the medical word for lock-jaw?

Answer 25

Trismus

Question 26

What is risus sardonicus?

Answer 26

Mouth in involuntary smile, associated with tetanus

Question 27

spasm of the muscles causing backward arching of the head, neck, and spine

Answer 27

opisthotonus in severe tetanus

Question 28

Clostridium tetani has what type of spores?

Answer 28

Terminal spores

Question 29

What is the key to tetanus prevention?

Answer 29

Immunization - antibodies neutralize the toxin before it fixes to nerve synapses

Question 30

What happens once the toxin is fixed to a nerve synapse?

Answer 30

it cannot be neutralized

Question 31

What is the treatment of tetanus?

Answer 31

Intensive medical support with surgical excision of the injured tissue, administration of penicillin and TIG

Question 32

What is TIG?

Answer 32

hyperimmune globulin

Question 33

What type of paralysis does C. botulinum cause?

Answer 33

Flaccid paralysis (have to put on respirator if very severe)

Question 34

What are the different forms in which the botulism toxin can be found?

Answer 34

Preformed - foodborne botulism
Elaborated from wound infections - wound botulism
Enteric infections - infant botulism, adult colonization botulism

Question 35

One case of botulism constitutes what?

Answer 35

an outbreak and is considered an emergency

Question 36

Botulism toxin is what? (how strong)

Answer 36

Very potent - remember the ink blot and mice killing

Question 37

What are most cases of C. botulinum due to?

Answer 37

From improper home canning, especially alkaline foods

Question 38

Bacteria, in general, won’t grow in what conditions?

Answer 38

acidic

Question 39

Why is it difficult to detect C. botulinum?

Answer 39

No smell emanating, no gas - no indication of something wrong in contaminated food

Question 40

Why should kids under the age of 1 not be fed honey?

Answer 40

B/c it may contain C. botulinum spores

Question 41

What procedures reduce C. botulinum mortality to less than 25%?

Answer 41

Respiratory support and antitoxin therapy

Question 42

How is the C. botulinum toxin used cosmetically?

Answer 42

Botox