Infectious Diseases Flashcards
what patients need single room isolation and contact precautions?
Patient with group A strep infection
Patients with MRSA infection
Patients with scabies (also need long sleeved gowns)
Bacterial skin infections
necrotising fasciitis staph aureus strep pyogenes
what is necrotising fasciitis?
bacterial infection which spreads along the fascial planes below the surface of the skin causing rapid tissue destruction very painful
What are the 2 types of necrotising fasciitis?
Type 1: mixed bacteria, usually post-abdominal surgery Type 2: group A strep infection
what is a common example of necrotising fasciitis getting into the skin?
infected leg ulcers - treat the anaeorbes especially if diabetic
What is a virulence factor?
protein components which impact the pathology process of an infection - they can vary between species of bacteria they change quickly - similar to antibiotic resistance
examples of virulence factors
- Adhesin: enables binding of the organism to host tissue, collagen-binding proteins and fibrinogen-binding proteins are types of adhesins
- Impedin: enables the organism to avoid host defence mechanisms
- Aggressin: causes direct damage to the host
staph aureus
a gram +ve, coagulase +ve superficial infections are self-limiting systemic infections are life-threatening
what does staph aureus do in terms of skin infection?
Toxinoses: toxic shock, scalded skin syndrome Toxinoses [TSS-1] is a superantigen which is especially associated with toxic shock (e.g. from menstrual tampons), there is a massive release of cytokines and an inappropriate immune response Panton-valentine leukocidin [PVL] is a cytotoxin released by some strains of staph aureus which is associated with severe skin infections, can cause necrotising pneumonia
Strep pyogenes
Gram +ve
Beta-haemolysis
Lance field surface antigen and superantigens
GAS - group A streptococci
what skin infections are caused by strep pyogenes?
Impetigo [honey coloured crust, can also be caused by staph aureus, can be treated with flucloxacillin/fusidic acid]
Cellulitis [erysipelas]
Necrotising fasciitis
pathogenesis of strep pyogenes
streptolysin S - destroys immune cells virulence factors of strep pyogenes - damage the immune system Virulence varies through horizontal gene transfer e.g. throat infection [bacterial], Scarlett fever [Scarlett fever has symptoms like strawberry tongue, treated with penicillin]
why do anti-inflammatory drugs sometimes work?
some pathogens can use the immune response to get nutrients
causes of fungal skin infections?
ring worm candida
what is ring worm?
dermarophyte fungal infection
where in the body do you get ring worm?
Tinea: capitis (scalp, usually in children), barbae (beard), corporis (body), manuum (hand), unguium (nails), cruris (groin), pedis (foot - ‘athlete’s foot’, very common in those who have cellulitis)
who gets ring worm?
males more common - especially tinea cruris and tinea pedis
Where do you catch ring worm?
other infected humans (anthropophilic fungi), animals (zoophilic) and soil (geophilic fungi, this is less common in the UK)
Pathogenesis of ring worm?
fungus enters abraded/saggy skin, hyphae (part of the fungus) spreads in the keratin layer - it only infects keratinised tissues (hair, skin, laters), this causes increased epidermal turnover leading to scaling which provokes the inflammatory response in the dermis
how does ring worm present?
a ring appearance due to the lesion growing outward with healing in the centre
How is ring worm diagnosed?
clinical appearance woods light appearance skin scrapings - from the scaly edge of the lesion nail clippings, hair - send these in a dermapak
How is ring worm treated?
small areas of infected skin/ nails = clotrimazole (canestan) cream or topical nail paint (amorolfine) extensive skin/ nail infections, scalp infections = oral terbinafine, oral itraconazole
what is candida?
a fungal infection
what is candida intertrigo
infection in skin folds - under breasts, groin, abdominal skin folds, nappy rash in babies) patients commonly obese
why does candida intertigo infect skin folds?
because those areas are warm and moist
how is candida intertigo diagnosed?
swab for culture
how is candida intertigo treated?
clotrimazole cream oral fluconazole
What skin infections are caused by parasites?
scabies lice
What are scabies?
Caused by sarcoptes scabiei [Chronic crusted form = Norwegian scabies] Has an incubation period of up to 6 months
how does scabies present?
very itchy rash can cause burrows affect finger webs wrists genital area
how is scabies treated?
Permethrin cream (topical insecticide)
Malathion lotion (overnight, whole body - washed off next day),
Benzyl benzoate (avoid in children)
what are the types of lice?
• Pediculus: capitis (head), corporis (body - can cause vagabond’s disease), phthirus pubis (pubic)
how do lice present?
intense itch