Chapter 5: Infection Flashcards
Signs and symptoms of infection?
- fever or malaise, aches and pains
- pus, swelling or inflammation
- drowsiness in children
- confusion in the elderly
- worsening renal function
Clinical markers for infection?
- low blood pressure
- raised blood glucose
- high ESR, C-reactive protein, temperature, respiratory rate, pulse
What is antimicrobial stewardship and its principles?
“An organisation or healthcare system wide approach to promoting and monitoring the judicious use of antimicrobials to preserve future effectiveness”
- do not treat viral infections with antibiotics
- avoid blind prescribing
- narrow-spectrum antibiotics are preferred except for serious infections where broad spectrum is needed
- avoid prolonged therapy and complete courses
- follow national and local guidelines
- dose varies according to patient factors
- prescribed for oral infections on basis of defined need
What does the choice of antibiotic depend on?
- patient
2. causative agent
When prescribing for children what are some things to know?
- tetracyclines contraindicated in <12 yrs
- quinolones cause arthropathy (joint disease); avoid
When prescribing for the elderly what are some things to know?
- increased risk of c.diff infection; clindamycin has highest risk
- renal/liver impairment and drug interactions
Prescribing in patients who have allergies?
- penicillin-allergic = cross sensitivity with cephalosporins and other B-lactam antibiotics
- alternatives in penicillin-allergic patients
- macrolides
- metronidazole in dental infection
Prescribing in renal impairment ?
- nephrotoxicity: aminoglycoside, glycopeptide
AVOID: - tetracyclines (except minocycline/doxycycline)
- nitrofurantoin (eGFR<45)
Prescribing in hepatic impairment ?
- hepatotoxicity = rifampicin, tetracyclines
- reduce metronidazole dose if severely impaired
- cholestatic jaundice:
- co-amoxiclav
- flucloxacillin
Prescribing in pregnancy?
- c/i = tetracyclines, trimethoprim
- nitrofurantoin causes nausea; avoid at term
- AVOID: MCAT (metronidazole, chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines), Quinolones and Sulphonamides
- safest antibiotics = penicillin/cephalosporin
Antibiotic cautionary and advisory label?
“space the doses evenly throughout the day and keep taking this medicine until the course is finished, unless you are told to stop.”
GI side effects of antibiotics ?
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain
What is superinfection?
Clindamycin and broad-spectrum antibiotics kill normal flora and allow selective organisms to thrive; causing antibiotic-associated coitis (c.difficile) and thrush (candida) e.g. vaginal thrush
How many people experience allergic reactions?
Around 1 in 15 people experience hypersensitivity reactions to antibiotics, especially penicillins and cephalosporins
What antibiotic is generally used for staphylococci?
Flucloxacillin
What antibiotic is generally used for MRSA?
Vancomycin
What is generally used to treat Streptococci?
Benzylpenicillin or Phenoxymethylpenicillin
What is generally used to treat anaerobic bacteria ?
Metronidazole
What is generally used to treat pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Gentamycin
Clindamycin MOA and spectrum?
Inhibits protein synthesis
Narrow spectrum + bacteriostatic ( a biological or chemical agent that stops bacteria from reproducing)
Clindamycin side effects?
- antibiotic associated colitis
- most frequently with clindamycin - can be fatal
- most common in middle-aged, elderly women, especially after operations
- counselling: if diarrhoea develops; STOP and see GP
Linezolid MOA and spectrum?
Inhibits protein synthesis. Only active against gram-positive bacteria e.g. MRSA and anaerobes
(narrow-spectrum + bacteriostatic)
Alternative to vancomycin in MRSA infection
Linezolid side effects?
- blood disorders
- optic neuropathy if >28 days use
- patient counselling: report visual symptoms; blurred vision, visual field defects and changes in visual acuity and colour vision
Linezolid intercations?
- hypertensive: SSRIs, TCAs, MAOIs (wait 2 weeks after stopping), sympathomimetics, dopaminergics, opioids, 5-HT1 agonists, buspirone, and pethidine (raises blood pressure)
- linezolid is a reversible MAOI
- avoid consuming large amount of tyramine-rich food
Trimethoprim MOA and spectrum?
Inhibits DNA synthesis
Narrow spectrum + bactericidal (kills bacteria)
Trimethoprim use and dose?
UTIs 200mg BD
Trimethoprim side effects?
- anti-folate: teratogenic in first trimester
- blood dycrasias; with long term use
- counselling: report fever, sore throat, rash, mouth ulcers, purpura, bruising, bleeding
- hyperkalaemia
What is co-trimoxaxole?
(trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole)
- use: prophylaxis and treatment of pneumocytis jrovecii pneumonia.
- side effects; rashes; SJS toxic epidermal necrolysis, photosensivity
Chloramphenicol MOA and spectrum?
