diagnosing infection

Question 1

Antimicrobial stewardship

Answer 1

Decrease antibiotic resistance, C. diff infections, costs

Increase good patient outcomes

ensure all orders have dose, duration, and indications

get cultures before starting antibiotics

Question 2

Clinical signs & symptoms of infection

Answer 2

Used as diagnostic & monitoring tools

General or site specific

Question 3

Symptom

Answer 3

Subjective sensation by patient

Things the patient tells us

Question 4

Sign

Answer 4

objective evidence

things the examiner can see

Question 5

general signs and symptoms of infection

Answer 5

Fever: generally defined as 100.4° F (38C)
1 ° F Rectal > oral > 1 ° F axillary

WBC, Heart rate (HR), Blood pressure (BP)

Question 6

Site specific signs and symptoms of infection

Answer 6

Local signs of pain and inflammation

Swelling, erythema, tenderness, purulent drainage

Imaging

Question 7

Other non-specific labs and tests

Answer 7

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)

C-reactive protein (CRP)