Micro Flashcards
Reportable GI infections for public health
campylobacter, salmonella, shigella, E.Coli 0157, Listeria, Norovirus
B-LACTAMS MOA
- Work by inactivating the enzymes involved in the terminal stages of cell wall synthesis (transpeptidases also known as penicillin binding proteinsB)
- Beta-lacktam is a structural analogue of the enzyme substrate
- Bactericidal
- Active against rapidly-dividing bacteria
- Do not work with bacteria that do not have peptidoglycan - mycoplasma and chlamydia
MOA
- Transpeptidase forms peptide crosslinks between NAM and NAG of the peptidoglycan
- Impt for structural integrity and also sometimes confer virulence
- Hence daughter cells have weakened cell wall, undergoes osmotic lysis and dies
- They do not ‘punch holes’ in the cell wall (because they do not affect bacterial cells that are not actively dividing)
- Hence they are unable to kill non-actively dividing bacteria
- Cell cycle whereby there is lack of nutritions and they do not actively divide e.g. in a big abscess
- Biofilms on prostatic material
- Hence they are unable to kill non-actively dividing bacteria
4 main classes of beta-lactams Abx
- Penicillin
- Cefalosporins (cefotaxmine)
- Carbapenems (imipenem)
- Monobactams (carumoam)
Carbapenems examples
- Meropenem, Imipenem, Ertapenem
- But carbapenemase enzymes becoming more widespread, hence concerns about antibiotic resistance as this is currently the last line
GLYCOPEPTIDES MOA
e. g. vancomycin and teicoplanin
* Large molecules that inhibit cell wall synthesis
* But unable to penetrate Gram-ve outer cell membrane (LPS layer)
* Only active against Gram+
* Important for treating serious MRSA infections (Iv only)
* Slowly bactericidal
* Nephrotoxic - hence important to monitor drug levels to prevent accumulation
MOA
- Binds to the peptide linked between the peptidoglycan precursors
- And prevents transpeptidase and transglycosidase from being able to bind
- Hence prevents cell wall from getting peptide or glycosidic bonds = weak cell wall
Inhibitors of protein synthesis (bind to bacterial ribosomal subunits) (5)
- Aminoglycosides (30S)
- Tetracyclines (30S)
- Macrolies (e.g. erythromycin), Lincosamids (clindamycin), Streptogramins (Syncercid) - MSL group (50S)
- Chloramphenicol (50S)
- Oxazolidinones (e.g. Linezolid) (50S)
Oral vanc
Used to treat C.diff
AMINOGLYCOSIDES MOA and examples
- Bind to amino-acyl site of 30S ribosomal subunit
- Rapid, concentration dependent bactericidal action
- Hence usually given in big doses to kill bacteria
- Require specific transport mechanisms to enter cells (accounts for some intrinsic resistance)
- Ototoxic and nephrotoxic, therefore must monitor levels
- Gentamicin and tobramycin particularly active against Ps. aeruginosa
- Synergistic combination with b-lactams
- No activity against anaerobes
MOA
- Binds 30S ribosomal subunit
- Prevent elongation of polypeptide chain
- Cause misreading of the codons along the mRNA
- But full MOA is not understood
e.g. gentamicin
TETRACYCLINE MOA and example
- Broad-Spectrum but activity being reduced by increasing resistance as well
- Bacteriostatic
- Particularly useful for intracellular pathogens (chlamydia, rickettsiae and mycoplasma)
- Deposits in growing bone (hence not given to children) or pregnant women (tetragenic)
- Also causes light-sensitive rash
MOA
- Reversibly bind to 30S ribosomal subunit
- Prevent binding of aminoayl-tRNA to the ribosomal acceptor site so inhibiting protein synthesis
example doxycycline
MACROLIDES MOA and example
- Bacteriostatic
- Minimal activity against Gram-, because they can’t cross outer membrane LPS
- Useful for treating mild Stap or Strep in penicillin allergic pts
- Active against Campylobacter and Legionella penumophillja (hence given to cover atypical in pneumonia)
- Newer agents include clarthromycin and azithromycin with improved pharmacological properties
MOA
- Bind to 50S subunit
