Infectious diseases Flashcards
What are the different types of vaccinations?
Inactivated - dead version of pathogen, can’t cause infection and safe in immunocompromised pt
Subunit and conjugate vaccines - only contain parts of the organism, can’t cause infection and safe in immunocompromised pt
Live attenuated - weakened version of pathogen, can cause infection esp in immunocompromised pt
Toxin vaccines - toxin produced by a pathogen, produce immunity to the toxin not the pathogen
What is the vaccine schedule before 1 year?
BCG at birth for babies at risk.
8 weeks - 6in1, meningococcal type B, rotavirus (2m and 3m)
12 weeks - 6in1, pneumococcal, rotavirus
16 weeks - 6in1, meningococcal type B
What are the vaccinations you receive pre school?
1 year - 2in1, pneumococcal, MMR vaccine, meningococcal type B
3 years 4 months - 4in1, MMR vaccine
What are the vaccines you receive in secondary school?
12-13 - HPB
14 years - 3in1, meningococcal A,C,W,Y
Where can children have a candidiasis infection?
- Oral
- Nappy rash - most common
- Vagina/penis
- Skin folds/navel
- Corners of mouth
- Nail beds
What children are at risk of candidiasis?
- Living in hot humid weather
- Too much time between nappy changes
- Poor hygiene
- Taking abx or corticosteroids
- Immunocompromised
What are the features of candidal nappy rash?
Well defined red patches or plaques, papules and pustules spread into skin folds.
What is the management of candidiasis?
Skin - topical clotrimazole
Oral - miconazole gel for at least 7 days or until 2 days after sx clear
What is the management of cellulitis?
- If <1 year = hospital admission
- Class I cellulitis - fluclox orally or clarithromycin
- Close to eyes or nose - co amoxiclav
What is the management of conjunctivitis?
Bacterial conjunctivitis clears on its own w/i 5-7 days without treatment so abx not recommended
Chloramphenicol drops if severe
Advise there is no recommended exclusion period from school or nursery but some might have a policy.
What are the CF of epiglottitis?
- Sore throat
- Stridor
- Drooling
- Tripod position
- High fever
- Difficulty or painful swallowing
- Muffled voice
- Scared, quiet, unwell child
What is epiglottitis?
Swelling of the epiglottis, most commonly caused by haemophilus influenza type B.
Is life threatening as it can completely obstruct the airway w/i hours of sx developing.
What is the management of epiglotitis?
- Don’t distress the patient = can increase closure of airway, don’t examine
- Need anaesthetist and senior paediatrician
- Secure airway - need to be prepped to intubate, tracheostomy may be needed if can’t intubate
- IV abx = ceftriaxone, steroids
What is Kawasaki disease?
Mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome - is a type of vasculitis affecting children <5 years.
More common in boys and Asian children.
What are the CF of Kawasaki disease?
Persistent high fever >39 degrees for >5 days
Sick unhappy children
Widespread erythematous maculopapular rash and desquamation of palms and soles
Strawberry tongue
Cracked lips
Cervical lymphadenopathy
Bilat conjunctivitis
What are the ix into Kawasaki disease?
Bloods - FBC, LFT, ESR
Urine dip - neutrophils
Echo = coronary artery aneurysm
What are the phases of Kawasaki disease?
Acute phase - most unwell, ~2w, fever, rash, lymphadenopathy
Subacute - desquamation and arthralgia, risk of coronary artery aneurysm, 2-4 w
Convalescent stage - sx settle, blood tests to normal and coronary aneurysm regress
What is the management of Kawasaki disease?
- High dose aspirin to reduce risk of thrombosis
- IV immunoglobulins to reduce risk of coronary artery aneurysms
What are differentials for child with fever?
- Meningitis
- Meningococcal disease
- Otitis media, mastoiditis
- Pneumonia, sinusitis
- UTI
- Septic arthritis, osteomyelitis
- Kawasaki disease
- Sepsis
- Viral illness
- Skin and soft tissue infection
- Head and neck abscess - retropharyngeal, tonsillar
What are the differentials for a child w fever and a rash?
- Measles
- Viral rash
- Meningococcal sepsis
- Scarlet fever
- Chicken pox
- Hand foot and mouth disease
- Impetigo
- Slapped cheek
What are the red flag symptoms in a child with a fever?
- Pale, blue, mottled
- Unrousable, sleepy, no response to social cues
- Grunting, RR >60, resp distress
- Reduced skin turgor
- <3m
- Non blanching rash and neck stiffness
- Bulging fontanelle
What are the differentials for acute rash? no fever
Prickly heat
Eczema
Hives/urticaria
Ringworm
Scabies
Molluscum contagiosum
Baby acne
Cradle cap
What are the CFs of measles?
- Rash 3-4 days - first on forehead and neck and then to trunk and limbs, fades after 3-4 days and can leave brown discolouration
- Fever + cough, coryza, conjunctivitis
- Koplik’s spots on buccal mucosa
- High fever
What are the ix into measles?
Salivary swab
What is the management of measles?
- Uncomplicated = symptomatic treatment as mainly self limiting
- Notifiable disease - post exposure prophylaxis to contacts
- Vaccination
What are the complications of measles?
Resp - otitis media, bronchopneumonia (biggest cause of death)
Acute demyelinating encephalitis
Diarrhoea
Meningitis vs meningococcal septicaemia?
Meningitis - inflam of the meninges, usually associated w infection
Meningococcal septicaemia - Neisseria meningitidis in bloodstream, causes non blanching rash, DIC and subcutaneous haemorrhages
What are the causative organisms of meningitis?
Neisseria meningitidis
Strep pneumoniae
Neonates - group B strep
What are the CF of meningitis?
- Fever
- Headache
- Photophobia
- Alt conc and seizures
- Neck stiffness
- Meningococcal septicaemia - non blanching rash
- Babies - poor feeding, lethargy, bulging fontanelle
What are the special tests that are positive in meningeal irritation?
Kernig’s - pt on back, flex hip and knee to 90 degrees then slowly straighten knee = spinal pain or resistance to movement
Brudzinski - pt on back, lift head and neck off bed and chin to test = involuntarily flex hips and knees
When is a LP indicated in children?
<1m w fever
1-3 m w fever and unwell
<1 year w unexplained fever and features of serious illness
What is the management of meningitis?
Found in GP = urgent IM benzylpenicillin prior to transfer to hospital
<3m = cefotaxime and amoxicillin
>3m = ceftriaxone
Add vancomycin in risk of resistance eg. foreign travel or prolonged abx exposure
Steroids in bacterial meningitis to reduce risk of hearing loss and neuro damage eg. dex QDS for 4 days
Notifiable disease