Block 9 Flashcards
What are basket cells?
They surround the base of the hair follicle and sense pressure.
What are the 3 main layers in the skin?
Epidermis, dermis, sub cutis
What are merkel cells?
They are found at the basal layer of the epidermis and acts as sensory receptors.
What are the 4 layers of the epidermis?
Basal layer
Stratum spinosum
Stratum granulosum
Stratum corneum
What are the 2 layers of the dermis and their functions?
There are 2 layers: Papillary layer (most superficial): thin arrangement of collagen, highly vascular Reticular layer: collagen fibres are thick and lie parallel to the skin, provides structure and elasticity. Supports sweat glands and hair follicles, contains nerves.
What are the functions of the skin?
Prevents dehydration Protects the body from toxins Innate immunity Protects from UV Sensory reception Temperature regulation Calcium homeostasis
Define a 1st degree burn and how it heals
Only affects epidermis - red, no blisters and painful
Dermis supports regeneration of epidermis and the skin gets inflamed to encourage the clean up of cells
Define a 2nd degree burn and how it heals
Effects the papillary dermis - Red, blisters and very painful
Some of the skins accessory organs remain - hairs and glands. Epithelial cells that line these structures have the ability to divide and regenerate the epidermis
Define a 3rd degree burn and how it heals
All of the dermis is removed - white, no blisters, no pain
Requires a skin graft to heal - strong risk of infection
Describe the zones of a burn
Zone of coagulation - this occurs at the point of maximum damage. Here there is irreversible loss of tissue due to coagulation of constituent proteins
Zone of stasis - decreased tissue perfusion, tissue is potentially salvageable. Burns resuscitation will increase tissue perfusion
Zone of hyperaemia - outermost area, tissue perfusion, tissue will recover
What are the systemic responses and what is the body burn percentage required?
30% of total body surface area - release of cytokines Peripheral vasoconstriction Myocardial contractility Systemic hypotension Bronchoconstiction Increased basal metabolic rate Decreased regulation of immune response
How does a blister occur?
Mechanical fatigue of the epidermis
Fatigue causes a split in the stratum spinosum
Separation and hydrostatic pressure allows a fluid pocket to form in the space
New cells divide in the basal layer to allow repair
Advantages and disadvantages of solid medication
Advantages
- more accurate in a full tablet dose
- Can have a timed release
- easier to transport
- less expensive to produce
Disadvantages
- harder to swallow, choking hazard
- lower absorption rate
- inaccurate for smaller doses
Advantages and disadvantages of liquid medication
Advantages
- easier to swallow
- can accurately measure small doses using a syringe
- rapid absorption
Disadvantages
- specialist equipment required for measurement
- more expensive to produce
- taste
Risk factors for atheromas
Increased age Male Strong family history Smoking Obesity Hypertension Hyperlipidaemia Diabetes Genetics Increased alcohol intake South Asian or african
What happens in reversible cell injury?
Impaired mitochondrial function cessation of oxidative phosphorylation Fall in ATP impaired functioning of energy dependent Na+ pump Na+ and water enter the cytoplasm
Define necrosis and describe the range of cellular appearances
Cell death. Cytoplasmic changes - swelling - increased eosinophilia - increased binding to denatured proteins - Glassy appearance: vacuolation
Nuclear changes
- dark clumps (PYKNOSIS)
- fragmentation (KARYORRHEXIS)
- dissolution (KARYOLYSIS)
Define apoptosis and describe the range of cellular appearances
Programmed cell death
Absence of inflammatory tissue reaction - occasionally seen in disease states, can lead to neoplasms
What are the 4 stages of apoptosis?
- Induction: signal transduction, damage to mitochondrial membrane, DNA and cell membrane
- Effector: signalling and other initiating events integrated by specific proteins, modulation of mitochondrial membrane permeability, accumulation of p53
- Degradation: activation of caspases, cross-linkage of structural proteins, DNA degradation
- Phagocytosis: attraction of macrophages, binding of thrombomodulin
What are the different types of necrosis?
