M: Bacteria causing ocular infections 5 - Week 3 Flashcards
What sexuality and age group is more likely to have contracted an STI, and by how much?
Men who have sex wiht men (aged 20-39) are 5 times more likely to have contracted an STI
What microorganism causes Syphilis?
spirochaete Treponema Pallidum
Who is Mr Syph and Mrs Illis?
Mr Syph is Davud Akgun. Mrs Illis is Nguyen Ho
:D
If untreated, what are the 3 stages of Syphilis?
Stage 1/Primary: painless chancre (fluid-filled ulcer) at inoculation site – lasts 3-4 weeks
Stage 2/Secondary: skin rash, other organ involvement (after 6-12 weeks)
Stage 3/Tertiary: cardiovascular involvement and neurosyphilis
In what stage of syphilis do ocular complications first occur? What proportion of syphilis sufferers get ocular complications? Which ocular complication is most common in this case?
Secondary Stage. less than 10%. Most commonly uveitis (iritis) = inflammation inside the eye
How can a definitive diagnosis of syphilis be made?
only through laboratory testing (serology)
What ocular symptoms can syphilis present with? (in those who get them) (4)
- redness
- pain
- light sensitivity
- loss of vision
What proportion of people who have ocular symptoms of syphilis DON’T have any other symptoms?
25%. Therefore, these people won’t even know they have syphilis
What drug is used for the treatment of syphilis
Penicillin (b/c no resistance) (however reinfection can occur)
Name 2 ocular infections that affect the cornea
- keratitis
- keratoconjunctivitis
Name 3 ocular infections that affect the intraorbital area
- orbital cellulitis
- endophthalmitis
-uveitis
Define keratitis
inflammation of the cornea (may or may not be associated with infection)
What’s the difference between non-infectious and infectious keratitis?
non-infectious: from a relatively minor injury; wearing CLs too long; or other diseases
infectious: is a SIGHT-THREATENING emergency (urgent referral = essential) caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi
List the symptoms of keratitis (5)
- red eye
- discomfort
- photophobia
- blurred or decreased vision
- may rapidly progress
List 3 symptoms from a more serious infection of keratitis
- pain
- vision loss
- pus
If left untreated, what can severe keratitis lead to? (3)
- perforation of the cornea
- endophthalmitis
- eye loss
List 4 risk factors for keratitis
- CL wear: too long, poor disinfection, wearing while swimming
- Reduced immunity, including use of topical steroids
- Warm climate, esp. if plant material gets in eyes
- Previous eye injury or recent corneal disease
Name 5 bacteria that cause keratitis
- staph. aureus
- strep. pneumoniae
- pseudomonas aeruginosa
- enterobacteriae
- moraxella
How might fungi cause keratitis?
via contamination of CL solution
Provide an example of a parasitic cause of keratitis. How serious is this?
Acanthamoeba. Very serious
Provide 2 examples of a viral cause of keratitis
HSV and VSV
Describe the following features of Pseudomonas:
A: Gram stain
B: Response to oxygen env
C: Growth requirements
D: Type of pathogen
A: Gram negative rods, moderately large
B: Aerobic (but can adapt to low oxygen levels)
C: Minimal growth requirements (grows in moist environments)
D: Opportunistic pathogen
How many pigments does pseudomonas produce? What are they?
- Pyocyanin and Fluorescein
What is pseudomonas resistant to?
Resistant to many disinfectants and antimicrobials
How common is pseudomonas in the environment?
Common. It is considered a “water bug”
Which psuedomonas microorganism is an ocular pathogen?
pseudomonas aeruginosa
Which bacteria is the most common bacterium in CL-assoc. keratitis?
pseudomonas aeruginosa (60-70%)
What 2 conditions is pseudomonas aeruginosa known for causing?
- CL assoc. keratitis
- exogenous endophthalmitis (following penetrating eye injury)
How would you describe the outcome of a Pseudomonas eye infection?
Very poor.
What features of Pseudomonas contribute to its pathogenesis? (7)
- adhesion structures (both fimbrial and non-fimbrial)
- nutritionally resourceful
- opportunistic pathogen
- induces inflammatory response (ocular damage due to inflammatory cytokines)
- produces exotoxins (necrotic central corneal ulceration)
- pyocyanin = a toxin (targets many pathways).
- has cytotoxic and invasive strains
Where do pseudomonas come from?
Environment, as exogenous infections:
- survives on any moist surface e.g. soil, plants, water, biofilm on CL, CL cases, in pipes, showerheads, sinks
- is very difficult to eradicate
For the laboratory diagnosis of pseudomonas, describe the following:
A: Specimen
B: Microscopy
C: Culture
D: Confirmation
A: conjunctival swab, corneal scraping
B: Gram negative rods (and many inflammatory cells)
C: On basal media (NA) produces large colonies with blue-green water soluble pigment; characteristic odour (ammonia)
D: i. selected biochemical tests (oxidase positive)
ii. pigment production (pyocyanin and fluorescein)
How do you manage pseudomonas? (4)
- often difficult to treat ocular pseudomonas infections
- is resistant to many antibiotics: perform antimicrobial susceptibility test
- usually susceptible to quinolones
- more serious infections treated with combination of tobramycin and ticarcillin (synergism)