Lecture 8: Respiratory Tract Infections Flashcards
what role does bradykinin have in a cold
- causes sore throat
- causes nasal congestion due to vasodilation
what causes sneezing in a cold
- mediated by stimulation of trigeminal sensory nerves
- histamine regulated
what changes nasal discharge colour in a cold
- changes colour due to increased neutrophils
- due to myeloperoxidase
what causes cough in a cold
- mediated by vagus nerve
- inflammation has to have reached larynx
what are cytokines responsible for in a cold
systemic symptoms eg fever
what is the typical temperature in flu patients
38 - 41 degrees
what could be the complications of flu
- primary viral pneumonia
- secondary bacterial pneumonia
- CNS disease
- death
what does haemagglutinin do
- binds sialic acids on host cell surface
- allows virus to enter host cell
what does neuraminidase do
- cleaves sialic acid bonds
- allows virus to escape
community acquired pneumonia pathogens
- streptococcus pneumoniae
- mycoplasma pneumoniae
- legionella pneumophila
risk factor for strep pneumonia
- alcoholics
- smokers
- hyposplenism
- chronic heart disease
- HIV
how is mycobacterium pneumonia diagnosed
PCR throat swab
how is mycobacterium pneumonia treated
- macrolides
- tetracyclines
what is mycobacterium pneumonia the commonest cause of
ambulatory atypical pneumonia
how is legionella pneumophila tested for
urinary legionella antigens
