Microbiology Flashcards
What is Rheumatic fever
an immune-mediated, post-streptococcal disease that affects the joints, heart, brain and skin
Morphology of Strep. pyogenes
- Gram positive in chain
- Catalse -ve
- Group A Haemolysis (GAS)
What is the pathogenesis of Strep. pyogenes
- Pyogenic (tonsilitis, cellulitis)
- Toxigenic (toxic shock syndrome)
- Immune mediated (post streptococcal diseases - Acute glomerulonephritis, Rheumatic fever)
What is the morphology of Staph. aureus
Gram positivie cocci, cluster, catalse +ve
How to differentiate Group A & Group B beta-haemolysis
- Strep. pyogenes growth is inhibited by bacitracin (zone of inhibition)
- Strep. agalactiae growth is not inhibited by bacitracin
Rheumatic fever (general)
- most serious sequaelae of Strep. pyogenes
- It follows 1-5 weeks after pharyngitis caused by group A beta haemolytic Streptococcus: Strep pyogenes
- children ages 5 to 15 years
- the most important cause of heart disease in young people in developing countries
- rare in the developed countries probably because streptococcal pharyngitis is treated promptly
- M types 1, 3, 5, 6, 18 were most frequently involved
- a marked tendency to be reactivated by recurrent streptococcal infections
- first attack of RF usually produces only slight cardiac damage, which, however, increases with each subsequent attack
- therefore important to protect from recurrent S. pyogenes infections by prophylactic penicillin administration
Pathogenesis of Rheumatic Fever
- Antibodies against group A Strep react with cardiac tissue
- Molecular mimicry: relationship between M protein of Strep pyogenes and myosin of cardiac tissue and protein in the joint and brain tissue
- Type II hypersensitvity (Antibody-mediated hypersensitivity)
- Systemic autoimmune reaction
Signs & symptoms of rheumatic fever
- fever, malaise
- Migratory nonsupurrative polyarthritis involves large joints: the knees, ankles, wrists & elbow
-
carditis - inflammation of all parts of the heart pancarditis (endocardium, myocardium, pericardium)
the major consequence with acute rheumatic carditis is chronic, progressive valvular disease. Mitral valve stenosis, incompetence leads to increased risk of infective endocarditis - thickened and deformed heart valves (mitral stenosis, mitral incompetence)
- may develop severe and progressive congestive heart failure
- Sydenham’s chorea: involuntary, uncoordinated movements and associated muscle weakness, often in prepubertal girls
- PANDAS: post streptococcal autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococci)
- Erythema marginatum: rare characterisitc rash of acute rheumatic fever. It consists of erythematous, serpiginous, macular lesions with pale centres that are not pruritic. It occurs primarily on trunk & extremities
What is the criteria used to diagnose rheumatic fever
Jone’s criteria: >= 2 major criteria or 1 major + =>2 minor criteria
Major manifestations
1. carditis
2. polyarthritis
3. chorea
4. erythema marginatum
5. subcutaneous nodules
Minor manifestations
1. fever
2. arthralgia
3. previous rheumatic fever
4. raised ESR or CRP
5. Leucocytosis
6. first-degree AV block
- supporting evidence of preceding streptococcal infection: recent scarlet fever, raised antistreptolysin O or other streptococcal antibody titer, positive throat culture
What is the laboratory test for Rheumatic fever
ASO = antibody to streptolysin O
What are the prevention & control
- Detection and early antimicrobial therapy of respiratory and skin infections with group A streptococci
- Prompt eradication of streptococci from early infections effectively prevent the development of post-streptococcal disease (acute glomerulonephritis, rheumatic HD, arthritic, fever, carditis)
- maintenance of adequate penicillin levels in tissues for 10 days
- erythromycin is an alternative drug
- Antistreptococcal chemoprophylaxis in persons who have suffered an attack of rheumatic fever
- One injection of benzathine penicillin G intramuscularly every 3-4 weeks or daily oral penicillin
- chemoprophylaxis in such individuals, especially children, must be continued for years
What is endocarditis
infection of the valves of heart and endocardium
What is the predisposing factors / high risk of endocarditis
- patients with prior endocarditis
- patients with prosthetic heart valves
- congeital heart disease
- rheumatic heart disease
- intravenous drug user (IVDU)
- patients with indwelling intravenous catheter (IV)
entry of microorganisms of endocarditis
- at the site of dental surgery
- indwelling IV catheter / cannula
- IVDU
pathogenic mechanism of endocarditis
-
Endothelial damage due to
*turbulent blood flow around the valve (rheumatic heart disease, congeital heart disease)
*direct injury from foreign bodies (Intravenous catheters)
* repeated intravenous injections in intravenous drug users (IVDU) - colonization of microorganism on damaged endothelium & damaged valve
- adhesion of microorganisms by glycocalyx
- infection established
- vegetation formation by combination of microorganisms + thrombus - leads to valve destruction