Infectious Disease Flashcards

1
Q

What is a communicable disease?

A

An infectious disease that can be transmitted from one person to another

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2
Q

What are the public health principles of infectious and communicable disease? (4)

A

Epidemiology

Identification and investigation
- Index case

Prediction

Prevention

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3
Q

Who is Health Canada?

A

They are a federal department responsible for helping Canadian’s maintain and improve their health, while respecting individual choices and circumstances

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4
Q

What is body substance isolation? (2)

A

BSI supercedes universal precautions

It is based on the premise that all exposures to body fluids, under any circumstance, are potentially infectious

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5
Q

The development and/or manifestations of clinical disease depends on several factors. What are these factors? (4)

A

Virulence (degree of pathogenicity)

Number of infectious agents (dose)

Resistance (immune status) of the host

Correct mode of entry

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6
Q

What are the chain of elements for an infectious disease? (6)

A

The pathogenic agent
A reservoir
A port of exit from the reservoir
An environment conducive to transmission of the pathogenic agent
A portal of entry into the new host
Susceptibility of the new host to the infectious disease

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7
Q

What is a pathogenic agent?

A

A pathogen is a microorganism that can create pathological processes in the human host.

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8
Q

How are pathogenic agents classified? (4)

A

Morphology

Chemical composition

Growth requirements

Viability

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9
Q

What is normal flora? (2)

A

Organisms that live inside the body

They compete with invading pathogens

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10
Q

What are opportunistic pathogens?

A

Ordinarily non-harmful bacteria that cause disease under unusual conditions

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11
Q

What are spores?

A

The reproductive elements of the microorganism

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12
Q

What is germination?

A

The process where a spore begins to develop

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13
Q

What is the germination time?

A

The time from release of a pathogen until it infects another cell and causes the release of a new generation of particles

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14
Q

What is colonization?

A

A group of identical (clone) organisms derived from a single parent

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15
Q

What is contamination?

A

The soiling of an item by the introduction of organisms

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16
Q

What is a convalescent carrier?

A

An individual who is clinically recovered from an infectious disease but is still capable of transmitting the infectious agent to others

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17
Q

What is a chronic carrier?

A

An individual who does not display the symptoms of a disease, but harbours the pathogen which causes it, or has the gene (or genes) for it, and can transmit the disease to others either through interacting with other individuals, or by passing the disease-causing gene (or genes) to offspring

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18
Q

What is a nosocomial infection?

A

A hospital acquired infection

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19
Q

What is leukocytosis?

A

It is an abnormal elevation of WBC count

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20
Q

What is purulent exudate?

A

Pus filled discharge

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21
Q

What is epidemiology? (2)

A

The study of distribution and determinants of health related states and events in populations and the control of health problems.
It is the study of epidemic disease

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22
Q

What are the types of pathogenic agents? (6)

A
Bacteria
Viruses
Prions
Fungi
Protozoa
Helminths
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23
Q

What is bacteria? (6)

A

Single cell organism
Require a host to supply food and a supportive environment
Self-reproducing without a host
Has no nucleic material
Produce toxins which are usually more toxic than the bacteria itself (endo or exotoxins)
Can cause local or systemic infection

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24
Q

What is an endotoxin?

A

Waste products released by living bacteria

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25
Q

What is an exotoxin?

A

Toxic products released when bacteria die or decompose

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26
Q

What is a gram positive test?

A

The cell wall is composed of a thick layer of peptidologlycan

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27
Q

What is a gram negative test?

A

The cell wall is composed of a thin layer of perptidologlycan covered by an outer membrane of lipoprotein and lipopolysaccharide containing endotoxins

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28
Q

What are bactericidal antibiotics?

A

They are capable of killing bacteria

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29
Q

What are bacteriostatic antibiotics?

A

They inhibit bacterial growth and reproduction

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30
Q

What happens if a bacteria can alter cell membrane structure?

A

They develop resistance

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31
Q

What happens if antibiotics alter normal flora?

A

May lead to other complications

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32
Q

What is the lag phase in bacteria growth? (2)

A

Metabolism is adjusted to allow for a new cycle of growth

No increase in number, just an increase in size

33
Q

What is the exponential phase or log phase of bacterial growth? (3)

A

Growing and dividing at maximum rate dependant on conditions

One cell gives two cells, and so on
Determinants of growth rate: different nutrients allow for different growth rates, temperature, pH, oxygen and other physical parameters and genetic determinants

34
Q

What is the stationary stage of bacterial growth? (3)

A

It is a closed system - cells can’t grow indefinitely

No further net increase in cell number

Cells stop growing because: their energy is exhausted, toxic metabolites accumulate, pH changes, a necessary nutrient is depleted or a physical condition changes

35
Q

What is the death phase of bacterial growth? (2)

A

Exponential decline in viable cell numbers

Can reverse this phase if modified the environmental parameters

36
Q

What is a virus? (4)

A

It is anucleated living organisms that has genetic material (DNA/RNA) and they cannot reproduce by themselves

They may contain other microorganisms

Obligate intracellular parasites: they take over cell protein synthesis mechanism, they kill the host cell, they are difficult to distinguish as foreign

Infection is always pathological

37
Q

How does a virus replicate? (4)

A

The virus attaches to the cell

RNA/DNA supplies the codes for building the protein coat and for producing certain enzymes needed to replicate more viruses

Also provides enzymes to lyse the cell which in turn totally ruptures the cells outer membrane, thus totally destroying the cell

This releases more of the virus into the system

38
Q

Is the growth and reproduction of a virus affected by antibiotics?

