GI Infections Flashcards
What are main issues that are contributed to antibiotic resistance?
- Underdosing or not completing courses
- Use with livestock
- Selling them over the counter in some european countries
- Possibly using the prophylactically before surgery
- Releasing large quantities of antibiotics into the environment during pharmaceutical manufacturing
What is the definition of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)?
Implies that an antimicrobial will not inhibit bacterial growth at clinically achievable concentrations
What is the definition of antimicrobial susceptibility?
Implies that an antimicrobial will inhibit bacterial growth at clinically achievable concentrations
What is the laboratory effect of resistance?
If resistant in the lab, will more often than not translate into clinical environments
What is MDR?
Multidrug resistance: non-susceptibility to at least 1 agent in 3 or more antimicrobial categories
What is XDR?
Extensively-Drug resistant: non-susceptibility to at least 1 agent in all but 2 or fewer antimicrobial categories
What is PDR?
PanDrug resistance: non-susceptibility to all agents in all antimicrobial categories (no agents can fight the buggers)
What are the 2 types of resistance?
Innate or acquired (majority)
What are the 6 main mechanism of resistance?
1) Inactivation
2) Impermeability
3) Efflux
4) By-pass
5) Pbps • Penicilan binding proteins which change the structure, so that there isn’t a perfect lock of the antibiotics to the microbe
6) Altered target
What are the 3 mechanisms by which bacteria can transfer the resistant genes?
- Bacterial transformation (direct uptake)
- Bacterial transduction (via a virus)
- Bacterial conjugation (through mating)
What are the 4 main solutions to reducing AMR?
- Preventing infections and preventing spread of disease
- Tracking these resistant bugs
- Improving antibiotic prescribing and use, aka stewardship
- Developing new drugs
What is antimicrobial stewardship?
The optimal selection, dosage, and duration of antimicrobial treatment that results in the best clinical outcome for the treatment or prevention of infection, with minimal toxicity to the patient and minimal impact on subsequent resistance
What are the 4 D’s of antimicrobial stewardship?
Dose, Duration, Drug and De-escalation
In terms of prescribing, what things must be addressed to reduce resistance?
- Broad spectrum antibiotic therapy (choose combination of narrow spectrum instead)
- Long duration of therapy (give for as short as possible)
- Low or suboptimal dose of antibiotic
- Route of therapy makes no difference IV vs Oral)
- Total amount of antibiotic use
- Giving antibiotic in the absence of infection
What are host factors that increase risk of GI infections?
- Age (very young & elderly)
- ↓ gastric acid secretion
- ↓ gut motility
- Influence of colonic microflora
- Altered intestinal immunity
What is the definition of diarrhoea?
3 or more loose stools in 24 hours
What kind of bacteria is campylobacter (c. jejuni or c. coli)?
Gram negative bacillus
What is the incubation period of campylobacter?
3-10 days
What is the commonest cause of bacterial GI infection in the UK?
Campylobacter
What is the mechanism of action of campylobacter?
Causes inflammation of colon and rectum→bloody diarrhoea
What is the source/vehicle of infection of campylobacter?
Farm animals - especially undercooked poultry, but also water and unpasteurised milk
What is the management of unresolved campylobacter with systemic illness?
Erythromycin or ciprafloxin for 5 days
What is the incubation period of salmonella enterica?
Medium - 12-48hrs
What is the mechanism of action of salmonella enterica?
Causes inflammation of ileum and colon – cause mucosal damage, ↓fluid absorption and ↑fluid excretion • Which is what causes the loose stools and diarrhoea
What is the source/vehicle of infection of salmonella enterica?
Farm animals, esp. undercooked poultry
What is the management of unresolved salmonella enterica with systemic illness?
Ciprafloxin for 5 days
Which is the only shigella species seen in the UK?
Shigella sonnei
What is the incubation period for shigella?
1-9 days
True or false: campylobacter and salmonella can enter bloodstream
True
True or false: shigella can enter bloodstream
False (never seen on blood cultures)
What is the vehicle of infection of shigella?
Human only infection - common in children
What is the mechanism of action of Ecoli 0157?
