Infections of the reproductive tract Flashcards

1
Q

What is the most common STI in the UK?

A

Chlamydia Trachomatis

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2
Q

What ‘risky sexual behaviours’ are risk factors for developing an STI?

A
  • Multiple sexual partners
  • Not using barrier contraception
  • Early age 1st intercourse
  • Sexual practice (MSM and anal)
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3
Q

What factors, other than risk sexual behaviour, can lead to increased risk of STI?

A
  • Low socio- economic status
  • Race/ ethnicity
  • Lack of immunisation (Hep B, HPV)
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4
Q

What kind of bacterium is chlamydia trachomatis and what are its virulence factors?

A

Obligate intracellular bacterium

Unique cell wall. Gets taken up by phagocytosis but inhibits phagolysosome fusion so cannot be degraded

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5
Q

How does chlamydia trachomatis present in males and females?

A

Males: typically asymptomatic but may present with dysuria, discharge, testicular pain

Women: typically asymptomatic but may have discharge, post- coital bleeding or painful sex

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6
Q

What complications can arise from chlamydia infection?

A
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease
  • Conjuctivitis
  • Reactive arthritis
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7
Q

What kind of bacterium is Neisseria gonorrhoeae?

A
  • Gram negative
  • Intracellular
  • Diplococcus
  • Unencapsulated
  • Pilae
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8
Q

How does Gonorrhoeae present in males and females?

A

Males: 90% are symptomatic, causes thick, yellow discharge +/- dysuria

Females: typically asymptomatic but can cause vaginal discharge and lower abdominal pain

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9
Q

What complications can arise as a result of infection with Neisseria Gonorrhoeae?

A
  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (women)
  • Epididymo-orchitis i.e. testical inflammation (men)
  • Reactive arthritis
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10
Q

How would you treat an infection with Chlamydia Trachomatis?

A

1st line: antibiotics (doxycycline or axithromycin) or will use erythromycin if allergic or pregnant

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11
Q

How would you treat an infection with Neisseria Gonorrhoeae?

A

1st line treatment: antibiotic therapy mainly ceftriaxone or add azithromycin to boost the effect

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12
Q

What is Non-Gonococcal Urethritis?

A

Inflammation of the urethra with associated discharge

Anything that causes inflammation that is not gonorrhoeae

Can be pathogen negative or, chlamydia, mycoplasma gentalium, trichomonas vaginalis

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13
Q

How would you investigate a patient who presented with penile/ vaginal discharge?

A

Urine sample

  • Gonorrohoea: Microscopy & culture, NAATs (nucleic acid amplification test)
  • Chlamydia: NAATs
  • Urethritis: NAATs

Urethral Swab

For Gonorrhoea

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14
Q

What is a normal cause of vaginal discharge and how does this appear clinically?

A

Thickening of cervical mucus post ovulation due to progesterone

Features:

  • cyclical
  • clear
  • no other associated features
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15
Q

What clinical features might a woman with a Trichomonas Vaginalis infection present with?

A
  • Copious, yellow and odourous discharge
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16
Q

What is trichomonas vaginalis? How might a woman become infected with this organism?

A

A protozoa ‘flagellate’

Sexual transmitted and grows at optimal pH of 6

normal vagina pH 4, so anything that increases alkalinity favours aquisition of the disease

17
Q

How do you treat a Trichomoniasis infection?

A

Metronidazole

18
Q

How does a woman with candida albicans infection present and what kind of organism is this?

A

Candida albicans is a yeast, part of normal vaginal flora

Presents with:

  • very itchy
  • white discharge
  • typically odourless
19
Q

What things may increase the likelihood of an infection with candida albicans?

A
  • recent course of antbiotics
  • immunocompromised patients (including pregnancy, HIV)
  • Diabetes
  • Women on the COCP as yeast favours high oestrogen
20
Q

Explain what happens to the normal vaginal flora to cause a bacterial vaginosis infection

A

Normal vagina: lactobacillus produces lactic acid which lowers pH of vagina to protect against infection

Bacterial Vaginosis: Excessive washing or other causes a decrease in lactobacillus making the vagina less acidic allowing bacterial proliferation.