- Stimulate dissociation of peptidyl-tRNA
CHLORAMPHENICOL MOA + SE
- Bacteriostatic
- Very broad antibacterial activity
- Rarely used because of risk of aplastic anaemia and grey baby syndrome in neonates because of inability to metabolise the drug
MOA
* Bind 50S subunit, protein synthesis
OXAZOLIDIONES (LINEZOLID)
- Binds to 23S component of 50S
- Highly activate against Gram+ including MRSA and VRE
- Not active against most Gram-ve
- Very expensive, may cause thrombocytopenia and should be used with consultant micro/ID approval
- This the first class of completely synthetic Abx
Inhibitors of DNA synthesis (2)
- Quinolone e.g. ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin
* Nitroimidazoles e.g. methronixadole and tinidazole
QUINOLONES MOA and examples
- Bactericidal
- Broad anti-bacterial activity especially against Gram-ve (cipro for pseudomonas)
- Newer against (e.g. levofloxacin and moxifloxacin) have increased activity against Gram+ve and intracellular bacteria but less activity against Pseudomonas
- Well absorbed following oral administration
- Used for UTI, pneumonia, atypical pneumonia and bacterial gastroenteritis
- Against increased resistance, decreasing utility
MOA
* Act on DNA gyase predominantly
e.g. ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin
NITROIMIDAZOLE (METRONIDAZOLE) MOA
- Rapidly bactericidal
- Used for anaerobes and protozoa
- Nitrofurans are related pounds: nitrofurantoin is useful for treating simple UTIs
MOA
* Under anaerobic conditions, active intermediate causes DNA strand breakage
RIFAMPICIN MOA
- Bactericidal
- broad spectrum
- Active against certain bacteria including mycobacteria and chylamydia
- Metabolised by the liver and can cause drug-drug interaction (contraceptive) and monitor LFT
- May turn urine and tears orange
MOA
* Binds to RNA-dependnet RNA polymerase and inhibit initiation of transcription
Rifampicin SE and resistance
Resistance for rifampicin
- Altered targets
- Resistance to rifampicin develops rapidly, can develop while on treatment
- Should never be used as single agent except for short-term prophylaxis
- Chromosomal mutation causes a single amino acid change i the beta-submit ofRNA polymerase which than fails to bind rifampicin
orange secretions (tears and urine)
Cell membrane toxins (2)
Daptomycin
- Cyclic lipopeptide used to treat MRSA and VRE
- Recent, new drug
- Gram+ve
Colistin
- Polymyxin antibiotic, activate against Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella penumoniae
- Old drug
- Not absorbed by mouth
- Nephrotoxic and should be reserved for use against MDR bacteria
- very difficult to dose due to SE
Inhibitors of folate metabolism (2)
- Sulfonamides
* Diaminopyrimidines (e.g trimethoprim)
MOA of * Sulfonamides
* Diaminopyrimidines (e.g trimethoprim)
- MOA: folate inhibitors
- Synergistic action between the two drug classes because they act on sequential stages of folate pathway
- Combination = co-trimoazole
- Trimethoprim used to treat community acquired UTIs
Resistance - * MRSA (methicillin resistance S.aureus)
- mecA gene encoded novel PBP2a
- Low affinity for binding beta-lactam
- Substitutes for the essential functions of high affinity PBP at otherwise lethal concentrations of antibiotic
- Hence they are resistant to ALL Pencillin because this alternate pathway
Resistance - Strep pneumo
- Result of acquisition of stepwise mutation in PBP
- hence slight increase in resistance
- But lower level resistance be overcome by increasing dose
- Problem because strep pneu can cause meningitis because the slight increase in resistance will not respond to benzylbenicillin typically used to bacterial meningitis as they do not accumulate high enough conc in CSF
- When prescribing gentamin, what is the most important factor to maximise?
- gent is amino glycoside, therefore Cmax is most important → Dose/peak above MIC
- What PK/PD perimeter is the most important in penicillin dosing?
