Lecture 20 - Upper resp tract

Question 1

Respiratory infections

Answer 1

Sinusitis, otitis media, pharyngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia

-can get into sinuses of head and middle ear - common site for viral infeciton

Question 2

Common causes of respiratory infections

Answer 2


Bacteria
Streptococcus pyogenes Streptococcus pneumoniae
Haemophilus influenzae Moraxella catarrhalis Bordetella pertussis

Viruses - far more common
Rhinoviruses Coronaviruses Respiratory Syncytial
Virus (RSV) Influenza virus

Question 3

Viral vs bacterial infeciton

Answer 3

• generally if there is more than one area involved it is viral infection
• bacterial infections tend to be localised to one area

Question 4

Pharyngitis most common causes

Answer 4

50% common viruses

• can still do things, not as bad
• sore throat, runny nose ect.
• no cervical adenopathy

50% S.pyogenes

• more severe
• need panadol for pain
• one site infected - red pharynx
• temperature

-to be certain we need to grow organism

Question 5

Treatment s.pyogenes

Answer 5

• Give penicilin, however this will only shorten the disease by half a day
• it is given to people at risk of rhuematic fever e.g if family member has had rheumatic fever

Question 6

Streptococcus pyogenes - group A

Answer 6

• beta haemolytic streptococcus
• gram positive
• round coccus
• complete haemolysis -haemolyse haemoglobin
• positive agglutination - then group A streptococcus

Question 7

Rhinosinusitis

Answer 7

cold symptoms, fluid accumulated in the sinuses - facial pain and pressure

-rinovirus - very small rna virus

Question 8

How is rhinovirus spread?

Answer 8

spread via resp. droplets

-incubation period 1-4 days