Infectious Disease Flashcards
What type of infection should you think about if a patient has been using catheters and is immunocompromised?
Candida albicans
What infectious should you think of if a patient has been on broadspectrum antibiotic therapy and is a female?
Candida albicans
Involvement of what tissue is most significant in the development of mucosal candidiasis?
esophagus
Mucosal candidiasis treatment
- Oral fluconazole
- IV voriconazole
Patient presents with pruritis in genital area, white-curdy discharge, and complaints of dyspareunia. Diagnosis?
vulvovaginal candidiasis
vulvovaginal candidiasis treatment
- Topical clotrimazole vaginal table
- Miconazole suppository
- fluconazole
Most common cause of fungal meningitis
cryptococcosis
Tools used for diagnosing cryptococcosis
- india ink
- serum antigen
Patient presents with severe headache, stiff neck, and altered mental status. History reveals the pt was taking prednisone. Diagnosis?
Fungal meningitis
Patient presents with stiff neck and severe headache after working in the garden all day. Diagnosis?
Meningitis from cryptococcus neoformans
In what type of patient may a cryptococosis infection disseminate and progress to lung disease?
-IC from HIV, long-term steroid, cancer treatment
After suspecting a patient has cryptococcosis meningitis, you do a LP and sent it to the lab. What would you order and what would you expect to find?
- Protein: increased
- Glucose: decreased
- White cells: increased lymphocytes
Cryptococcosis meningitis tx
- Amphotericin B x 14 days
- Then fluconazole x 8 weeks
Patient presents with URI after cave spelunking along the Ohio River. Likely infecting organism?
Histoplasmosis (Histoplasma capsulatum)
Primary problem with histoplasmosis infection
Respiratory illness
Presentation of histoplasmosis infection
- mild flu-like illness
- if severe: fever, cough, mild chest pain
Tx for progressive localized histoplasmosis infection
-itraconazole
Patient presents with fever, dyspnea, and nonproductive cough. You suspect pneumocystosis. What would you expect to find on CXR and ausculation?
- bilateral interstitial infiltrate (CXR)
- crackles at the base of both lungs
At what point would you decide to prophylactically treat against pneumocystosis in an AIDS patient?
When CD4 cells drop <200
Most common opportunistic infection in an AIDS patient
Pneumocystosis (pneumocystis jiroveci)
Patient presents with nonproductive cough and fever. You find an isolated increased in LDH on their lab results. Diagnosis?
Pneumocystosis
Pneumocystosis treatment
- Trimethoprim0sulfamethoxazole x 14-21 days
- Clindamycin + Primaquine
- Prednisone if PaO2 < 70mmHg
Acute rheumatic fever can follow an infection of what pathogen?
S. pyogenes (GAS)
In what patient population is acute rheumatic fever most common?
Children 5-15 years
What tissues does acute rheumatic fever affect?
- heart
- joints
- skin
- brain
Describe the pathophysiology of acute rheumatic fever
- the body is infected with some GAS organism
- we produce antibodies in response to the infection
- then the antibodies react to our own tissues
Acute rheumatic fever treatment
- ASA
- steroids (only if the heart is involved)
- penicillin
- erythromycin
Patient presents with diplopia, dry mouth, dysphonia, dysphagia, and muscle weakness. What relevant history would you ask about?
- if the patient had recently ingested home-canned or smoked foods
- or about injection drug use
If untreated, what can botulism progress to?
Respiratory paralysis
What nerves does Clostridium botulinum affect?
The cranial nerves
What does Clostridium botulinum’s toxin do in the body?
Blocks acetylcholine release
Three types of botulism
- food-borne from canned, smoked, or vacuum-packed food
- infant < 1 year from honey
- wound from injection drug use
How would you differentiate between botulism and Guillain-Barre syndrome?
Guillain-Barre’ syndrome involves peripheral neuropathy, while botulism involves palsy of cranial nerves (dysphagia, diplopia, dysphonia, etc.)
How do you treat botulism?
- Antitoxin (BIG)
- Intubation if patient is in respiratory failure
Three disease states that Chlamydia trachomatis can cause
- Lymphogranuloma venereum
- Chlamydial urethritis
- Chlamydial cervicitis
Presentation of lymphogranuloma venereum
- evanescent primary genital lesion
- lymphadenopathy
- proctitis (rectal inflammation)
- rectal stricture
Chlamydia trachomatis incubation period
5-21 days
Female patient presents with proctitis, tenesmus, and bloody discharge. Diagnosis?
Chlamydia lymphogranuloma venerum
Chlamydia lymphogranuloma venerum tx options
-Doxycycline x 21 days
-Erythromycin x 21 days
Azithromycin x 3 weeks
How would you expect a patient with chlamydia urethritis or cervicitis to present?
- possibly burning with urination
- nonpurulent and non-painful discharge
- possible S&S of cervicitis, salpingitis, or PID
Clamydia urethritis/cervicitis treatment
- Single dose of Azithromycin
- Doxycycline x 7days
- Levofloxacin x 7 days
How long should a patient being treated for chlamydial urethritis/cervicitis wait to have intercourse?
