Infectious Disease Flashcards
How should you take blood cultures from a patient with suspected endocarditis?
Three cultures from at least three different sites
To be taken before antibiotics commenced
What is sepsis?
life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a
dysregulated host response to infection
What is the sepsis 6?
Give O2 Give IV fluids Give IV Abx Take blood cultures Measure lactate Measure urine output
What are the common organisms that cause soft skin infections?
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococci
MRSA
What organisms can cause MSK infections?
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococci
MRSA
TB
What organisms commonly causes respiratory infections?
Streptococci pneumoniae
Haemophilus influenzae
Atypical: legionella, mycoplasma
Rhinovirus/adenovirus/enterovirus/influenza
What organisms commonly cause GI infections?
Rotavirus, adenovirus Campylobacter Shigella E.Coli Salmonella typhi/paratyphi Enterobacteriacae (visceral infection/peritonitis)
What organisms typically cause GU infections?
Enterobacteriacae (e.g. e.coli, klebisella sp, proteous sp.) Pseudomonas arogenosa ESBL/resistant organisims Neisseria gonorrhoeae Chlamydia trachomatis
What organisms commonly cause CNS infections?
Streptococci pneumoniae Neisseria meningitidis Listeria TB Herpes simplex virus
What organisms typically cause endocarditis?
Streptococci viridans group
Enterococci faecalis/faecium
Staphlococcus aureus
MRSA
What organisms typcially cause line infections?
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococci
MRSA
What is the first line antibiotic to treat suspected sepsis?
Meropenem stat dose
What organisms typically cause hospital aquired infections?
Enterobacteriacae (E.coli, Klebsiella spp.)
Pseudomonas spp.
C. difficile
Staph. aureus (pneumonia)
What is the 10 point approach to a patient with an infection?
- What is the evidence for infection
- Severity
- Patient factors to consider
- Body system/organ affected
- What is the likely organism involved?
- And therefore what is the best antimicrobial therapy?
- Which route of administration is best?
- Is any other treatment needed?
- Is there any risk of transmission to others?
- What planning is required for follow-up and discharge?
What travel-related illness signs/symptoms do patients most commonly present with?
Diarrhoea Vommiting Jaundice Lymphadenopathy Hepatosplenomegaly Cough SOB Rash
What should be asked when taking a history from a patient where travel-related infection is suspected?
Geographic region of travel within the last 12-18 months ANY previous travel to the tropics Dates of travel and duration of stay Time and onset of signs and symptoms Rural vs urban stays - accomidation Recreational activities and exposures Food and water Sexual exposures PMH and predisposition to infection
What kind of infection is likely to present 0-10 days after travel
Dengue Rickettesa (insects) Viral Bacteria Amoeba
What type of infection is likely to present 10-21 days after returning from travel?
Malaria
Typhoid
Primary HIV infection
What type of travel-related infection is likely to present after 21 days?
Malaria
Chronic bacterial infections (brucella, coxiella, endocarditis, bone and joint infections)
TB
Parasitic infections
What infections can cause splenomegaly?
Mononucleosis Malaria Visceral leishmaniasis Thyphoid fever Brucellosis
What infections may present with a maculopapular rash?
Dengue fever Leptospirosis Rickettsia EBV CMV Rubella Parovirus 19 Primary HIV infection
What travel-related infections can cause meningo-encephalitis?
Cerebral maleria
Japanese enchephalitis
West nile virus encephalitis
(+common causes) N.meningitis/STrep penumonia/ HSV
What is the most common species of malaria that causes serious illness?
Plasmodium falciparum
What is the most common species of malaria?
Plasmodium vivax
How does malaria present?
Abrupt onset rigors High fevers Malaise Severe headache Myalgia Vague abdo pain N&V Diarrhea (25%) Jaundice Hepatoslenomegaly Anaemia, thromovytopenia, leukopenia, abnormal LFTs(chronic illness) Untreated p. falciparum: hypoglycemia, renal failure, pulmonary odema, neurologic deterioration
Where is typhoid fever prevalent?
