Bacterial Pneumonia 2

Question 1

what are the characteristics of Legionella?

Answer 1

1. gram - rods
2. stains poorly by Gram –> requires silver or IF in tissue sections
3. facultative intracellular parasites
4. free-living form is motile (flagella) and intracellular form is non-motile

Question 2

what are the 3 outcomes of legionella infections in human?

Answer 2

1. asymptomatic seroconversion
2. pontiac fever
   1) flulike
   2) incubates hours - 2days
   3) resolves w/o complication
3. Legionnaires Dz
   1) pneumonia
   2) suppression of kidney function
   3) incubates 2-10 days
   4) usually resolves with hospitalization & treatment

Question 3

what are the presentation of LD?

Answer 3

1. altered mental status
2. headache
3. high fever/chills
4. pneumonia/cough/chest pain
5. pancreatitis
6. diarrhea

Question 4

what is the fast way to diagnose legionella infection?

Answer 4

urine antigen test (commercial ELISA kit)

Question 5

treatments for legionella infection?

Answer 5

1. pontiac fever often resolves w/o treatment
2. LD requires an antibiotic that penetrates infected cells
   1) levofloxacin
   2) azithromycin
   3) old school: erythromycin

Question 6

what are the characteristics of mycoplasma bacteriology?

Answer 6

1. smallest free living organism
2. strictly aerobic
3. no cell wall
4. colonies have “fried-egg” shape