- Pencillin is trough dependent/time dependent → duration>MIC
C.diff colitis what abx
Stop offending abx
PO metronidazole
if fail than PO vancomycin
Hospital acquired UTI
Cephalexin/augmentin
If infected urinary catheter: change under gentamicin cover
hospital acquired pneumonia
Cephalosporin + ciprofloxacin + tazocin (covering for pseudomonas)
If MRSA risk, add vancomycin (IV)
- 1st line: ciprofloxacin ± vancomycin
- 2nd line: tazocin + vancomycin
- Specific therapy:
- MRSA: vancomycin
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa: tazocin OR ciprofloxacin ± gentamicin
community acquired pneumonia
- Mild-moderate: amoxicillin OR erythromycin/clarithromycin
- Moderate-severe:
- Hospital admission required
- Augmentin + clarithromycin
- If allergic to penicillins: cefuroxime + clarithromycin
Pharyngitis
Benzylpenicllin
Atypical pneumonia do not have cell wall hence pencilling do not work therefore give
Marcolides e.g. erythromycin or azithromycin
tetracyclines e.g. doxycycline
Staph aureus: food poisoning
- Properties:
- Catalase & coagulase +ve
- Gram +ve cocci appear in tetrads & clusters
- Form yellow colonies on blood agar
- Produces enterotoxin: exotoxin superantigen acting on GIT, stimulating IL-1 & IL-2
- 1/3 population are chronic carriers, 1/3 are transient
- Spread by skin lesions on food handlers
- Skin cells shed into the food
- Because it is a pre-formed toxin, hence effects (D&V) occurs rapidly after consumption within 2-7hours
- Causes prominent, vomiting and watery non-bloody diarrhoea
- Don’t treat, self limited
Bacillus cereus: food poisoning
- Properties:
- Gram +ve rods which produce spores
- Produce 2 toxins (preformed): heat stable emetic toxin (not destroyed by reheating) & heat labile diarrhoeal toxin (present if food not cooked to high enough temp.) → hence again symptoms occur rapidly after consumption
- Bacterial produces spores which geminate in reheated fried rice
- Watery non-bloody diarrhoea, self-limiting
- Rare cause of bacteraemia and cerebral abscesses in vulnerable population
Clostridia - Gram+ anaerobe
- Clostridium botulinum: botulism
- Source: canned or vacuum packed food (honey/infants)
- Ingestion of preformed toxin (inactivated by cooking)
- Blocks ACh release from peripheral nerve synapse → Sx of paralysis
- Treatment with anti-toxin
- Clostridium pefringens: food poisoning
- Source: reheated food (meat)
- Normal flora of colon (but not small bowel) where the enterotoxin acts (super antigen)
- Incubation 8-16hrs
- Watery diarrhoea, cramps, little vomiting lasting 24hrs
- Clostridium difficile: pseudomembranous colitis
- 30% of hospital pts, 3% of community
- <2 and >65 may just carry C.diff without producing toxins and asymptomatic
- Antibiotics related:
- 4Cs: cephalosporins, cipro, clindamycin and co-amoxiclav
- But any Abx can cause it
- Able to spread by spores to environment and people
- Infection control
- Tx: PO metronidazole, vancomycin, (for local effects) stop antibiotics where possible
- 30% of hospital pts, 3% of community
Listeria monocytogenes: febrile gastroenteritis outbreaks
- Properties:
- Haemolytic
- Aesculin +ve
- Tumbling motility (like tumbleweed)
- particularly in pregnant women
- Source:
- Refrigerated food i.e. unpasteurised diary, vegetables
- Grows at 4oC (cold enhancement)
- GI watery diarrhoea, cramps, headache, fever, little vomiting
- Perinatal infection (listeria meningitis), immunocompromised pts
- Treatment: ampicillin
Enterobacteriacae (E.coli)
- E.coli
- Properties:
- Facultative anaerobes
- Glucose/lactose fermenters (LF)
- Oxidase negative
- Enterotoxins:
- Heat labile stimulus AC and cAMP
- Heat stable stimulates GC
- Acts of the jejunum, ileum not on colon
- Source: food/water contaminated with human faeces
- Serotypes
ETEC - travellers diarrhoea
EHEC - haemorrhagic O157 → HUS
EPEC - infantile diarrhoea
EIEC - invasive, causes dysentery (inflammatory diarrhoea. Above 3 all just secretory diarrhoea) - Avoid antibiotics (as they exacerbates condition, unknown MOA)
- Properties:
Enterobacteriacae (salmonella)
Enterobacteriacae (salmonella)
- Properties:
- Non-lactose fermenters
- H2S producers (black bits), TSI agar, XLD agar, selenite F broth
- Surface antigens
- Cell wall O
- Flagella H
- Capsular Vi (virulence, antiphagocytic)
- Depending of which type of O and H will tell you which strain of salmonella you have got
- Three impt species:
- S. typhi and parathyphi (more worrying)
- S. enteritidis
- S. cholerasuis
S.enteritidis (Enterocolitis)