South east Asia
Southern and Centeral America
How does Thypoid Fever present?
Sustained fever Anorexia Malaise Vague abdominal discomfort Constipation or diarrhea Dry cough Hepatospleonmegaly Rose spots Pule-temperature dissociation Leucopenia, lymphopenia, raised CRP
How is typhoid fever diagnosed?
Isolation of organism in cultures of blood, stool, urine, bone marrow, duodenal aspirates
How is suspected Typhoid fever treated empirically?
IV Ceftriaxone
What is used to treat Typhoid once sensitivites known?
Ciprofloxacin or Azithromycin
What is the definition of Pyrexia of Unknown Origin?
Temperature > 38 degrees on multiple ocassion
Illness > 3 weeks duration
No diagnosis despite > 1 week inpatient stay
Causes of PUOs?
Infective - TB, abscesses, infective endocarditis, brucellosis
Autoimmune/connective tissue adult onset Still’s disease, temporal arteritis, Wegner’s granulomatosis
Neoplastic - leukaemias, lymphomas, renal cell carcinoma
Other - drugs, thromboembolism, hyperthroidsim, adrenal insufficiency
Key parts of examination when reviewing a pt with PUO
Lymph nodes
Stigmatat of endocarditis
Evidence of weight loss
Joint abnormalities
What is the lifetime reactivation risk of TB?
10-15% usually due to immunosupression, HIV, increasing age
What screening is used to identify latent TB?
quantiFERON or T-spot - measurement of interferon gamma
CXR
Who should be screened for latent TB?
Immigrants from high prevalence countries
Healthcare workers
HIV positive patients
Patient starting on immunosupression
What drugs are used to treat latent TB?
3 MONTHS RIFAMPICIN + ISONIAZID
or
6 MONTHS RIFAMPICIN
Active TB symptoms
Non-resolving cough
Unexplained persistent fever (low or high grade)
Drenching night sweats
Weight loss
What clinical signs may be present in a patient with TB?
Clubbing Cachexia Lymphadenopathy Hepato/splenomegaly Erythema Nodosum Crepitations Bronchial breathing Pericardial rub
What imaging may be used for TB?
CXR - pulmonary TB
CT - Lymphadenopathy, nodes with central necrosis, lesions in viscera
MRI - can show leptomeningeal enhancement in TB meningitis
What may be seen on the CXR of a patient with pulmonary TB?
Mediastinal lymphadenopathy
Cavitating pneumonia
Pleural effusion
What is the gold standard for diagnosing TB?
Bacterial culture
Ideally taken before treatment commenced
But do not need to wait to start therapy as may take up to 6 weeks
What is smear positive TB?
TB can be seen on a sample using single microscopy
High bacterial load and high infectivity
In smear negative pulmonary TB what investigation is done next?
Bronchoscopy +/- endobronchial guided biopsy of pulmonary lymph nodes
How is meningeal TB diagnosed?
Lumbar puncture for TB culture and PCR
How is lymph node TB diagnosed?
Core biopsy of lymph node
How is pericardial TB diagnosed?
If practical (often not) pericardiocentesis
How is GI TB diagnosed?
Colonoscopy and bowel biopsy/US guided omentum biopsy
What is seen on TB histology?
Caseating/necrotising granulomatous inflammation
When should steroids be given alongside ATT?
When TB is affecting sites that cannot tolerate swelling e.g. meningial/spinal/pericardial
Steroids given at the start of treatment
Why do many patients feel worse at the start of TB treatment?
Increase in inflammation as bacteria die causing worsening symptoms
What complications may result from pericardial TB? What signs might be seen?
Pericardial Effusion
Tamponade
Pericardial rub
Kussmaul’s sign
When should ATT be started in patients with MIliary TB?
As soon as it is determined whether or not there is a CNS involvement, using CT/MRI head, should not be delayed whilst awaiting biopsies
Where can Miliary TB be found?