- Coagulative: infarcts
- Liquefactive: infections
- Caseous: TB
- Fat necrosis: acute pancreatitis
- Fibrinoid: immune reaction in vessels
- Gangrenous: entire limb loses blood supply
Define: atheroma
accumulation and swelling in artery walls made up of macrophage cells, debris, lipids, calcium and connective tissue
NO ADIPOSE CELLS - macrophages that have taken up oxidised LDL
What are the 3 steps involved in the formation of atheromas?
- Fatty streaks develop in the site of stress, monocytes migrate in the intimal wall and absorb lipids
- Monocytes become foam cells and die off. Cells from the tunica media stabilise the lipid pod forming a fibrous cap.
- Plaque continues to grow, disrupting normal blood flow. It can then become unstable and form a thrombus
Define: infarction
Tissue death (necrosis) caused by a local lack of oxygen due to an obstruction of the tissues blood supply
Causes of infarction?
Obstruction Compression Trauma Vasoconstriction Hypotension Torsion
What are white and red infarctions?
White - affects solid organs. There is arterial obstruction to solid tissues
Red - occlusion of a vein, congested tissues, tissues with dual circulation
What are the 3 principal components of ischemia?
Hypoxia
Insufficiency of metabolic substrates
Accumulation of metabolic waste
What are the steps of the ischaemic cascade?
- Lack of oxygen causes a lack of energy (ATP) so the cell switches to anaerobic metabolism
- ATP transport pumps fail and calcium flows into the cell
- Increased calcium generates free radicals, reactive O2 species and enzymes
- Cell membrane is broken down as are mitochondria
- Death of cells and inflammatory response
Describe the structure of a hair
Inner - Medulla
Middle - cortex
Outer - cuticle
What are the 5 steps of wound healing?
Haemostasis (formation of fibrin blood clot)
Inflammation (removal of bacteria and damaged tissue)
Fibroplasia and angiogenesis (fibroblasts lay down new collagen)
Epithelisation (migration and mitosis of keratinocytes)
Remodelling
Describe a gram negative cell wall
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the outer surface with a thin layer of peptidoglycan between the inner and outer layer
Under a gram stain it appears pink
Describe a gram positive cell wall
Teichoic acid on the outer surface and a thick layer of peptidoglycan.
Under a gram stain it appears violet.
Define pneumonia and the different types
Any infection of lung parenchyma and can result whenever defence mechanisms are impaired.
Community acquired, hospital acquired, aspiration and chronic
What are the bacterial causes for pneumonia?
Steptococcus pneumoniae (most common) Haemophilus influenzae Moraxella catarrhalis Staphylococcus aureus Klebsiella pneumoniae
Staphylcoccus Aureua (hospital acquired)
What is the difference between lobar and lobular?
Lobular - patchy consolidation of the lung
Lobar - consolidation of an entire lobe
What are the 4 stages of the inflammatory response of lobar pneumonia?
- Congestion (lung is boggy and red, vascular enlargement)
- Red hepatisation (confluent exudation of neutrophils and red cells, fibrin fills alveolar space)
- Grey hepatisation (disintegration of red cells to grey)
- Resolution (consolidated exudate undergoes enzymatic digestion
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Gram positive diplococci
Normal flora in 20% of adults
Haemophilus influenzae
Gram negative coccobacillus
Staphylococcus aureus
Gram positive cocci
Risk factors for pneumonia
Extremes of age Chronic airway disease Heart disease Suppressed immune system Smoking
Hospital acquired - being on a ventilator, antibiotic use that is prolonged and immunosuppression
Aspiration - dibilitated patients
What are the 4 different types of genetic exchange?
Transformation - free DNA taken up by the cell
Transduction - DNA transfer by bacteriophage
Conjugation - transmission of plasmid between 2 bacteria
Transposons - jumping genes
What are the causes and implications of antibiotic resistance?