- Transmitted from poultry, eggs, meats
- Invasion of epi- and sub-epithelial, tissue of small and large bowel
- Don’t usually cause fever or bacteraemia
- Usually not treated - self limited, non bloody diarrhoea (usually no treatment needed but cipro if required)
- Stool positivity
S.typhi (thyphoid/enetric fever)
- Transmitted only by humans (human to human) → human can be reservoir
- Multiples in Peyer’s patches (not specific to sub-epithelial cells
- Fever and bacteraemia
- Particularly at risk if pt is sickle cell
- 3% carriers
- Slow onset, fever and constipation - NO DIARRHOEA
- O/E: Splenomegaly, rose spots, anaemia, leucopenia, bradycardia, haemorrhage and perforation
- Ix: Blood culture positive, leucopenia
- Treatment: ceftriaxone
Enterobacteriacae (shigella)
- Shigellae: dysentery
- Properties:
- Non-lactose fermenters
- Non H2S producers (v salmonella)
- Non-motile
- Surface antigens
- Cell wall O antigens
- Polysaccharids (Groups A-D): S.sonnei, S. dysenteriae, S.flexneri (man have sex with men)
- Most effective enteric pathogen (low ID 50)
- No animal reservoir
- No carrier state
- Dysentery
- Invading cells of mucosa of distal ileum and colon
- Producing enterotoxin (Shiga toxin)
- Avoid antibiotics (but ciprofloxacin if required) - similar to Salmonella enteritidis
- Properties:
Vibrios: massive diarrhoea
- Properties:
- Curved, comma shaped
- Late lactose fermenters
- Oxidase positive
- Vibrio cholera
- O1 group or non O1 group
- O1 group = epidemics
- Non O1 group = sporadic or non-pathogens
- Transmitted by contamination of food and water form human faceless (shellfish, oyster, shrimp)
- Colonisation of small bowl and secretion of enterotoxin with A and B subunit (AB toxin), causing persistent stimulation of adenylate cyclase
- Causes massive diarrhoea (rice water stool) without inflammatory cell
- Treat losses - fluid and electrolyte replacement
- Vibrio parahaemoyticus
- ingestion of raw or undercooked seafood
- Major cause of diarrhoea in Japan
- Self-limited in 3 days
- Grows in salty 8.5% NaCl
- treat with doxycycline
- Vibrio vulnificus
- Cellulitis in shellfish handlers
- Fatal septicaemia with D+V in HIV pts
- treat with doxycycline
Campylobacter:
Campylobacter:
- Properties:
- Curved, comma or S shaped
- Microaerophilic - don’t require much oxygen
- Oxidase +ve
- Motile
- C. jejuni grows at 42oC (most common campylobacter)
- Transmitted via contaminated food and water with animal faeces (poultry, meat, unpasteurised milk)
- Enterotoxin → watery diarrhoea, foul smelling diarrhoea, bloody stool, fever and debilitating abdo pain
- Can lead on to GBS (Gillian Barre syndrome), react arthritis, Reiter’s syndrome
- Self-limiting but symptoms can last for weeks (20 days)
- Treat with erythromycin or cipro if within first 4-5 days but most pts would be over (self-limiting) by the time the results are back and don’t require treatment
- Only treat if immunocompromised (macrolide)
Yersinia enterocolitica: enterocolitis and mesenteric adenitis
- Properties:
- Non-lactose fermenter
- Prefers 4oC (cold enrichment)
- Transmitted via food contaminated with domestic animals excitements e.g. cats
- Enterocolitis
- Mesenteric adenitis
- Associated with reactive arthritis, Reiter’s
Entamoeba histolytia
- motile trophozoite in diarrhoea
- Non-motile cyst in non-diarrhoea illness
- Killed by boiling, removed by water filters
- 4 nuclei
- No animal reservoir
- Ingestion of cysts → trophozoites in ileum → colonic cecum, colon → Flask shaped ulcer
- Symtoms
- Acute: Dysentery, flatulence, tenesmus
- Chronic: weight loss +/- diarrhoea
- Liver abscess
- Diagnosis
- Stool micro (wet amount, iodine and trichrome stains)
- Serology in invasive disease
- Treat: metronidazole + paromomycin in luminal disease
Giardia lambda: non-bloody diarrhoea
- Trophozoite, ‘pear shaped’
- 2 nuclei
- 4 flagellas
- Ingestion of cyst from faecally contaminated water, food
- Excystation at duodenum, trophozoite attaches, no invasion
- Malabsorption of protein and fat
- Travellers, hikers, day care, mental hospital & MSM
- Presents withs:
- Foul smelling non-bloody diarrhoea
- Cramps
- Flatulence
- No fever
- Diagnosis:
- Stool micro
- ELISA
- “string test”
- Treatment: Metronidazole
Cryptosporidium parvum: severe diarrhoea in immunocompromised
Cryptosporidium parvum: severe diarrhoea in immunocompromised
- infects the jejunum
- Ix: Oocysts seen in stool by modified Kinyoun acid fast stain
- Self-limiting
- Treatment: reconstitute of immune system. No real treatment for itself.
