Infectious Diseases Flashcards
(196 cards)
What is malaria?
Infectious disease caused by Plasmodium of protozoan parasites (single-celled organisms)
What is the most severe and dangerous type of malaria?
Plasmodium falciparum- Accounts for 80% of malaria causes in the UK
How is malaria transmitted?
Through bites from female Anopheles mosquitoes that carry the disease
Not transmitted in the UK- Is associated with travel to areas where malaria is present
List types of malaria
Plasmodium falciparum (most common and severe form)
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium malariae
Plasmodium knowlesi
Outline the life cycle of malaria
Usually spread at night
Feeding mosquito sucks up infected blood- Parasites reproduce in mosquito’s gut, producing sporozoites
Mosquito bites someone, sporozoites are injected- Travel to liver of newly infected person- P. vivax and P. ovale can lie dormant for months or years before reactivating
Parasites mature in liver into merozoites- Enter blood and infect RBCs- Merozoites reproduce, RBCs rupture, releasing merozoites into blood and causing haemolytic anaemia
In P. vivax and P. ovale- Rupture and release of merozoites occurs every 48h, causing fever spike every other day
P. falciparum- Fever spikes more frequently
P. malariae- Fever spikes every 72h
Outline presentation of malaria
Fever (up to 41 degrees C) with sweats and rigors
Fatigue
Myalgia (muscle aches and pains)
Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
What are the signs of malaria on examination?
Pallor due to anaemia
Hepatosplenomegaly
Jaundice (bilirubin released during rupture of RBCs)
What is the most characteristic symptom of malaria?
Fever which spikes very high every 48h
Exposure can be from several years ago
How is malaria diagnosed?
Malaria blood film- Sent in EDTA bottle
3 negative samples taken over 3 consecutive days required to exclude malaria
Outline management of falciparum malaria
Admit
Outline oral management of uncomplicated malaria
Artemether with lumefantrine (Riamet)- 1st choice
Quinine plus doxycycline
Quinine plus clindamycin
Quinine plus clindamycin
Proguanil with atovaquone (Malarone)
Chloroquine (increasing rates of resistance to chloroquine)
Primaquine (can cause severe haemolysis in patients with G6PD deficiency)
Outline IV management of severe or complicated malaria
Admission to HDU or ICU
Artesunate 1st choice (haemolysis common SE)
Quinine dihydrochloride
List complications of P. falciparum malaria
Cerebral malaria
Seizures
Reduced consciousness
AKI
Pulmonary oedema
Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC)
Severe haemolytic anaemia
Multi-organ failure and death
Outline prophylaxis for preventing malaria when travelling to endemic areas
No method 100% effective alone
Use mosquito spray (eg: 50% DEET spray)
Use mosquito nets and barriers in sleeping areas
Seek medical advice if symptoms develop
Take antimalarial medication as recommended
What are the main antimalarial medication options?
Not 100% effective
Proguanil with atovaquone (malarone)- Take from 2d before until 7d after travel to endemic area
Doxycycline- Taken 2d before until 4wks after travel to endemic area
Mefloquine (risk of psychiatric SEs)- Taken wkly from 2wks before to 4wks after travel to endemic area
Chloroquine with proguanil (less often used due to high resistance)
Outline HIV
RNA retrovirus
HIV-1 is most common type
HIV2 mainly found in West Africa
Virus enters and destroys CD4 T-helper cells
Initial seroconversion flu-like illness occurs within few wks of infection- Then asymptomatic until condition progresses to immunodeficiency- May occur yrs after initial infection
Outline transmission of HIV
Unprotected anal, vaginal or oral sexual activity
Mother to child- At any stage of pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding- Vertical transmission
Mucous membrane, blood, or open wound exposure to infected blood/bodily fluids- eg: Sharing needles, needle-stick injuries, blood splashed in eye
List AIDS-defining illnesses
CD4 count dropped to level that allows for unusual opportunistic infections and malignancies
Kaposi’s sarcoma
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP)
CMV
Candidiasis (oesophageal or bronchial)
Lymphomas
TB
Outline HIV screening
Low threshold for testing
Patients with RFs tested
All patients accessing sexual health/antenatal/substance misuse services offered testing
Verbal consent should be documented
Checks ABs to HIV and p24 antigen
Window period of 45d- Can take up to 45d for +ve test to show
Point of care test- HIV ABs- Give result within mins, have 90d window period
Self-sampling kits- Posted to lab- ABs and p24 antigen
Outline monitoring of HIV
Test CD4 count gives number of CD4 cells in blood- Lower count gives higher risk of infection
500-1200 cells/mm3= Normal
<200 cells/mm3= High risk opportunistic infections
Testing for HIV RNA/ml of blood indicates viral load
Undetectable viral load means level below recordable range (20 copies/ml)
Outline treatment of HIV
Combination of antiretroviral therapy (ART)- Offered to everyone diagnosed with HIV, irrespective of viral load or CD4 count
Genotypic resistance testing- Establish resistance of each HIV strain to different meds to guide treatment
Aims to achieve normal CD4 count and undetectable viral load
List classes of antiretroviral therapy meds
Protease inhibitors (PI)
Integrase inhibitors (II)
Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI)
Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI)
Entry inhibitors (EI)
What is the usual starting regime for antiretroviral therapy?
2 NRTIs (eg: Tenofovir plus emtricitabine) plus 3rd agent (eg: Bictegravir)
Outline additional management of HIV
PCP- Prophylactic co-trimoxazole given to all HIV +ve patients with CD4 count<200/mm3
Increased risk developing CVD- Monitor blood lipids and consider statins
Yrly cervical smears- Increased risk HPV and cervical cancer
Vaccinations- Yrly influenza, pneumococcal, HPV, Hep A and B- Avoid live vaccines