Infection Flashcards
Give some examples of pathogens using different routes of infection
Self - Escherichia coli - Uti
Direct contact - Herpes Simplex Virus - Cold sore
Vector - Plasmodium vivax - malaria
Faeco-oral (food and water) - Clostridium difficile - c diff
Droplet - Influenza - flu
Aerosol - Mycobacterium tuberculosis - TB
Blood - Hepatitis B - hep B
Vertical transmission - cytomegalovirus (placental), Chlamydia trachomatis (delivery)
Define infection
Ann invasion of hosts tissues by microorganisms
Causing disease by microbial multiplication, toxins or host response
Differentiate exo and endo toxins
Exo - released by the bacteria usually acting away from the site
Endo - structural components of bacteria
Which types of bacteria are more likely to express endotoxins?
Gram -ve
What are the toxins released by c diff
type A create pores in enterocytes
type B are cytotoxic
What pathogen and host factors influence disease severity?
Pathogen
Virulence of pathogen
Inoculation size
Antimicrobial resistance
Host
Site
Co morbidities
Age
What are the two broad categories of investigations for infection?
Supportive (e.g. Cxr, fbc)
Specific (e.g. Micorscopy, culture)
What sorts of viruses are effected by alcohol?
Enveloped - disrupts their membrane
Examples of Non enveloped viruses (thus less effected by alcohol)
Paravirus 19 (fifths disease) HPV (warts) Enteroviruses (polio) Noroviruses (D/V) Rotaviruses (D/V) Hep A and E
Give some examples of DNA viruses
Herpes viruses
HBV
Paravirus 19
HPV
Counterstain in a gram stain?
Safranin
Differentiate the types of fungi
Yeast - single cell (e.g. Candida, pneumocystis jiroveci)
Mould - multi cell (e.g. Aspergillus, tinia)
Give 3 examples of protazoa and their disease
Plasmodium - malaria
Giardia lamblia - giardiasis
Trypanosoma cruzi - chagas
Cause of bilharzia
Schistosoma mansoni
What patient factors influence susceptibility to infection?
Age (Stis in teens and 20s, varied levels of immunity to meningococcal meningitis)
Gender (uti and anatomy, suppressed immunity in males)
Physiological state (preggers, puberty/menopause)
Pathological state (immunocompromised, low blood flow)
Drugs (PPIs, steroids)
Social (living cramped, damp)
Time (seasonal infections, incubation)
Place (current - e.g. Hospital, recent - e.g. Travel infections)
What are the two main categories of infection treatment? What can be done in each?
Specific - abx, surgery
Supportive - fluids, o2, pain relief, immunoglobulins, abx against proteins to reduce exotoxin production
What are the sirs criteria?
2 OF Temp >38 Pulse >90 Rr >20 WBC 12x10*9
Give some examples of organ dysfunction seen in severe sepsis
Hypotension, confusion, decreased urine output, lactic acidosis
Why does sepsis alter coagulation?
What are the consequences
Cytokines initiate thrombin production and inhibit thrombolysis
Endothelial damage exposes TF and impairs prostacyclin production
DIC develops and clots can cause gangrene
What are the sepsis 6?
Within one hour: O2 Bloods for culture Antibiotics administered Serum lactate IV fluids up Urine output monitored
How is meningococcal meningitis subdivided?
What can we vaccinate against
Serogroups a,b, and c
Vaccines for a and c
What sort of a response does innate immunity provide to the body?
Fast and non specific
What are the first and second line defences of the innate immune system?
First - limits entry and growth
Second - contains and clears
What are the four categories of first line innate defences?
Physical - eg epithelial barrier, mucus membrane
Physiological - eg d/v coughing, sneezing
Chemical - eg stomach acid, vaginal acid, molecules (lysozymes, IgA, mucous, pepsin)
Biological - normal flora (compete, actively kill)
How does the stomach act as a chemical barrier to infection?
Acid
Pepsin
What is involved in second line innate defences?
Phagocytes
Chemicals
Inflammation
What do phagocytes use to recognise pathogens?
Use pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) to detect pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)
Examples of PAMPs with associated bacteria
Lipopolysaccerides (gram -ve)
Peptidoglycan (gram +ve)
Flagellin (flagella bacteria)
Mannose rich glycans (mycobacteria)
What can enhance recognition of bacteria by PRRs?
Opsinisation with C3b, C4b, IgG, CRP
In which bacteria is opsionisation vital?
Encapsulated bacteria - neisseria meningitidis, streptococcus pneumoniae
How does phagocytosis occur?
PRR recognises PAMP Pseudopods engulph and ingest microbe forming phagosome Phagosome fuses with lysosome Microbe digested leaving residual body Waste discharged from cell
How do phagocytes kill the microbes..
Oxidative burst
Lysozymes, lactoferrin, proteolytic enzymes
What chemical pathways are involved in second line innate immunity?
Compliment
Cytokines
How is complement activated?
Classical pathway - antibody antigen complex
Alternative pathway - cell surface on microbes (e.g. LPS)
Mannose binding lectin - MBL binds to mannose on pathogen
What are the active components of compliment? What do they do?
C3a and C5a - chemotaxis
C3b and C4b - opsinisation
C5-C9 - membrane attack complexes
What are the effects of macrophage derived chemical in second line innate immunity?