Norovirus
Norovirus
- Low ID (18-1000 viral particles)
- Environment resilience (0-60oC)
- No long term immunity
- Hence you can get it again and again = outbreaks
Rotavirus
Rotavirus
- dsRNA ‘wheel like’
- Affects children
- Replicates in mucosa of small intestine
- Secretory diarrhoea, no inflammation
- Most children by age 6 have antibodies, exposure to natural infection confers lifelong immunity
Vaccinated:
Vaccines (viral)
- Rotarix: live attenuated human strain, 2 PO dose
- Rotateq: pentavalent, 3 PO doses, one bovine, and four human staring
- Rotashield and intussusception (8-20 weeks)
- Age of vaccine is 6-12 weeks
Adenovirus
Adenovirus
- Types 40/41 causes non-bloody diarrhoea, <2years of age
- Any type of diarrhoea in immunocompromised
- Not so common in healthy non-immunocompromised
- Diagnosis:
- Stool EM, antigen detection, PCR
Common causes of encephalitis
Rabies virus, arbovirus, Trypanosoma species, Prions, Amoeba
Common cause of myelitis - infection of the spinal cord
Poliovirus
Clostridium tetani and clostridium botulinum causes neurotoxin syndrome - what are the symptoms?
Paralysis, rigidity (tetanus), or flaccid (botulism)
Affects CNS and PNS
Septicaemia - clinical spectrum produced by four processes
Capillary leak
→ Albumin and other plasma proteins leads to hypovolaemia
Coagulopathy → Leads to bleeding and thrombosis * Endothelial injury results in platelet-release reactions * Protein C pathway * Plasma anticoagulants
Metabolic derangement
→ Primarily acidosis
Myocardial failure
→ multi-organ failure
Cause of Chronic meningitis
TB
Causes of aseptic meningitis and diff in clinical presentation compared with bacterial meningitis
Aseptic meningitis
- Most common infection of the CNS
- Headache, stiff neck, photophobia
- Non-specific rash
- Coxsackievirus Group B and echoviruses responsible for 80-90% causes
- Most frequently occurs in children <1 year
- Clinical course is self-limiting and resolves in 1-2 weeks
Encephalitis v meningitis
Encephalitis
* Affects cognition
Leading cause of encephalitis worldwide
West Nile Virus - leading cause of encephalitis internationally
- Originated in West Nile
- And now additional outbreaks/common in US
- Expected to reach UK soon
Bacterial cause of infectious encephalitis
Bacteria causes of infectious encephalitis
* Listera monocytogenes
Amoebic encephalitis
Amoebic encephalitis
- Naegleria fowleri
- Habitat - warm water
- Acanthamoeba species and balamuthia mandrillaris
- Brain abscess, aseptic or chronic meningitis
Brain infection in immunocompromised?
Toxoplasmosis
- Obligate intracellular protozoal parasite, toxoplasma gondii
- Via the oral, transplacental route or organ transplantation
- Severe infection in immunocompromised pts
- Affected organs include the grey and white matter of the brain, retina, alveolar lining of the lungs, heart and skeletal muscle
Interpret this CSF
- clear fluid
- raised white cell (lymphocytes predominant)
- negative gram staining
- very high protein
- low glucose
Tuberculous meningitis
- TB meningitis
- Brain abscess
- Cryptococcal meningitis
Not viral because of low glucose. Viral also usually have less slightly raised protein
20F, headache and neck stiffness, Gram + (red), alpha-haemolytic
Strep pneumonia
18M, headache neck stiffness, Gram- (purple) non-haemolytic
Neisseria meningitides
65y.o, headache, neck stiffness, Gram+, Anton test on Mueller-Hinton agar
Listeria monocytogenes
45, headache, neck stiffness, Ziehl-Nelson stain
TB
35, headache, neck stiffness India ink stain
Cryptoccocus
Indian ink is specifically for yeasts.
