Bacterial Infections Flashcards
An infection caused by bacteria
Bacterial infections
Affect a single area in the body, such as the sinuses, lungs, ears, or urinary tract
Bacterial infections
Signs and Symptoms: Bacterial Infections
- Fever, body malaise
- Signs of inflammation
Management: Bacterial Infections
- Antibiotics
- Hydration
- Rest
An infection of the meninges (the covering of the brain and spinal cord)
Bacterial meningitis
Triad symptoms of Bacterial Meningitis
- Meningism (nuchal rigidity)
- Photophobia
- Headache
Bacteria spread to the brain and spinal cord from an infection in another part of the body
Bacterial Meningitis
Signs and Symptoms: Bacterial Meningitis
- High fever, nausea, vomiting
- Confused or difficult to awaken
- (+) Brudzinski’s sign, (+) Kernig’s sign
- Opisthotonos
The appearance of involuntary lifting of the legs in meningeal irritation when lifting a patient’s head of the examining cough, with the patient lying supine
Brudzinski’s sign
When the legs is bent at the hip and knee 90 degree angles, and subsequent extension in the knee is painful (leading to resistance)
Kernig’s sign
Spasm of the whole body that leads to legs and head being bent back and body bowed backwards
Opisthotonos
Types of Meningitis
- Acute
- Subacute
- Chronic
Types of Meningitis
Almost always a bacterial infection
Acute Meningitis
Types of Meningitis
Bacterial and viral infection
Subacute Meningitis
Types of Meningitis
Caused by tuberculosis, syphilis, fungi (especially cryptococci) and carcinomatous meningitis
Chronic Meningitis
Management: Bacterial Meningitis
- Antibiotics
- Anticonvulsants
- Corticosteroids to reduce brain swelling and inflammation
- Sedatives for irritability or restlessness
- Droplet precaution
Hansen’s Disease
Leprosy
Chronic infectious disease usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves but has a wide range of possible clinical manifestations
Leprosy
Causative agent: Leprosy
Mycobacterium leprae
Leprosy
8 years after signs and symptoms to appear
Lepromatous
Types of Hansen’s Disease
- Paucibacillary Hansen’s Disease (Tuberculoid)
- Multibacillary Hansen’s Disease (Lepromatous)
Types of Hansen’s Disease
Milder and characterized by one or more hypopigmented skin macules
Paucibacillary Hansen’s Disease (tuberculoid)
Types of Hansen’s Disease
Associated with symmetric skin lesions, nodules, plaques, thickened dermis, and frequent involvement of the nasal mucosa - resulting in nasal congestion and epistaxis
Multibacillary Hansen’s Disease (lepromatous)
Multidrug Therapy for Leprosy
Multibacillary Leprosy
Rifampicin 600mg once a month
Dapsone 100mg daily
Clofazimine 300mg one a month, 50mg daily
Duration: 12months
Multidrug Therapy for Leprosy
Paucibacillary Leprosy
Rifampicin 600mg once a month
Dapsone 100mg daily
Duration: 6months
Multidrug Therapy for Leprosy
Single Skin Lesion Paucibacillary Leprosy
Rifampicin 600mg
Ofloxacin 400mg
Minocycline 100mg
An upper respiratory tract illness characterized by sore throat, low-grade fever, and an adherent membrane (pseudomembrane) on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nose
Diphtheria
Causative agent: Diphtheria
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Anaerobic gram-positive bacterium
Diagnostic testing for Diphtheria
- Isolation of Corynebacterium diphtheriae from a clinical specimen
- Schick test
A serious and often fatal disease caused by the neurotoxin tetanospasmin which is produced by the Clostridium tetani
Tetanus
Neurotoxin of Tetanus
Tetanospasmin
Tetanospasmin is produced by
Clostridium tetani
Infection usually originates from a contaminated wound, often a cut or deep puncture wound
Tetanus
The incubation period is 3 days to 15 weeks (with the average of 8 days)
Tetanus
Most of the time, the further the wound is from the CNS, the longer the incubation period
Tetanus
Signs and Symptoms: Tetanus
Trismus or muscle spasms in the jaw
Difficulty swallowing
General muscle stiffness in other parts of the body
A highly characteristic, abnormal, sustained spasm of the facial muscles that appears to produce grinning
Risus sardonicus
Whooping cough
Pertussis
Causative agent: Pertussis
Bordetella
Bordetella pertussis
Bordetella parapertussis
Easily transmitted from person to person, mainly through droplets
First symptoms generally appear 7-10 days after infection
Pertussis
Treatment: Pertussis
Antibiotics
Pertussis vaccine
Specific antibiotics for Pertussis
- Erythromycin
- Azithromycin
- Clarithromycin
Complications of Pertussis
- Pneumonia (common complication)
- Seizures and Encephalopathy (rare)