Increase crp Chemotaxis Vasodilation Increase vascular permiability Increase body temperature
What chemicials do macrophages release?
Tnf alpha
Il-1
Il-6
In what conditions are second line defences of innate immunity compromised?
Asplenia/hyposplenia Decreased neutrophils (leukaemia, chemotherapy) Decreased neutrophil function
Define a healthcare related infection
An infection arising from a consequence of healthcare both within and out of hospital
How are hospital acquired infections differentiated form normal infections?
An infection that was neither present nor incubating at the time of admission (onset of symptoms >48 hrs after admission
What are the most common categories of healthcare related infections? What is the in hospital prevalence..
Gi and utis
8%
What can we do to reduced healthcare related infections regarding patient factors?
Screening
Prophylactic treatment
Optimise physical health
Appropriate choice of medications (e.g. Decreased cephalosporins)
What can we do to reduced healthcare related infections regarding place factors?
Bed layout with siderooms for high risk patients
Pressure isolation rooms
Sink and toilets accessible and individual in high risk
Sterilisation and decontamination
What can we do to reduced healthcare related infections regarding practice factors?
Handwashing
Hospital policies (eg. No relative sitting on beds)
Leadership up to government level - incentives work
Healthcare worker vaccinations
Ppe
Food hygene
What are the subdivisions of streptococcus?
Alpha haemolytic - pneumoniae and viridans
Beta haemolytic - pyrogenes
Non haemolytic - enterococcus
Diseases from strep viridans
Endocarditis
Dental caries
Diseases from strep pyogenes
Necrotising fascitis
Impertigo
Tonsilitis
Scarlet fever
Diseases from strep pneumoniae
Pneumonia
Meningitis
Diseases from staphylococcus
Boils
Carbuncles
Impertigo
Wound infection
Treatment options for staphylococcus infection
Flucloxacillin
Co-amoxiclav
Treatments for necrotising fasciitis
Initial broad spectrum like tazocin (pipperacillin and tazobactam)
Once id as strep pyogenes swich to ben pen
Large dose immunoglobulins to neutralise toxins
Antiprotein abx like clindamycin to decrease toxins
Debridment and amputation
Why is travel history important?
Different diseases Different strains (resistance change and change in detecting)
What do you need to know about in a travel hx
Where When Via anywhere Doing what Staying where Specific risks (sex, animals, swimming) Preventative measures taken (prophylaxis, vaccinations, bite prevention)
What should you do with a suspected travel related infection?
Isolate until you know what it is!
Flag as high risk for lab
What are the causes of malaria?
P vivax
P falciparum
P ovale
P malariae
What is the characteristic fever of malaria? Which subtype differs?
3 day cycling, malariae is 4 day cycling
Symptoms of malaria
Fever 3 day cycling Headache Cough Fatigue Malaise Arthralgia Myalgia
What is the usual incubation period for malaria?
1-3 weeks
What are the methods of transmission of malaria?
Vector - anaphalies mosquito in endemic region
Cryptic - mosi on a plane arriving at non endemic airport
Haematogenous
Iatrogenic - infected equipment
What investigations would you perform in malaria?
Blood smear Fbc U and e Lft Glucose
What are the causative organisms of enteric fever?
Salmonella enterica typhi
Salmonella enterica paratyphi
How are Salmonella enterica typhi/paratyphi spread?
How can you reduce your risk?
Faeco oral
Hand hygiene, safe food, vaccination
What treatments are effective in enteric fever?
Ceftrioxone
Azithromycin
Signs and symptoms of enteric fever
Abdo discomfort Cough Constipation or diarrheoa High fever Relative bradycardia Hepatosplenomegally Intestinal haemorrhage and perforation
Investigations in suspected enteric fever
Fbc
Lft
Stool and blood cultures
How do salmonella enterica typhi/paratyphi cause illness?
Fibriae adhere to epithelium over peyers patches
Invasin allows intracellular growth
As gram -ve have endotoxins
How can salmonella enterica typhi/paratyphi be distinguished in culture from escherichia coli?
They. Are non lactose fermenters
Otherwis both gram neg aerobic bacilli
What travel related infection is present in southern Europe?what is the causative organism?
Brucellosis
Brucella abortus/melitensis
How does brucellosis spread?
Zoonosis (cattle)
Spread via breaks in the skin and via the. Gi tract (e.g. Unpasturised milk)
Very rare person to person direct contact spread
How does brucellosis present?
Non specific flu like febrile illness Bone and joint involvement Epididymitis Weight loss PROLONGED SYMPTOMS Long term complication endocarditis
How is brucellosis treated?
Doxycycline
Rifampicin
What are the two main components of adaptive immunity?
Cellular
Humoural
How is mhc adapted to a generalist presenting role?
Co dominant expression giving range of different subgroups
Peptide binding clefts very polymorphic
What is the difference in structure of mhc class 1 and class 2?
Class one - three alpha and one beta units
Class two - two alpha and two beta units
Note that the alpha and beta units are located on separate polypeptide chains.
What mhc molecule is active in cellular immunity? Which in humoural immunity?
Cellular - mhc 1 on most cells, both on apcs
Humoural - mhc 2 on apcs