likely immunocompromised
Notes for cyptoccocus
* Pressure of 40cm water + india ink + immunocompromised
Generic Abx for ?meningitis
- Ceftriaxone 2g iv bd
- If >50 years or immunocompromised add: Amoxicillin 2g IV 4 hourly (to kill amox)
<3month/1 month add ampicillin for Listeria cover
Generic Abc therapy for meningo-encephalitis
- Acyclovir 10mg/kg iv ads
- Ceftriaxone 2g iv bd
- If >50 years of immunocompromised add: Amoxicillin 2g IV 4 hourly
- Which of the following cell types in a urine microscopy suggest a poor taken sample? - white cell, squamous cell or red blood cells
Squamous cell
Dipstick parameters product of nitrate reductase and suggestive of UTI
nitrites
Define the following terms: bacteriuria, cystitis, pyelonephritis, uncomplicated urinary tract infection, complicated urinary tract infection
- Bacteriuria: the presence of bacteria in the urine
- Is not significant (asymptomatic bacteriuria) except in pregnancy
- Cystitis: inflammation of the bladder often caused by infection
- More relevant
- Pyelonephritis: is an inflammation of the kidney tissue, calyces, and renal pelvis. It is commonly caused by bacterial infection that has spread up the urinary tract or travelled through the bloodstream to the kidneys.
- Uncomplicated UTI refers to infection in a structurally and neurologically normal urinary tract.
- Complicated UTI refers to infection in a urinary tract with functional or structural abnormalities (including indwelling catheters and calculi)
What is complicated UTI and who gets them?
Complicated UTI refers to infection in a urinary tract with functional or structural abnormalities (including indwelling catheters and calculi)
- Men - longer urethra, hence typically regarded as complicated
- Pregnant women: coliforms are associated with pyelonephritis and more severe infections later in pregnancy
- Children
- Patients who are hospitalized or in health care-associated settings e.g. catheterisation
LO2: Recall the incidence of urinary tract infections
- The prevalence of bacteriuria in young non-pregnant women is about 1 to 3%. Don’t always treat unless symptomatic
- Up to 40% to 50% of the female population will experience a symptomatic UTI at some stage during their life.
LO: List the common bacterial causes of urinary tract infection
- More than 95% of UTIs are caused by a single bacterial species
- E. Coli is by far the most frequent infective agent
Other organisms
- Only tend to cause infections with other abnormalities.
- Proteus mirabilis- ax with kidney stones!!!!
- Klebsiella aerogenes
- Enterococcus faecalis
- Staphylococcus saprophyticus: common cause in young women!!!
- Staphylococcus epidermidi (introduced when there is procedures done e.g. long term catheters!!!
If pt gets recurrent UTI due to either structural abnormally, the relative frequency of UTI caused by these organisms increase compared to a healthy individual
- In recurrent urinary tract infections, especially in the presence of structural abnormalities of the urinary tract, the relative frequency of infection caused by
Proteus,
Pseudomonas,
Klebsiella, and
Enterobacter species and
by enterococci and staphylococci increases greatly
Antibacterial host defences in the urinary tract (3)
- Urine (osmolality, pH, organic acids)
- Urine flow and micturition
- Urinary tract mucosa (bactericidal activity, cytokines).
LO: Recall the pathogenesis of, and risk factors for, urinary tract infection and pyelonephritis
Renal tract abnormalities
- Several abnormalities of the urinary tract interfere with its natural resistance to infection.
- Obstruction inhibits the normal flow of urine → stasis is important in increasing susceptibility to infection
Obstruction
- Mechanical reasons
- Extrarenal: valves, stenosis, or bands, calculi, extrinsic ureteral compression from a variety of causes and benign prostatic hypertrophy.
- Intrarenal: nephrocalcinosis, uric acid nephropathy, analgesic nephropathy, polycystic kidney disease, hypokalaemia nephropathy and the renal lesions of sickle cell trait or disease.
- Neurogenic malfunction
- Poliomyelitis
- Tabes dorsalis
- Tabes dorsalis, also known as syphilitic myelopathy, is a slow degeneration (specifically, demyelination) of the nerves primarily in the dorsal columns (posterior columns) of the spinal cord (the portion closest to the back of the body).
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Spinal cord injuries
Reflux
- Important in children
- Vesicoureteral reflux tends to perpetuate infection by maintaining a residual pool of infected urine in the bladder after voiding
- Reflux can also lead to scarring up to the kidneys
Haematogenous route - how the bacteria get to the kidneys
- The kidney is frequently the site of abscesses in patients with Staph aureus bacteraemia or endocarditis or both.