Inhibits protein synthesis
Broad spectrum + bacteriostatic
Chloramphenicol use and side effects?
Use: reserved for life threatening infections (also topical use in superficial eye infections)
Side effects
- blood dyscasias
- grey baby syndrome: avoid in pregnant women
Metronidazole MOA and spectrum?
Inhibits DNA synthesis. High activity against anaerobic bacteria and protozoa.
Narrow spectrum + bactericidal
Metronidazole use?
- anaerobic infections e.g. dental infections, antibiotic-associated colitis, h.pylori, rosacea, bacterial vaginosis
- protozoal infections e.g. vaginal trichomoniasis, giadiasis
Metronidazole common side effects and counselling?
Side effects
- GI disturbances
- taste disturbance
- oral mucositis
- furred tongue
Counselling:
- take with or after food
- avoid alcohol; causes disulfram-like reaction
Nitrofurantoin MOA and spectrum?
Damages bacterial DNA
Only active urinary pathogens
(Narrow spectrum + bactericidal)
Nitrofurantoil use and side effects?
Sole use: UTIs
Side effects: nausea, risk of peipheral neuropathy in renal impairment
Nitrofurantoin and pregnancy?
Avoid at term (neonatal haemolysis)
Nitrofurantoin c/i and counselling?
c/i in infants less than 3 months
Counselling:
- take with or after food
- colours urine yellow or brown
Aminoglycosides MOA and spectrum?
Bind irreversibly to bacterial ribosomes. Active against gram-negative aerobe; pseudomonas aeruginosa
Broad spectrum + bactericidal
Aminoglycoside use and administration?
Use: severe sepsis, pyelonephritis and complicated UTI and endocarditis
Given via parenteral injection; not absorbed by gut
- gentamicin
- tobramycin
- streptomycin
- neomycin
- amikacin
Tobramycin?
Aminoglycoside
via inhaler for pseudomonal infection in cystic fibrosis
Streptomycin?
Aminoglycoside
active against mycobacteria reserved for TB
Neomycin?
Aminoglycoside
parenterally toxic. Use in bowel sterilization
Amikacin ?
Aminoglycoside
gentamicin-resistant gram negative baciili
Gentamicin use?
Active against psuedomonas aeruginosa.
Blind therapy in serious infection: with metronidazole/penicillin
What needs to be monitored with gentamicin?
Plasma concentrations –> NARROW THERAPEUTIC INDEX
- must monitor serum levels in parenteral aminoglycosides
- must be determined in:
- elderlu
- obesity
- cystic fibrosis
- high doses
- renal impairment
Gentamicin once daily regimen?
- avoid in renal impairment <20ml/min, HACEK or gram positive endocarditis, burns covering >20% of body
- consult local guidelines for serum monitoring
Gentamicin multiple dose regimens?
- monitor after 3 or 4 doses and after a dose change but in renal impairment requires more frequent and earlier monitoring
What to do in gentamicin therapy if the post dose peak level after 1 hour is too high?
Reduce dose 5-10mg/ml (3-5mg/ml for endocarditis)
What to do in gentamicin therapy if the pre dose trough level before the next dose is too high?
Increase interval <2mg/ml (<1mg/ml for endocarditis)
What to do in renal impairment when prescribed gentamicin?
Increase dosing interval
*in severe renal impairment (<30ml/min) = reduce DOSE
Gentamicin and pregnancy?
- can give gentamicin but avoid unless essential
- must monitor serum concentrations
Gentamicin side effects?
- dose-related; do not exceed 7 days
- commonly occur in elderly and in renal failure; renally cleared
- irreversible ototoxicity: monitor auditory and vestibular function before treatment (counselling: report tinnitis, hearing loss or vertigoO
- nephrotoxicity:
- aminoglycosides excreted by kidnet
- assess renal function before treatment and correct any dehydration
- signs: low urine output/creatinine clearance, high serum creatinine/urea
Other
- peripheral neruoapthy
- impaired neuromuscular transmission (c/i in mysathenia gravis)
- electrolytes HYPO K, Ca and Mg
Gentamicin interactions?
- increased risk of nephrotoxicity: ciclosporin, tacolimus, vancomycin (avoid concomitant nephrotoxic drugs)
- increased risk of ototoxicity: loop diuretics, cisplatin (avoid concomitiant ototoxic drug)
*concomitant ototoxic loop diuretics: separate by long period as possible
Glycopeptides MOA and spectrum?
Inhibits cell wall synthesis
Only active against gram-positive bacteria including MRSA
Narrow spectrum and bactericidal
Glycopeptides?
- vancomycin (active against MRSA)
- teicoplanin
- televancin (only in HAP when other antibiotics are unsuitable)
*vancomycin and teicoplanin must not be given by mouth for systemic infections
Vancomycin use?
