Bacterial Pathogens Flashcards
12 Considerations for Antibiotic Usage
- *1. What condition are you treating?
- *2. What bacteria generally cause this type of infection?
3. What ABX are usually active against those bacteria?
4. What are the local resistance patterns (Antibiogram)?
5. Can the ABX reach the site of infection (organ penetration)?
6. What is the optimal route of administration?
7. Are there any contraindications?
8. Are dose adjustments needed (renal/hepatic disease)?
9. Are there any drug-drug interactions?
10. Is monitoring required?
11. Can a narrow-spectrum ABX be used after pathogen identification/sensitivities are available?
12. What is the planned duration of therapy?
Main Bacteria Groups
- Gram “+”
- Gram “-“
- Anaerobes
- Atypicals
Gram “+” Examples
- Staphylococci
- Streptococci
- Pneumococci
- Enterococci
Gram “-“ Examples
- Enterobacteriaceae
- Pseudomonas
- Gram-negative cocci/coccobacilli
Gram “+” Classifications
- Shape
- Production of proteins
- Hemolysis capabilities
Gram “+” Cocci - 1st/2nd Differentiation
- First: Catalase Test
- Chains/Pairs: catalase “-“
- Clusters: catalase “+”
- Second: Coagulase Test (for catalase “+”)
- Positive or Negative
Catalase Negative - Chain Examples
- Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS)
- Viridans streptococcus
Catalase Negative - Pair Examples (Diplococci)
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- E. faecalis (former Group D. Strept)
- E. faecium (former Group D. Strept)
Catalase “+”/Coagulase “+” Example
S. Aureus (MSSA, MRSA)
Catalase “+”/Coagulase “-“ Example
S. epidermidis
S. lugdunensis
S. saprophyticus
Staphylcocci
- Common colonizers of skin/nose and cause range of infections
- Gram “+” clusters, Catalase “+” bacterium
- Mild to severe skin infections (ABSSSI/SSTI), life threatening pneumonia, and endocarditis
- Can also cause UTIs, post surgical infections, catheter infections, osteomyelitis, and more
MSSA
Methicillin-sensitive staphylcoccus aureus
MRSA
Methicillin-resistant staphylcoccus aureus
HA-MRSA
Heathcare-associated Methicillin-resistant staphylcoccus aureus
CA-MRSA
Community-acquired Methicillin-resistant staphylcoccus aureus
ABSSSI
Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections
SSTI
- Skin and soft tissue infections
- EX: cellulitis, furuncles/carbuncles, wounds, trauma
Biofilms
- Innately resistant to antibiotics
- Difficult to treat and act as a source for bacterial dissemination
- May have to remove devices with biofilm development (catheters)
Biofilms + Abx Resistance
- Slow growth/metabolism of bacterial in biofilm (Abx often target replicating/metabolically active bacteria)
- Structure of biofilm (ECM proteins, bacterial proteins, dead bacteria, DNA) may limit penetration/diffusion
Streptococci
- Gram “+”, catalase “-“
- Chains/pairs
- Differentiated by hemolytic phenotype on blood agar or by Lancefield system
- Infections ranging from strep throat to endocarditis/meningitis
Streptococci + Blood Agar Types
- Alpha-Hemolytic: partial hemolysis, green/brown
- Beta-Hemolytic: complete, clear
- Gamma-hemolytic: no hemolysis
Alpha-Hemolytic Bacterium Examples
- **S. pneumoniae
- **Viridans streptococci
- S. mutans
- S. salivarius
- S. mitis
Beta-Hemolytic Bacterium Examples
- Broken down by Lancefield classes based on cell wall carbohydrates
- **Group A S. pyogenes (GAS)
- Group B - S. agalacitae
GAS Infection Examples
- Cellulitis, necrotizing fasciitis (SSTI)
- Pharyngitis (strep throat)
- Rheumatic fever
- Scarlet fever
- Glomerulonephritis
Group B S. Agalacitae Infection Example
Neonatal meningitis
Viridans Streptococci Infection Examples
- Dental caries
- Bacteremia/endocarditis in immunocompromised
Streptococcus Pneumoniae
- One of the most common causers of URTI
- Alpha hemolytic
- Gram “+” diplococci
- Polysaccharide capsule is target for vaccine
URTI
Upper respiratory tract infection
Streptococcus Pneumoniae Infection Examples
- Otitis media
- Sinusitis
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia (CAP)
- Pneumonia secondary to flu
- Meningitis
- Bacteremia
Encapsulated Bacteria + Asplenic Patients
- Difficult to clear
- Lack filtration mechanisms provided by splenic macrophages
- Risk for fulminant sepsis syndrome
Examples of Encapsulated Bacterium
- S. pneumoniae
- H. influenzae
- N. meningitidis
Enterococci
- Used to be Group D Streptococcus
- Gamma-hemolysis
- Gram “+” diplococci or short chains
- Opportunistic
- Antibiotic resistance is their best defense
- Commonly colonize GI and female genital tracts
Enterococci Infection Examples
- UTIs
- Intraabdominal infections
- Bacteremia
- Endocarditis
Enterococci Bacterium Examples
- E. faecalis: increased prevalence, decreased AMR
- E. faecium: decreased prevalence, increased AMR
AMR
Antimicrobial resistance
Gram “-“ Classifications
- Shape
- Lactose fermentation
- Oxidase and H2S production
Lactose Fermentation Test
- Grow on MacConkey’s agar
- Turns pink when lactose is fermented
Oxidase Assay
- Tests for bacterial cytochrome c oxidases
- Part of cellular respiration
- Turns paper blue if the enzyme is present
H2S Assay
- Cysteine or thiosulfate in medium
- Utilizes enzymatic action to produce H2S from the medium
Gram “-“ Shape Distinctions
- Diplococci
- Coccobacilli
- Bacilli
- Comma-Shapes (all oxidase positive)
Largest group: Rod/bacilli
Coccobacilli Bacteria Example
-H. influenzae
Diplococci Bacteria Examples
- N. meningitidis
- N. gonorrhoeae
Bacilli Bacteria Example
- E. coli
- Klebsiella spp.