The 0157 strain produces a verotoxin (VTEC) which that damages red cells and the kidney, causing haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS)
What is the commonest cause of renal failure in children
E coli 0157
What is the source of E Coli 0157?
Carried as normal gut flora in cattle - Beef becomes contaminated on the outside at slaughter
What is the vehicle of infection for e coli 0157?
- Contact with cattle, private (untreated) water supplies – run off water from fields and undercooked mince and hamburgers
Is the infectious dose for E coli 0157 low or high?
Low
Does management of E coli involve antibiotics?
No, as this may increase release of toxin. Supportive and symptomatic treatment only with monitoring for HUS
What is the clinical presentation of HUS?
- Abdo pain,
- Fever, pallor
- Petechiae (haemorrhages in skin)
- Oliguria (↓urine production)
True or False: Most HUS cases are in those under the age of 16
True (85%)
When is the peak presentation of HUS (and therefore when should you test for it)?
7-10 days after onset of diarrhoea
What would blood tests show with HUS?
- High white cells
- Low platelets
- Low HB
- Red cell fragments
- Lactate dehydrogenase ↑>1.5 x normal
Which bacteria cause typhoid/paratyphoid fever?
Salmonella typhi/paratyphi A & B
Typhoid/paratyphoid fever are examples of febrile illnesses initially, what does this mean?
Circulate in bloodstream first causing headache, flu-like symptoms followed by diarrhoea 3 weeks later
What is the incubation period for Typhoid/paratyphoid fever ?
Long - 14-21 days
What is the mechanism of action for Typhoid/paratyphoid fever?
Organism invades from gut lumen→lymphatic system→ bloodstream→reticuloendothelial system & gallbladder→gut lumen and invades Peyer’s patches.
What is the vehicle of infection of Typhoid/paratyphoid fever?
Human only - drinking contaminated water/food, poor sanitation
What are the symptoms of Typhoid/paratyphoid fever?
Fever, rash on abdomen (“Rose spots”), headache, dry cough and diarrhoea
What is the management of Typhoid/paratyphoid fever?
Antibiotics - depending on sensitivities. IV Ceftriaxone if unstable
Which bacteria causes cholera?
Vibrio cholerae
When are outbreaks of cholera common?
War or disaster situations
What is the incubation period for cholera?
1-9 days
What is the mechanism of action of cholera?
Organism produces an exotoxin that causes active outpouring of fluid from cells of small intestine, resulting in severe watery diarrhoea
What is the source/vehicle of infection of cholera?
Human only - drinking contaminated water/poor sanitation
Rice water stools
Cholera
What is the management of cholera?
Fluid and electrolyte replacement. NOT antibiotics (will increase toxin release)
Which infections are associated with pre-formed toxins?
Staph aureus, clostridium perfingens, bacileus cereus
What is the classic food associated with staph aureus infection?
Cream cake touched by infected baker (aureus apparently soudns like oreo..which has cream in the middle)
What is the mechanism of action of staph aureus?
Staph aureus releases entero toxin → Toxin adsorbed quickly→acts directly on vagus nerve & vomiting centre→vomiting within 1-2 hours
What is the source of clostridium perfringens?
Part of normal gut flora of humans and animals
What bacteria is meat gravy classically associated with?
Clostridium perfringens (because if you dont keep the gravy in the fridge…perFRINGens, get it?)
What is vehicle of transport of clostridium perfringens?
Spores survive cooking, then turn into vegetative organisms, some strains of which produce enterotoxin (an exotoxin)
What is the mechanism of action of bacillus cereus?
Exotoxin ingested as pre-formed toxin or organism can multiply in intestine. Spores survive cooking, then turn into vegetative organisms, some strains of which produce enterotoxin (an exotoxin)
What bacteria is uncooked rice classically associated with?
Bacillus cereus (becuase cereus sounds like rice…apparently)
Which bacteria have short incubation periods (1-6hrs)?
staph aureus, bacillus cereus
Which bacteria have medium incubation periods (12-48hrs)?