5 days
Patient presents with massive diarrhea described as looking like “rice water” and doesn’t seem to have a fecal odor. Patient denies the presence of blood or pus in it. Diagnosis?
Cholera
If you suspect a diagnosis of cholera, what relevant history should you ask about?
History of travel or contact with an infected individual
What disease may occur in times of overcrowding or war when sanitation is inadequate?
Cholera
Cholera treatment
- replace fluids
- tetracycline, ampicillin, bactrim, chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones, azithromycin antibiotics
Patient presents with a sore throat, hoarseness, and a gray color on the back of the throat. Diagnosis?
Diptheria
What is an essential finding when considering a diagnosis of Diptheria?
Tenacious gray membrane at the portal of entry in the pharynx
What part of the body does Corynebacterium diptheria attack?
The respiratory tract
In addition to the respiratory tract, what other parts of the body can be affected by diptheria?
The exotoxin causes myocarditis and neuropathy
What nerves does diptheria’s exotoxin “hit” first?
The cranial nerves (diplopia, slurred speech, dysphagia)
Diptheria treatment
- Antitoxin
- membrane removal
- Penicillin or Erythromycin x 14 days
Patient presents with a white discharge that turns yellow and dysuria. On a smear, you see gram (-) intracellular diplococci. Diagnosis?
Gonococcal urethritis or cervicitis
Incubation period for Neisseria gonorrhea
2-8 days
What can a gonococcal infection cause?
- urethritis
- cervicitis
- disseminated disease
- conjunctivitis
What is the discharge like that’s associated with gonococcal urethritis?
- serious and milky
- progresses to yellow and creamy
How may a female with gonococcal cervicitis present?
- dysuria
- increased frequency and urgency
- purulent discharge
Patient presents with arthralgia, fever, and a red rash on the extremities. Beginning to display signs of tenosynovitis. Diagnosis?
Disseminated Gonoccal Disease
Common complications of disseminated gonococcal disease
- arthritis
- tenosynovitis
Gonococcal conjunctivitis treatment
Ceftriaxone 1g treatment
Treatment options for gonococcal urethritis or cervicitis
- 1 treatment of:
- Ceftriaxone
- Cefixime, or
- Spectinomycin
Pharyngeal gonococcal treatment
- IM ceftriaxone x 1 day
- Bactrim x 5 day
Treatment options for gonococcal infection with coexisting chlamydia
- Doxycycline x 7 days
- Azithromycin x 1 day
Three types of salmonella
- enteric (Typhoid) fever
- gastroenteritis
- bactermeia
Patient presents with headache, N/V, and abdominal pain. You discover rose spots, splenomegaly, and bradycardia. Diagnosis?
-Enteric (Typhoid) fever from salmonella
Characteristic diagnostic finding for enteric (typhoid) fever?
Bradycardia
Salmonella incubation period
5-14 days
How does salmonella travel into the bloodstream?
- Transcytosis
- organism is taken up by macrophage, which is then restructured by the organism, and the organism is the deposited into the blood via exocytosis
What effects does enteric (typhoid) fever have on the bowels?
-initially the patient is constipated, but this develops into “pea-soup” diarrhea
“Pea soup” diarrhea is characteristic of what?
Enteric (Typhoid) fever
How long should it take for you to see improvement in a patient with Typhoid fever?
7-10 days
After the prodromal phase of typhoid fever (malaise, HA, cough, N/V), how does it progress?
- “Pea soup” diarrhea
- splenomegaly
- abdominal distention/tenderness
- bradycardia
- rose spot rash on the trunk
What lab findings support a diagnosis of typhoid fever?
Blood culture positive for salmonella
Typhoid fever treatment
- ampicillin, cipro, or levofloxacin
- Azithromycin
- Chloramphenicol or bactrim for resistant strains
What treatment would you give to a typhoid fever carrier?
- Ciprofoxacin x 4 weeks
- cholesystecomy?
How would a patient with salmonella gastroenteritis present?
- fever w/ chills
- N/V
- abdominal cramping
- possibly bloody diarrhea
Salmonella gastroenteritis treatment
- usually self-limiting
- Bactrim or Ampicillin
Patient presents with bloody and mucoid diarrhea and looks toxic. What would you culture the stool for?
Shigella and WBCs
Shigella treatment
- Bactrim x 7-10 days
- Ciprofloxacin x 7-10 days
- Levofloxacin x 3 days
Patient presents with dysphagia, a stiff neck, and hyperreflexia with occassional painful convulsions. Diagnosis?
-Tetanus
What causes tetanus?
the neurotoxin from Clostridium tetani
Patient steps on a rusty nail. What should they look for as early signs of tetanus?
- Stiff jaw and neck
- dysphagia
- irritability
- spasticity of muscles near the wound site