- Proteus spp.
- S. marcescens
- Enterobacter spp.
- Pseudomonas spp.
H. influenzae
- No capsule: colonizes URT causing otitis media, sinusitis, CAP
- Encapsulated: more virulent, not regular colonizer, causes meningitis and sepsis
N. meningitidis
- Humans are the only natural host
- Colonizes oro/nasopharynx
- Encapsulated
- Causes meningitis and less commonly PNA
N. gonorrhoeae
-STD
Moraxella Catarrhalis
- Gram “-“ diplococci
- Infections: otitis media, PNA, sinusitis
Bordatella Pertussis
- Gram “-“ coccobacillus
- Whooping cough
Acinetobacter spp.
- Gram “-“ rods and coccobacillus (depending on growth)
- Usually encapsulated
- HA- and CA- infections
- HIGHLY antibiotic resistant
- Infections: PNA, bacteremia, wound infections
Enterobacteriaceae
- Heterogeneous family of Gram “-“ rods
- *DON’T CONFUSE WITH ENTEROCOCCI**
- Normally inhabit intestines of humans/animals
- Examples: E. coli, Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp., Enterobacter spp., Serratia marcescens, Salmonella enterica, Shigella spp.
Pseudomonas spp.
- Gram “-“ rods, non-lactose fermenting, oxidase “+”
- Highly antibiotic resistant and opportunistic (HA-infections)
- Increased risks: immunocompromised, broad-spectrum antibiotic use, ventilation equipment
- Form Biofilms
- Can be fatal
Pseudomonas spp. Infections
- Cystic fibrosis in immunocompromised (P. aeruginosa)
- Chronic obstructive lung disease
- Nosocomial infections
- HAP
- Febrile neutropenia
- SSTI (burns, trauma, post-surgical)
- UTI
Spriochete Bacteria
- Treponema pallidum: Gram “+”, causes syphilis
- Borrelia burgdorferi: Gram “-“, causes Lyme disease
Clostridium spp.
- Gram “+” anaerobic rods
- C. difficile: most serious causes of Abx resistant diarrhea
- C. perfringens: food poisoning, has hangrene
Bacteroides fragilis
- Gram “-“ anaerobic rods
- Colonize gut
- Usually 0.5% of fecal flora
- Involved in 90% of anaerobic peritoneal infections
Atypical Bacteria
- Live inside hosts
- Do not gram stain
- Not normal colonizers
- Multiply intracellularly
- Frequent cause of CAP
Legionella Pneumophila
- Atypical bacteria
- Grow inside amoebae in environment
- Grow inside macrophages in humans
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
- Atypical bacteria
- No peptidoglycan cell wall
- Cell membrane contains sterols taken from host serum
- Can fuse with host cells (intracellular survival)
Chlamydia spp.
- Atypical bacteria
- Obligate intracellular organism
- C. trachomatis: STD and blindness
- C. pneumoniae: URTI
Cell Walls + Shock
Bacterial cell wall lipopolysaccharide is cause of endotoxic shock
- LPS: endotoxin
- Cell wall component of Gram “-“ bacteria
- Endotoxin that causes septic “shock” from inflammatory response
Simplified Bacterial Classification
- Gram “+”: Staph., Strept., Entero.
- Gram “-“: almost everything else for this block
- Anaerobes: Clostridium, Bacteroides
- Atypical: Legionella, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia