GUM Flashcards
What is the 6 step plan for management of STIs?
1, Accurate diagnosis
- Look for and exclude other genital pathogens
- Effective (curative) Tx
- TOC
- Contact tracing, timely partner notification and Tx
- Education + appropriate counselling
GUM and confidentiality
VD acts - pts did not access care due to confidentiality concerns, additional pt rights beyond GMP, consequences of breach
New mandatory guidance issued by DH to all providers of sexual health services to NHS (includes proviate providers and GP)
Can not disclose to others unless:
- pt permission
- involved with care of that condition
- exceptional circumstances (court order) - major acts of criminality
Consequences - housing and access to GUM notes, communication with other clinicians, communicating results, contact tracing
2 situations where breach confidentiality in GUM?
Major acts of criminality
Blood borne STI and continues UPSI without disclosing status to partner
GP who wants to know results of STI screen - cannot disclose.
Casualty doctor looking after F1 needlestick from one of your patients - can tell the F1 but not the casualty doctor. Can disclose info in public interest but cannot perform HIV test without consent.
Pt attending as asymptomatic partner of pt who refuses to have presumptive Tx without knowing why - cannot disclose unless blood borne and having UPSI - must encourage pt to disclose first
Police investigating assault allegation asks if assailant is pt - cannot disclose.
General STI risk factors?
Young (esp <20), single, 2 or more partners in preceeding 6 months, non barrier contraception, inner city, current STI, Hx previous STI, ethnicity for some STIs
What causes infection patterns to change?
Pathogen - virulence, resistance to conventional therapy
Test - increased testing, better test
Population - susceptibility and sexual behaviour
Note: syphilis, GC and chlamydia increasing, most viral STIs increasing, new epidemics occurring particularly MSM - all despite intensive efforts to modify sexual behaviour and secondary prevention throughout contact tracing
What are differences between viral and bacterial STIs broadly speaking?
Bacterial - easy diagnosis, curable, limited period of infectivity, contact tracing
Viral - often subclinical so diagnosis difficult, often not curable, may be lifelong, limited role of contact tracing as often subclinical and long period of infectivity
Causes of viral STIs? Split into 2 main symptom categories?
Predominantly dermatological: HPV, molluscum contagiosum, HSV 1 + 2
Predominantly systemic: EBV, HHV 8, Hepatitis A-E, HIV
What might cause genital ulceration?
STIs (most common - least common): 1. HSV 2. Treponema pallidum 3. Chancroid 4. LGV 5. Donavanosis
Derm causes - Behcets disease, erythema multiforme, Steve-Johnson syndrome, acute reactive apthous ulceration
What is HSV?
DNA virus causing skin infections, latency in DRG - recurrent and infectious for life, diagnosis by nucleic acid identification, causes genital ulcer disease
What is HPV?
double stranded DNA - 120 types, 30 types infect ano-genital epithelium
oncogenic - 16 and 18 >95% SCC cervix
non-oncogenic 6 and 11 >90% external anogenital warts
What is MC?
Molluscum contagiosum - benign epidermal eruption of skin, large DNA pox virus
What are some bacterial STIs?
Neisseria gonorrhoea Chlamydia trachomatis Mycoplasma genitalium Ureaplasma urealyticum Treponema pallidum Haemophilus ducreyi Calymmatobacterium genulomatis Trichomonas vaginalis 'Gay bowel disease' - shigella, giardia, entamoeba, some chlamydial strains
What is N. gonorrhoea?
Gram negative intracellular diplococcus
Infects mucous membranes Can disseminate (not as serious as meningitis)
Dysuria Discharge (urethral, vaginal) Proctitis Cervicitis Pharyngitis Conjunctivitis Can ascend to cause PID / epididymitis
Diagnosis of gonorrhoea?
Nucleic acid tests - urine / swabs
Culture allows resistance testing (only 1/3 grow). Microscopy allows immediate diagnosis but needs lots of organism around (really only valuable in urethritis)
What is chlamydia trachomatis?
Small intracellular (not seen on light microscope); strains A-K/L, D-F most prevalent genital. Some strains cause LGV (C. trachomatis L1/2/3) i.e. lymph swelling and proctitis – or urethritis if in penis
Same problems as gonorrhoea, acute illness often milder but lots of late complications. Some strains cause LGV
Discharge- urethritis, cervicitis, proctitis, conjunctivitis
Complications - SARA, spread to upper genital tract (PID), epididymitis
What is mycoplasma genitalium?
Low grade pathogen, very difficult to culture, causes similar problems to chlamydia
Dysuria, discharge, upper genital tract infection, proctitis
Diagnosed with NAATs on urine or swabs
What is treponema pallidum?
Causes syphilis - spirochaete bacteria
Seen on dark field microscopy
Diagnosis by PCR (early lesions) or serology
Risk populations - homosexual men especially HIV+, sexual contact with person from endemic area, pregnancy / tissue donation
ulcers rashes and all the problems of syphilis
What is trichomonas vaginalis?
STI: Flagellated protozoon parasite
Women: vagina / urethra, present in 90%, only site in 5% / paraurethral glands
Men: urethra (supreputial sac, lesions of penis)
Dysuria, discharge (males and females), problems in pregnancy and increase risk of HIV
What causes urethritis / urethral symptoms in males?
Worry
Physiological discharge
STIs: chlamydia, mycoplasma, gonorrhoea, ureaplasma, herpes, trichomonas, adenovirus
Very rarely UTI related / stricture
What is chemsex?
Methamphetamine, mephedrone, GHB/GBL, MDMA, ketamine
high risk STI transmission associated with unprotected sex and multiple partners, higher risk HIV due to not taking antiretrovirals and increased risk trauma
How is chlamydia diagnosed?
NAATs: first catch urine (15ml, hold >1 hour)
Self-taken vulvovaginal swab best in women
Cervical / rectal / pharyngeal / urethral swabs can also be taken
MUST BE >2 WEEKS AFTER SEX
How does chlamydia present?
complications?
Often asymptomatic (50% male 70-80% female) / acute illness milder than gonorrhoea
(Clear) discharge, dysuria, IMB, PCB, urethritis, cervicitis, proctitis, conjunctivitis
Complications
- Follicular conjunctivitis
- PID (acute or chronic)
- Endometritis, salpingitis
- Infertility (rare if one-off asymptomatic; massively increases if 2 episodes PID)
- Ectopic
- Fitz-Hugh Curtis
- Epididymitis
- SARA