Salmonella/Cl perfringens
Which bacteria have long incubation periods (2-14days)?
Campylobacter/E coli 0157)
What kind of infection is cryptosporidium?
Protozoal
What is the mechanism of action of cryptosporidium?
Infection occurs when cysts are ingested which “hatch” into trophozoites that invade the cells of the small intestine
What is the source of cryptosporidium?
Domestic animals, especially calves
What is the vehicle of infection of cryptosporidium?
Person-person spread. Outbreaks associated with contaminated water supplies & swimming pools (cysts resistant to chlorine
In which group of patients is cryptosporidium particularly severe?
HIV positive
What is the investigation for cryptosporidium?
modified Ziehl-Neelson stain
What is the mechanism of action for giardia lamblia?
Infection occurs when cysts are ingested which “hatch” into trophozoites that invade the cells of the upper small intestine
What is the vehicle of infection for giardia lamblia?
Person to person - associated with contaminated water
What are the symptoms of giardia lamblia?
Diarrhoea, malabsorption syndrome, anorexia, abdominal pain, flatulence
What is the management for Giardia lamblia?
Oral metronidazole
What are Enterobius vermicularis also known as?
Threadworms
What is the pathogenesis for threadworms?
Ova (eggs) ingested→hatch in intestine and live in caecum & colon→adult females come out on to perianal skin at night and lay ova→ova cause perianal itch→child scratches bottom→puts fingers in mouth
What is the vehicle of infection of threadworms?
Human only - poor hygiene
What are the symptoms of threadworms?
Perianal itch, worms seen in stool
What is the management for threadworms?
Oral mebendazole. Often have to treat all members of family at once
Who is responsible for monitoring GI infections, potential outbreaks and sending environmental health officers?
Health Protection Teams
A patient has diarrhoea whist admitted to hospital - what are you considering.?
C. Difficile
In what group of people is C. Difficile rarely seen and why?
Rarely see it in children however, as children don’t have receptors in their gut for the toxins, even though they carry it
What is the mechanism of action of C. Difficile?
Organism produces 2 toxins:
- Toxin A (enterotoxin – damages the gut)
- Toxin B (cytotoxin - damaging cells on the epithelium of gut).
This causes colitis (infection of the colon)
What is the source of C. Difficile?
Part of normal gut flora. • Infection occurs when antibiotics are prescribed that kill off normal competitive bowel flora and allows C diff to overgrow.
What is the vehicle of infection of C. Difficile?
Human to human/and spore ingestion - Organism produces spores that survive in the environment and are more resistant to disinfectants and the organism CAN be transmitted from one patient to another.
What is C. Difficile fundamentally?
A colitis
What can C. Difficile sometimes progress to?
Pseudomembranous colitis
What is the management for less severe C. Difficile?
Oral metronidazole
What is the management for severe C. Difficile?
Oral vancomycin
What are the 4C antibiotics of C Difficile?
Clindamycin, cephalosporin, co-amoxiclav and ciprofloxacin
What type of bacteria is C. Difficile?
Gram positive spore-bearing bacillus
How would the lab test for C. diff?
No one good lab test.
- Screening test for presence of the organism (GDH test)
- If GDH positive, test for presence of toxin (toxin A&B)
- (Culture can be done if strain needs to be typed – not done routinely)
What does it mean if the screening test for C. difficile is positive and the toxin test is negative?
Indeterminate result - need to assess patient as send repeat specimen
Which two virus are the main ones for causing diarrhoea?
Rotovirus and norovirus
What is the commonest cause of D&V in children
Rotovirus
How is rotavirus spread?
Person-person spread, direct or indirect
True or False: Rotavirus and Norovirus cause bloody diarrhoea
False, they dont cause blood
Is the infectious dose of rotoavirus low or high?
Low
What is the mechanism of action of rotavirus?
↓ absorption of fluids and ↑secretion in bowel, causing dehydration and diarrhoea
How is rotavirus diagnosed?
Diagnosis by PCR test on faeces
What is the management of rotavirus?
Self-limiting usually within 1 week, so rehydration is key. Vaccine can be preventative