Most common causitive agent Gardnerella vaginalis

21
Q

How would someone with a bacterial vaginosis infection present?

A
  • Offensive smelling discharge
  • Typically watery
  • Without puritis or pain
22
Q

How do you diagnose and treat a BV infection?

A

Diagnose: vaginal swab

Treat: Metronidazole

23
Q

What kind of organism is Human Papillomavirus? Which different varieties cause different clinical manifestations?

A

A non-envaploped DNA virus

Types 6 & 11 cause 90% of genital / cutaneous wart infection

Types 16 & 18 associated with cervical cancer

24
Q

How can you identify an infection with HPV?

A

Diagnosis is usually clinical based on presence of painless genital warts

Can do a swab/ biopsy to perform PCR to identify high risk types

25
Q

What organism causes herpes, and how does this differ clinically from an infection with HPV?

A

Herpes caused by Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV1 and HSV2)

HSV causes painful ulcers, dysuria and discharge

HPV causes painless blisters

26
Q

What are the 2 strands of HSV and how are they different?

A

HSV-1: can cause oral & genital herpes

HSV-2: Causes genital herpres and leads to recurrent infection. Particularly dangerous in pregnancy as vaginal delivery means baby can be born with herpes

27
Q

How do you manage a patient with HSV infection?

A
  • Perform Swabs for PCR/ NAAT to identify organism
  • Infection is lifelong therefore cannot be eradicated
  • Treatment focuses of reducing severity of current episode and reducing repeated infection by antiviral treatment e.g. aciclovir
28
Q

Which organism is responsible for causing syphilis?

A

Treponema pallidum

29
Q

There are 3 stages of syphilis infection, explain what happens in each

A

Primary infection: painless genital ulcers

Secondary: 4-6 weeks after initial infection. Associated rash and effect on other systems of the body; liver, kidney and skin

Tertiary syphilis: Latent stage, can be reactivated in preganancy which can lead to congenital syphilis

30
Q

How do you treat a syphilis infection?

A

Penicillin based antibiotics

31
Q

Define Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

A

An infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries

Typically an ascending infection from the vagina that moves up the reproductive tract

32
Q

What are the signs and symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease?

A

Signs:

  • Lower abdo pain
  • Dyspareunia (painful sex)
  • Purulent discharge
  • Abdnormal uterine bleeding

Signs:

  • Pyrexia (but not always)
  • Pain on palpation of the abdomen and during bimanual vaginal exam
  • Evidence of discharge/ cervicitis on speculum exam
33
Q

A women presenting with abdominal pain may not have PID, what are some of the corss system differentials it could be?

A

Gynaecolocial: ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts, endometriosis

Gastrointestinal: appendicitis, IBS

Urinary: UTI

34
Q

What are the complicaitons of PID?

A
  • Chronic pelvic pain
  • Pelvic abscess (tubo-ovarian)
  • Can lead to subfertility
  • Peritonitis
  • Fitz-Hugh- Curtis Sydrome
35
Q

Why can PID lead to subfertility?

A
  • Adhesions from chronic inflammation
  • increased risk of ectopic pregnancy
  • reduced likelihood of successful fertilisation
36
Q

What is Fitz- Hugh- Curtis syndrome?

A

Inflammation of the membrane lining the stomach (peritoneum) and the tissues surrounding the liver (perihepatitis)

Caused as the fallopian tubes are open to the peritoneum, therefore infection can spread into the peritoneal cavity

37
Q

How do you manage a woman with PID?

A

Main stay is patient education before PID

  • Give broad spec antibitoics to reduce long term complications
  • Take swabs and do full STI screen
  • Analgesia
  • Those who don’t respond to treatment have Laparoscopy to confirm the diagnosis