Uses; antibiotic-associated colitis, MRSA infections
Given parenterally for serious infections
What needs to be monitored with vancomycin?
Plasma concentrations (NARROW THERAPEUTIC INDEX)
- must monitor serum concs for all patients
- monitor after 3 or 4 doses and after a dose change
- renal impairment requires earlier and regular monitoring = reduce dose
Vancomycin pre dose trough level?
10-15mg/ml
(15-20mg/ml for endocarditis, less sensitive MRSA strains OR complicated S. aureus infections) - vancomycin
Vancomycin and pregnancy?
- avoid vancomycin unless essential
- must monitor serum concentrations
Vancomycin side effects? (parenteral)
- nephrotoxicity: measure renal function, glycopeptides are renally excreted. low urine output/CrCl, high serum creatinine/urea
- ototoxicity: measure auditory function in elderly - look for signs of hearing damage etc. discontinue in signs of tinnitus
- red man syndrome: flushing of upper body caused by rapid infusion and can be associated with hypotension and bronchospasms
- blood dyscasias: monitor FBC. (neutropenia and rarely thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis
- skin disorders: SJS, itching, rashes, toxic epidermal necrolysis
- thrombophlebitis
Vancomycin interactions?
- ciclosporin (avoid concomitant nephrotoxic drugs etc)
- loop diuretics (avoid concomitant ototoxic drugs)
Tetracyclines MOA and spectrum ?
Inhibits bacterial protein synthesis; binds to ribosomal 30S subunit
Broad spectrum + bacteriostatic
Tetracyclines use?
Uses: lower RTIs, acne, rosacea, malaria, chlamydia
Tetracyclines?
- demeclocycline
- doxycycline (used in malaria and chlamydia: OD)
- lymecycline
- minocycline (broader spec but rarely used)
- oxytetracycline
- tetracycline
- tigecycline (antibiotic structurally related to tetracyclines)
Tetracycline side effects?
- benign intracranial hypertension
- counselling: stop if headache and visual disturbances.
- minocycline (rarely used): causes vertigo, dizziness, irreversible pigmentation, has greatest risk of lupus-erythematosus-like syndrome
Tetracycline c/i’s?
- children under 12
- pregnancy and breastfeeding: deposit in growing bone and teetch and causes teeth discoloration and dental (enamel) hypoplasia
Tetracyclines in renal impairment?
Avoid except doxycycline and minocycline
Tetracycline in hepatic impairment ?
Avoid or use with caution, especially with concomitant hepatotoxic drugs (tetracyclines are hepatotoxic)
Tetracycline counselling points:
PHOTOSENSITIVITY (DD)
- avoid exposure to sunlight
- spf
(doxycycline and demeclocycline)
DECREASED ABSORPTION (DOT): avoid milk! - do not take antacid, Al, Ca, iron, Mg, Zinc salts 2 hours before/after taking (demeclocycline, oxytetracycline and tetracycline)
OESOPHAGEAL IRRITATION (DMT) - swallow whole with plenty of fluid during meals sitting or standing (doxycycline caps, minocycline caps/tabs. tetracycline tabs)
Quinolones MOA and spectrum ?
Inhibits DNA synthesis
Broad spectrum + bactericidal
Quinolones uses?
Uses: lower RTIs. UTIs,
Avoid in MRSA infections (innate resistance)
Quinolones?
- ciprofloxacin
- levofloxacin
- moxifloxacin (QT prolongation, life threatening hepatotoxicity)
- nalidixic acid (1st gen; uncomplicated UTI. Avoid in eGFR<20)
- norfloxacin
- ofloxacin
Quinolones side effects?-
- seizures (lower seizure threshold): with or without previous history
- tendon damage: stop if tendonitis is suspected
- QT prolongation: leads to ventricular arrhythmias (especially moxifloxacin: c/i in risk factors for QT prolongation)
- arthropathy: avoid in pregnancy, children, adolescent
Discontinue if psychiatric, neurological and hypersensitvity reactions occur
Quinolones interactions?
- increased risk of QT prolongation; ventricular arrythmia: SSRI, quinine, amiodarone, macrolide, antipsychotics
- increased risk of seizures: ciprofloxacin and theophylline: pk and pd interaction: ciprofloxacin is an enzyme inhibitor and causes theophylline toxicity: theophylline side effect is convulsions
- NSAIDs induce convulsions
Quinolones counselling points ?
DRIVING: quinolones can impair the performance of skilled tasks; its effect is enhanced by alcohol
ANTACID AND ZINC/IRON: leave 2 hours before or after taking a quinolone. Also avoid milk with ciprofolxacin and norfloxacin
PROTECT SKIN FROM SUNLIGHT, AVOID SUNBEDS
Oflaxacin