- Staph aureus doesn’t normally cause ascending UTI, so you need to think that they may have a deeper Staph infection elsewhere and the kidneys become seeded
- Hence always do blood cultures if you see Staph aureus in the urine
- It appears that in humans, infection of the kidney with G- bacilli rarely occurs by the haematogenous route.
Lower UTI v upper UTI symptoms
Lower UTI
Result from bacteria producing irritation of urethral and vesical mucosa
* Painful urinary
* Small amounts of turbid urine
* Suprapubic heaviness or pain
* Occasionally, the urine is grossly bloody or shows a bloody tinge at the end - may make you suspicious of other pathology like Ca in older patients.
* No fever!!!
Upper UTI
- Fever!!! (sometimes with rigors: G- infection in particular)
- Flank pain
- Frequently lower tract symptoms (e.g. frequency, urgency, and dysuria)
- At times, the LT symptoms antedate the appearance of fever and upper tract symptoms by 1 or 2 days.
- The symptoms described, although classic may vary greatly.
HPA guidance re UTI investigations (when do we need to investigate and when do we need to treat?)
- If a patient has >=3 symptoms than you can treat without the need for a dipstick
- Dysuria: urgency, frequency, polyuria, suprapubic tenders, haematuria
- Consider a sexually transmitted infection as a differential for UTI.
- Nitrites are a by-product of coliform metabolism (E.coli) - very suggestive of E.coli
- Positie nitrite very suggest of UTI
- Leucocytes could be present for other reason e.g. TB, Abx therapy.
- Asymptomatic bacteriuria treated in pregnancy because it is associated with pyelonephritis and premature delivery!!!!!!.
- Bacteria can form biofilm on catheters, so don’t just send urine from a catheterised patient as it will often be positive. Only send if the patient is symptomatic.
- Failed treatment: may have resistant organisms.
- Community multi-resistance E.coli - requires culture to determine sensitivity and appropriate treatment
Interpreting urine culture results - LUTS symptoms with white cell but no bacterial growth? (3 reasons to explain)
- Sterile pyuria
- May have chlamydia trachoma’s infection
- TB - require special culture
- Or if the pt is already on antibiotics - false negative
More notes on Sterile pyuria
- In medicine, pyuria is the condition of urine containing white blood cells or pus. Defined as the presence of 6-10 or more neutrophils per high power field of unspun, voided mid-stream urine.
- It can be a sign of a bacterial urinary tract infection. Pyuria may be present in the septic patient, or in an older patient with pneumonia.
- Sterile pyuria is urine which contains white blood cells while appearing sterile by standard culturing techniques.
- It is often caused by sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhea, or viruses which will not grow in bacterial cultures. Sterile pyuria is listed as a side effect from some medications such as paracetamol (acetaminophen).
- Its occurrence is also associated with certain disease processes, such as Kawasaki Disease and genitourinary tuberculosis.
- However, there are many known causes, including systemic or infectious disease, structural and physiological reasons, intrinsic kidney pathology, or drugs.
- Reasons:
- Prior treatment with abx
- Calculi
- Catheterisation
- Bladder neoplasm
- TB: doesn’t grow well in a normal culture
- Sexually transmitted disease.
Interpreting urine culture results - lots of epithelial cells?
- Epithelial cells
- Urethra is lined with squamous epithelial cells - if there is a lot of epithelial cells means the culture is not a proper MSU
- May grow urethra colonisation instead or true bladder infection
Empirical treatment of UTI
- Community lower UTI - usually trimethoprim (1st line) but increasing resistance
Imperial guidelines
- it pt is symptomatic for UTI
Uncomplicated female - cefalexin 500 BD PO for 3/7 or nitrofuratonin for 7 days
PREGNANT female - cefalexin for 7 days or 2nd line co-amox for 7 days
Male (always considered complicated) - cefalexin for 7 days or cipro for 14 days
- Cefalexin is used in hospital patients: high rate of trimethoprim resistance.
If pt is elderly with bacteriuria but asymptomatic, DO NOT ROUTINELY TREAT
- Recommend aminoglycosides on their own for elderly patients as they will be less likely to get C. diff. (cephaloposins are one of the 4Cs of C.diff)
- Don’t treat the lab result, treat the patient.