Congenital Infections Flashcards
Define congenital infection
- An infection acquired transplacentally during gestation
List as many common congenital infections as you can
From TO note CHEAP TORCHES C: Chicken pox/shingles H: Hep B E: Epstein-Barr A: Aid (HIV) P: Parvovirus B19 T: Toxicoplasmosis O: Other (covered in longer acronym - so nothing else? Tuberculosis) R: Rubella virus C: CMV/Coxsackievirus H: HSV E: Every other STI (N. gonorhoeae, Chlamydia) S: Syphilis
Many clinical manifestions from congenitial infections are similar regardless of infection what are some common problems?
- Intrauterine growth restriction
- Non-immune hydrops fetalis
- anemia
- thrombocytopenia
- jaundice
- hepatosplenomegaly
- chorioretinitis
- congenital malformation
What is hydrops fetalis?
Abnormal accumulation of fluid in 2 or more fetal compartments:
- Ascites
- Pleural effusion
- Pericardial effusion
- Skin edema
Which pathogen causes toxoplasmosis?
- Toxoplasma gondii
What classic triad would you expect to see in a patient with toxoplasmosis?
1) hydrocephalus
2) chorioretinitis
3) intracranial calcifications.
How is the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis confirmed?
- Serum IgG antibody testing
How would you treat an infant with toxoplasmosis?
1) Pyrimethamine (with folic acid)
- Works by interfering with folic acid pathway
2) Sulfadiazine
- Also works by interfering with folic acid pathway at a different level
* Note therapy is prolonged often, sometimes up to a year
How is toxoplasmosis transmitted?
- Contamination with cat feces
- Undercooked meat
How would you counsel a pregnant patient when discussing ways to prevent congenital toxoplasmosis infection?
- Avoid cat litter box
What is the classic triad of clinical features associated with congenital rubella?
- What other features are common?
Eyes, Heart, Ears
1) Sensorineural deafness
2) Eye abnormalities
- cataracts
- retinopathy
- microphthalmia
3) Congenital heart disease
- PDA
- pulmonary artery stenosis
- Other features
- Blue berry muffin rash (due to dermal erythropoesis)
- hepatosplenomegaly
- encephalitis
How is rubella diagnosed?
- IgM antibodies for recent infection
- IgG antibodies over sever months can confirm
- Rubella can be isolated from urine, blood, CSF and throat swabs
How long should a baby with congenital rubella stay away from pregnant women and why?
- 1 year
- Infants are chronically and persistently infected and tend to shed the virus for 1 year
True or False: Children born to adolescents are 3-7 times more likely to be infected with CMV?
True
How is cytomegalovirus diagnosed?
- Diagnosed by detection of virus in the urine or saliva by culture
- Can take several weeks
- Detection withing the first 3 weeks of life is considered proof of a congenital infection
What is the leading cause of non-hereditary sensorineural hearing loss in infants?
- Cytomeglovirus