A

No

39
Q

What drug is required to disrupt the reproductive cycle of a virus?

A

Anti-viral

40
Q

What is prion? (2)

A

The proteins are folded so that protease can’t act on them

They are incurable diseases

41
Q

What is a fungi? (2)

A

Plant like

They are the common cause of vaginal infections

42
Q

What is a protozoa? (2)

A

It is a single celled parasite with the ability to move

Malaria and gastroenteritis are examples

43
Q

What are parasites? (2)

A

Organism that lives in or on another

Common cause of disease where sanitation is poor

44
Q

What is a pinworm?

A

Tiny worms that live in the distal colon

45
Q

What are hookworms?

A

They are passed in the stool of infected animals

46
Q

What is trichinosis?

A

It is contracted by eating raw or inadequately cooked meat

47
Q

What are the factors that affect a pathogens ability to create pathological processes? (4)

A

Its ability to invade and reproduce within a host and the mode in which it does so

Its speed of reproduction, ability to produce a toxin, and the extent of tissue damage that it causes

Its potency

Its ability to induce an immune response in the host

48
Q

What is a reservoir?

A

It is the environment in which a pathogen lives and reproduces

49
Q

What does the life cycle of an infectious agent depend on? (3)

A

The demographics of the host

Genetic factors

The efficacy of therapeutic interventions once infection has been established

50
Q

What is the portal of exit?

A

The mechanism or method by which a pathogenic agent leaves one host to invade another involves a portal of exit?

51
Q

What are some examples of a portal of exit? (6)

A
GU tract
Intestinal tract
Oral cavity
Respiratory tract
An open lesion
Or any wound through which blood escapes
52
Q

What is the portal of entry?

A

It refers to the means by which the pathogenic agent enters a new host

53
Q

What is direct disease transmission?

A

It occurs when there is a physical contact between the source and the victim

54
Q

What is an indirect disease transmission?

A

The organism survives on animate or inanimate objects for a period without a human host

55
Q

What is host susceptibility?

A

It is influenced by a person’s immune response and by several other factors

56
Q

What are some factors that effect host susceptibility? (6)

A
Human characteristics
General health status
Immune status
Geographical and environmental conditions
Cultural behaviours
Sexual behaviours
57
Q

What are some external barriers to the human response to infection? (5)

A

Flora: enhances the effectiveness of the surface barrier by competing for nutrients with the pathogen, maintains a pH suitable for itself an not the pathogen, if it is displaced to another area may act as a pathogen

Skin

GI system

Upper respiratory tract

Genitourinary tract

58
Q

What are some internal barriers to the human response to infection?

A

They protect against pathogenic agents when the external lines of defence are breached. They include inflammatory and immune response

59
Q

What is an inflammatory response?

A

It is the local reaction to a cellular injury

60
Q

Why is an inflammatory response generally protective and beneficial?

A

It may initiate destruction of the body’s own tissue if the response is sustained or directed toward the host’s own antigens

61
Q

What are the three separate stages inflammatory response may be divided into?

A

Cellular response to injury

Vascular response to injury

Phagocytosis

62
Q

What is the backbone of the immune response?

A

White blood cells

63
Q

What is the humoral immunity component? (2)

A

It is a time-consuming response

Specialized white blood cells (B-cells) eventually differentiate into antibodies

64
Q

What is a cell-mediated immunity component? (2)

A

Time-consuming response

T-cells coordinate the activity of other components of the immune system to deal with foreign materal

65
Q

What is the complement system of immune response? (2)

A

Part of the immune system that can recognize and kill invaders on first sight

Doesn’t take time to mobilize specialized responses like the humoral and cell-mediated components of white blood cells

66
Q

What is the reticuloendothelial system (RES)?

A

It works in conjunction with the lymphatic system to dispose of the ‘garbage’ material that results from immune system attack of intruders

67
Q

What is the reticuloendothelial system composed of? (6)

A
Composed of immune cells of the following:
Spleen
Lymph nodes
Liver
Bone marrow
Lungs
Intestines
68
Q

What do reticuloendothelial system (RES) structures serve as?

A

They serve as sites where mature B and T-cells are stored until the immune system is activated by the presence of intruders

69
Q

What are the stages of infectious disease? (4)

A

Latent period
Incubation period
Communicability period
Disease period

70
Q

What is the latent period stage of infectious disease? (2)

A

A seemingly inactive period between the instant of exposure to the point the agent can be shed

It is considered non-contagious

71
Q

What is the incubation period stage of infectious disease? (2)

A

The time from the moment of inoculation (exposure) to the development of the clinical manifestations of a particular infectious disease

First appearance of symptoms

72
Q

What is the communicability period stage of infectious disease?

A

Begins at the end of the latent period and continues as long as the agent is present and can spread

73
Q

What is the disease period stage of infectious disease? (3)

A

It follows the incubation period

Is variable depending on the disease

Process may resolve or if agent incorporates in a cell and becomes dormant or inactive it is considered to be in the latent stage

74
Q

What is a low level of decontamination?

A

The use of disinfectants

75
Q

What is an intermediate level of decontamination? (2)

A

Water and chlorine beach

Germicides

76
Q

What is a high level of decontamination? (2)

A

Required for reusable devices

Chemical sterilizing solution

77
Q

What is a sterilization level of decontamination? (2)

A

Destroys all microorganisms

Autoclave or chemical sterilizing solution

78
Q

What is infectious disease?

A

It refers to any illness caused by a specific microorganism