Widespread Lung CNS Bone marrow Pericardium
What precautions should be taken in terms of infection control for patients with MDR TB
Negative pressure room
Staff to wear masks and PPE
What is the Standard ATT (used for all sites but CNS)
2 months: Rifampicin Isoniazid Ethambutol Pyrazinamide (Pyridoxine) 4 months Rifampicin Isoniazid (Pyridoxine)
Side effects of Rifampicin?
Turns urine/tears orange
Hepatitis
Side effects of Isoniazid?
Peripheral nueropathy
Colour blindness
Hepatitis
Ethambutol side effects?
Optic neuropathy
Reduced visual acuity
Which drug used in ATT is most likely to cause hepatitis?
Pyrazinamide
What monitoring is required before commencing ATT?
Baseline LFTs
Ethambutol - visual acuity
What must be monitored throughout ATT?
LFTs
For how long must a patient with TB be isolated?
Until they have been treated for 2 weeks
How can NAATS be performed when screening for chlamydia trachomatis or neisseria gonorrhoeae?
first pass urine (men)
vulvo-vaginal swab
pharyngeal swab
rectal swab
Where should a vaginal discharge swab be taken from when testing for trichomonas vaginals and candida?
Posterior fornix
Charcoal swab
Where should a vaginal discharge swab be taken from when testing for Gonococcal culture?
Cervical os
Charcol swab
What kind of swab should be used for Gonococcal cultures?
Charcol
What viruses should be tested for in patients with genital and oral ulcers?
HSV 1
HSV 2
What infections may cause anal discharge?
Gonorrhea
HSV
What baseline investigations should be carried out on patients newly diagnosed with HIV?
Confirmatory HIV test
CD4 count
HIV viral load
HIV resistance profile
HLA B*5701 status
Serology for syphillis, hepatitis B, hep C, heP A
Toxoplasma IgG measles IgG varicella IgG rubella IgG
FBC U&Es LFTs bone profile lipid profile
Schistosoma serology (if spent >1 month in sub-Saharan Africa)
Women should have annual cervical cytology
What serology should be conducted for Hep B?
sAg
cAb
sAb
Below which CD4 count should HIV patients be perscribed prophylactic antibiotics against PCP?
CD4 < 200
Below what CD4 is considered AIDs?
CD4 < 200
What vaccinations should be given to patients with HIV?
Hep B
Pneumococcus
Annual Influenza
After what time period following ingestion does Bacillus cereus infection present?
Within 6 hours
What food most commonly causes Bacillus cereus?
Rice
What symptoms does Bacillus Cereus infection cause?
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
How does Heamophillus Influenzae present on gram stain?
Gram negative cocci
What drugs can be used to treat VRE?
Linezolid
Teicoplanin
What is the gold standard in diagnosis of malaria?
Thick and thin blood films
Thin: identification of species
Thick: estimation of parasite density
What is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK?
Campylobacter jejuni
What kind of diarrhoea does campulobacter jejuni cause?
Dysenteric (blood+mucus) due to bacterial invasion of the intestinal mucosa
What is the investigation of choice for chlamydia?
NAATs
Nuclear acid amplification test
How does HSV typically present
Painful ulcers
How does syphillis normaly present?
Painless ulcers
What kind of bacterium is chlamydia trachomatis?
Obligate intracellular
What kind of bacterium is N.gonorrhoea - intracellular or extracellular?
Extracellular
How is chlamydia managed?
7 days doxycycline
Azithromycin if not tolerated or in pregnancy
What can predispose patients with parovirus B19 to aplastic aneamia?
Patients with a background of haemolytic aneamia
What virus can cause a characteristic slapped cheek rash, particularly in children?
Parovirus 19/fifth disease
Parovirus 19 can cross the placenta, before what gestation should a pregnant woman seek advice if exposed?
20 weeks
What is Lemieere’s syndrome?
Thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein following an anaerobic oropharangeal infection (e.g. tonsillitis)
How long after transmission does hep A present? How is it often transmitted?
2-4 weeks
Undercooked meat/unclean water consumed in developing countries
Why should bacteria in the urine of a pregnant woman be treated, regardless of symptoms?
Risk factor for low birth weight, pyelonephritis, premature delivery