Causes:
INAPPROPRIATE PRESCRIBING
Implications: Increased infections which are harder to treat Increased morbidity and mortality Prolonged hospital stay and complication Economic cost Increased patient worry
What are the 4 main routes for infection to enter the CNS?
Haematogenous
Direct implantation
Local extension
Transport along peripheral nervous system
What are the main causes of meningitis in the 3 different age groups?
Neonates - Escherichia coli & group B streptococcus
Adolescents - neisseria meningitidis
Elderly - streptococcus pneumoniae and listeria monocytogenes
What are the signs of meningitis?
Headache Photophobia Irritability Clouding of consciousness Neck stiffness Cloudy CSF Petechial rash (only in neisseria meningitidis) Sudden onset Positive Kernigs
What causes cloudy CSF in meningitis?
Increased neutrophils
increased protein
decreased glucose
What vaccines are available for meningitis?
A and C
No B
Neisseria meningitidis
Gram positive diplococcus
Escherischa Coli
Gram negative baccilus
Group B streptococcus
Gram positive streptococcus
Listeria monocytogenes
Gram positive baccilus
What is the mechanism of antibiotic hypersensitivity?
Type 2 hypersensitivity
Beta lactam ring forms bonds with the body self proteins
It binds to erythrocytes forming a HAPTEN
This elicits TH2 response
IgE antibodies to self
Causes haemolytic anaemia
Public health protocol for meningitis?
Contacts are trace
Information is given to schools and universities
Cases referred to hospital quickly
Cases are investigated properly
Referred to disease control
Notify the HPA
Chemoprophylaxis is given if they have lived in the same household for a week
Chemoprophylaxis for meningitis?
Rifampicin
Ciprofloxacin
Define: strict pathogen
not found in normal flora
Define: opportunistic infection
normal flora that cause disease when given to unprotected sites
Define: faculative pathogen
can grow and survive in the environment as well as the host
How can viruses be categorised?
Enveloped vs naked
Single strand vs double strand
Positive sense vs negative sense
DNA vs RNA
Limitations of antivirals
few drugs are available drug resistance high mutagenic rate latent and persistent infections other interactions causing side effects expensive adherence to medication
How is varicella zoster spread?
aerosol or direct contact
Describe the infection pattern of VZV
Primary infection in childhood
Can be reactivated in later life
VZV perrsists in the dorsal root ganglion of sensory nerves
Clinical features of VZV (chicken pox)?
burning discomfort in dermatome discrete vesicles after 3-4 days brief viraemia severe prolonged rash thoracic dermatomes most common, however can be opthalmic
Varicella Zoster Virus
- transmission
- virus structure
Herpes virus
Double stranded DNA virus, capsulated
Highly cell associated and attached to proteoglycan on cell surface
transmitted via the respiratory route and direct contact
Epidemiology of VZV
Epidemics more prevalent in temperate climates
Epidemics occur in later winter and spring
Varicella between 5 and 10 years
incidence = birth rate
Zoster - 3/1000/year most common in over 45s
More common in those with immunosuppression, leukaemia, steroid therapy.
Pathogenesis of varicella zoster virus
- Primary viraemic stage - virus travels to regional lymph nodes and liver for incubation period (14 days)
- Secondary viraemic stage - spread to skin and mucous membranes and viral release into the respiratory system
- Maculopapular phase - vasculitis and fusion of epithelial cells. Also affects cells of lymphatic vessels
- Vesicular phase - ballooning degeneration of epithelial cells, fluid fills spaces between cells
Consequences of inadequate body response to VZV
Varicella pneumonia (infection of alveoli and inadequate oxygen transfer)
- Transient hepatitis (extensive viral replication in the liver and hepatocellular destruction)
- Varicella encepholitis
- Cerebellar ataxia
- Thrombocytopaenia