Introduction to Medical Microbiology

Question 1

List the categories of micro organisms that cause disease

Answer 1

• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Fungi
• Parasites
• Prions

Question 2

What specimen will be used to diagnose a UTI?

Answer 2

Mid-stream urine sample

Question 3

What specimen will be used to diagnose a chest infection?

Answer 3

Sputum

Question 4

What specimen will be used to diagnose tonsillitis/pharyngitis?

Answer 4

Throat swab

Question 5

What specimen will be used to diagnose what pathogen is infecting a wound?

Answer 5

Swab of pus/tissue

Question 6

What specimen will be used to diagnose diarrhoea?

Answer 6

Stool sample

Question 7

What specimen will be used to diagnose bacteraemia?

Answer 7

Blood culture

Question 8

What specimen will be used to diagnose meningitis?

Answer 8

CSF sample

Question 9

What does microscopy allow with regards to bacteria?

Answer 9

Detection but not identification

Question 10

What does culture allow with regards to bacteria?

Answer 10

Identification

Question 11

How do you identify bacteria from culture?

Answer 11

• Colonial appearance

- Growth patterns

Question 12

What are sterile sites?

Answer 12

Contain no micro-organisms, commensal or otherwise

Question 13

Give 4 examples of sterile sites

Answer 13

• Blood
• CSF
• Bladder
• Lungs

Question 14

What are non sterile sites?

Answer 14

They can contain commensal microbes that may not harm the body but will show up in microscopy and culture

Question 15

Give 4 examples of non-sterile sites

Answer 15

• Skin
• Nasopharynx
• Urethra
• Gut

Question 16

Why are viruses difficult to grow in culture?

Answer 16

They only grow inside cells

Question 17

What 3 methods are used to detect viruses?

Answer 17

• Electron microscopy
• Antigen detection
• Nucleic acid amplification

Question 18

What can be used to determine immunity to a virus?

Answer 18

Serology - diagnostic technique of blood serum