MICRO: Respiratory tract infections Flashcards
Covered here:
- Pneumonia
- Bronchitis
- Empyema
- Aspergillosis/PCP
- Antibiotic management of CAP/HAP
List the types respiratory defence compromise and their effects.
- 18yo female; fever, cough and malaise
- Diagnosed with flu by GP (no ABx given)
- Attended A&E with…
- T: 38C
- 87% sats on room air
- Chest clear, RR 24
- Bloods (WCC 40.8, Neut 36.3, CRP 63)
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Investigations diagnosis
- CXR - double heart border (‘Sail’ sign)
- CT - densely consolidated and collapsed lower lobe
What are the microbiological characteristics of streptococcus pneumoniae? What is it sensitive to and what is the exception?
- Alpha-haemolytic and optochin-sensitive
- Gram-positive cocci (chains and pairs)
- Optochin sensitivity shows that it may be streptococcus pneumoniae
- Almost always penicillin-sensitive
- Penicillin-resistance strains may be imported from Southern Europe (so travel history may be important)
What % of CAP is made up by S. pneumoniae?
30-50%
How does streptoccus pneumoniae RTI present?
-
Acute onset
- Severe pneumonia
- Fever and rigors
- Lobar consolidation
- Rusty coloured sputum is characteristic of S. pnuemoniae
What is pneumonia and what is the mortality/admission rate?
Pneumonia – inflammation of the lung alveoli
Patients are sick with a mortality of 5-10%
20-40% admitted to hospital
What are the clinical features of pneumonia?
- Fever
- Cough
- Abnormal CXR
- Pleuritic chest pain
- SoB
How is pneumonia classified? What are some risk factors important to consider?
Classification:
- Community-acquired
- Hospital-acquired/nosocomial (i.e. ventilator-associated)
Underlying factors to consider
- Pre-existing lung disease
- Immunocompromise
- Geography, seasons, epidemics
- Travel, exposure to animals
Why is no identification of CAP organisms usually made?
NO microbiological identification of the pathogen is made in most cases:
- Often due to difficulty obtaining a good sputum sample
- And because of early treatment with antibiotics
What are the main CAP organisms?
TYPICAL (85%)
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Haemophilus influenzae
ATYPICAL (15%)
- Legionella
- Mycoplasma
- Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) from exposure to farm animals (also causes hepatitis)
- Chlamydia psittaci (Psittacosis) from exposure to birds (can cause splenomegaly, rash, haemolytic anaemia)
Other organisms:
- Moraxella catarrhalis
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
What is the effect of age on CAP organisms?
- 0-1 months –> E. coli, GBS, Listeria monocytogenes
- 1-6 months –>Chlamydia trachomatis, Staphylococcus aureus, RSV
- 6 months - 5 years –> Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Influenza
- 16-30 years –> Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae
What are the signs of pneumonia on examination?
- Pyrexia
- Tachycardia
- Tachypnoea
- Cyanosis
- Bronchial breathing
- Crackles
- Dullness to percussion/tactile vocal fremitus
NB: particularly in young people, you may not find symptoms localising to the chest until they decompensate.
What investigations should be done for pneumonia?
- FBC, U&E, CRP
- BCs, Sputum MC&S
- ABGs
- CXR
What are the components of the CURB-65 score?
What is bronchitis and who is usually affected?
Bronchitis – inflammation of medium-sized airways
Mainly occurs in smokers
What are the clinical features of bronchitis?
Presentation
- Cough
- Fever
- Increased sputum production
- Increased shortness of breath
- CXR is usually NORMAL
Which organisms typically cause bronchitis?
- Viruses
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Moraxella catarrhalis
How do you treat bronchitis?
- Bronchodilation
- Physiotherapy
- Antibiotics
What does this CXR show and what organisms may be responsible?
CXR showed a cavitation:
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Haemophilus influenzae
- TB
All of the above
When is H. influenzea infection more common?
In pre-existing lung disease
What % of CAP is caused by H. influenzae?
15-35% of CAP
What are the microbiological characteristics of H. influenzae?
Gram-negative cocco-bacilli (stain on chocolate agar)
Legionella pneumophilia
How is Legionella pneumophilia transmitted?
- Spread via inhalation of infected water droplets = e.g. air conditioning, hot water tanks, fountains, car wiper liquid, gyms, saunas
NB: Serious as can cause multi-organ failure