General Antimicrobial/Infection Flashcards
What lab values are relevant the treatment of infections?
Culture and Sensitivity
WBC
What is a normal WBC
5,000-10,000
What are the assessments are needed to monitor the status of the infection?
- Temp
- Source of infection/ assess for improving/worsening symptoms
- WBC improvement
_______ only treat bacterial infections; they do not treat viral infections.
Antibiotics
Slow the growth of bacteria
Bacteriostatic agents
Kill bacteria
Bactericidal agents
As organisms mutate, strains may develop that are resistant to antibiotics that were previously effective against earlier versions of that organism.
Acquired Resistance
Factors that contribute to the rising number of resistant organisms include:
- Failure to complete antibiotic prescriptions.
- Overuse of antibiotics when the infection is not bacteria
________ often driven by an enzyme produced by the organism called __________. This enzyme can inactivate many antibiotics that have a _______ ring.
Resistance; beta-lactamase; beta-lactam
adding a beta-lactamase inhibitor as a component of the antibiotic makes the organism vulnerable to the antibiotic once more.
Treatment of acquired resistance
- Educate patients to ________ all antibiotic prescriptions.
- Antibiotics should only be prescribed for _____ infections. _______ infections do not respond to antibiotics and over-prescribing of antibiotics contributes to the emergence of resistant organisms.
- Occurs when pathogen acquires gene for bacterial resistance through _______.
complete; bacterial; Viral; mutation
- Use of culture and sensitivity testing
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics
- Narrow-spectrum antibiotics
- Host factors influence choice of antibiotics
Selection of Antibiotics
Effective for a wide variety of bacteria
Broad-spectrum antibiotics
Effective for narrow group of bacteria
Narrow spectrum antibiotics
- Immune system status
- Local condition at infection site
- Allergic reactions
- Age
- Pregnancy
Host Factors Influence Choice of Antibiotics
- Examination of specimen for microorganisms (urine, blood, sputum, wound, drainage, etc.)
- Tested for sensitivity to different antibiotics
Culture and sensitivity testing
Bacteria may take several days to identify
________ hours is typical
48 – 72 (culture/sensitivity)
_______ may take several weeks to identify
Viruses
_____________ antibiotics may be started before lab culture results are available.
- It is ideal to collect the specimen for culture before starting antibiotics.
Broad spectrum
The advantage to knowing the ________ test results (positive or negative) is that the results are available immediately and it can guide antibiotic selection.
gram stain
Secondary infections that occur when too many host flora are killed by an antibiotic. Host flora prevent growth of pathogenic organisms.
Superinfection
may result from the use of an antibiotic. In addition to stopping the pathogen causing the infection, the antibiotic may harm the friendly bacteria.
Cause of Superinfection
_________ which may present as a yeast infection in the mouth (thrush) or as a vaginal yeast infection.
candidiasis (superinfection)
_______________ often caused by C. Diff. This
condition causes severe diarrhea that may contain mucus and blood. Can occur weeks after the ATB use.
Pseudomembranous colitis (superinfection)
Administration of medication to treat the secondary infection.
Treatment of superinfection
A potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to an infection damages it’s own tissues.
Sepsis
When the ____________ processes turn on the body, they cause organs to function poorly and abnormally. _________ can lead to organ failure.
infection-fighting; sepsis
The risk of sepsis __________ with specific conditions such as pneumonia, urinary infections, GI infections, bloodstream
infection, and wounds or burns.
Increases
The risk of sepsis is _________ in persons with a compromised immune system.
Increased
- The patient has a confirmed infection.
- Mental Status Changes – confusion.
- Decreased blood pressure; Respiratory rate at or above 22
- Fever; and tachycardia
Signs and symptoms of sepsis
- Aggressive intravenous antibiotic therapy if the source is bacterial.
- If a fungal infection is suspected, the treatment is intravenous antifungal therapy.
Treatment of sepsis
