Microbiology. Flashcards
Describe micro-organism nomenclature?
The first word is the genus and the second is the species. The first word has a capital and the second is lower case.
List the infectious agents we deal with in decreasing size order.
Parasites, fungi, bacteria, virus and prion proteins.
Describe prion proteins?
Infections with no DNA or RNA. Give prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. CJD - very rare but incurable brain infection.
Describe viruses.
Very small, RNA or single/double stranded DNA. Protein coat (capsomere) +/- lipid envelope. They are obligate intracellular parasites. Can be: cultured, detected by serology (antibody or antigen detection in blood), PCR (to detect DNA or RNA.
Describe bacteria.
Contain DNA or RNA. One double stranded chromosome but sometimes have extra bits of circular DNA in the cytoplasm (plasmids). They have a cell membrane and cell wall +/- capsule. Have flagellae (movement) and Pili (fimbrae for adhesion).
What are the three different bacteria shapes?
Coccus - round.
Bacillus - rod shaped.
Spirochaetes - spirals.
What does a gram stain do?
Stains the bacterial cell wall. Positive turns purple and negative turns pink.
What types of organism are klebsiella, E. coli and proteus?
Gram negative coliforms.
What type of organisms are staph aureus, steps and enterococci?
Gram positives.
What streps are beta haemolytic?
ABCG.
What kind of toxins do gram negative bacteria make?
Endotoxins. Part of cell wall.
What kind of toxins do gram positive bacteria make?
Exotoxins. Made inside and exported out.
Why is gram staining important?
Antibiotics tend to work on the cell wall so knowing what type of cell wall we have in important for treatment.
What colour do gram positive bacteria turn?
Purple.
What colour do gram negative bacteria turn?
Pink.
What do gram positive cell walls look like?
Inner membrane made of phospholipids and proteins and an outer wall of layers of peptidoglycans. (Look like positive signs).
What do gram negative cell walls look like?
Inner membrane of phospholipids and proteins.
Middle layer of peptidoglycans in the periplasmic space (look like negative signs).
Outer membrane of phospholipids, proteins, LPS and porins.
What two organisms don’t gram stain well?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and treponema pallidum (causes syphillis).
What is contaminant?
An organism that has got into a sample by accident.
What is pathogenicity?
The ability of an organism to cause disease.
What is the virulence of an organism?
Degree of pathogenicity e.g. How easily an organism causes disease.
What are the three main types of atmosphere bacteria grow in?
Aerobic, microaerophilic and anaerobic.
Can aerobic organisms grow without oxygen?
Some will but less well.
What is a microaerophillic atmosphere?
Reduced O2 enriched with CO2.
What two important types of bacteria can make spores and therefore last for long times in adverse conditions?
Clostridium e.g. C diff
Bacillus e.g. Bacillus anthracis.
Where does anthrax usually come from?
Animals like cows and sheep.
What different methods can we use to identify bacteria?
Microscopy of a gram stained film.
Culture.
Detection of antigen.
Serology - detection of antibodies in blood.
Molecular methods e.g. PCR to see DNA or RNA.
What tests do we get back same day?
Microscopy, PCR and serology.
How long does a culture take?
48 hours to identify and get antibiotic sensitivity.
How long does a TB culture take?
4-12 weeks.
What is the commonest cause of mould infections in humans?
Does it stain?
Aspergillus.
Doesn’t gram stain.
What is the most common cause of yeast infection in humans?
Does it gram stain?
Candida.
Stains as large positive oval structures that replicate by budding.
What is sterilisation?
What does it not work on?
Destruction and removal of 99% of organisms and spores.
May not inactivate prions.
What is disinfection?
Removal and destruction of pathogenic micro organisms enough to make the item safe.
What are the 5 ways any infection can spread?
5 Is. Inhalation. Mother to infant. Inoculation. Ingestion. Intercourse.
What are the components of the chain of infection?
Pathogenic organism Reservoir Means of escape. Mode of transmission. Means of entry. Host susceptibility.
What are standard precautions?
Precautions in place for all patients at all times e.g. Droplet, contact and airborne precautions.
What are contact precautions?
Gloves, apron and single rooms/cohort bay.
What are droplet precautions?
Single rooms Ensuite. Gloves Apron Mask Eye protection Vaccination.
What are airborne precautions?
Negative pressure room
PPE
FFP3 masks
Vaccination
What order to we take gloves and aprons on and off?
Apron gloves gloves apron.
How do viruses attach to cells?
By forming Ligands with it using one of its protein spikes.
Why do antibiotics not kill viruses?
Because they target specific structures in bacteria such as cell wall, ribosomes and enzymes etc. viruses don’t have these to cannot be killed with antibiotics.
How can viruses enter cells?
Either by membrane fusion or pinocytosis of the virus doesn’t have a membrane.
What are the steps in viral cell invasion?
Attachment. Viral entry. Uncoating. Nuclei acid and protein synthesis. Assembly Release.
How are viruses released from cells?
Budding and lysis.
What might we see under the microscope if viruses are assembling?
Crystals of assembling virus as inclusions.
How do viruses cause cell death?
Due to lysis or hijacking of machinery.
Cell death due to immune system response.
What kinds of viruses can cause cancer?
HPV - cervical.
Hepatitis B and C can cause primary hepatocellular carcinoma.
EBV - kaposis sarcoma.
Helicbactor pylori - gastric cancer.
How can we detect viruses?
Detect the virus itself e.g. By PCR. or the presence of antibodies against it.
What antibodies can neutralise viruses?
IgM and IgG.
What can happen to viruses after the enter the body?
They can become latent and possibly reactivate at a later date or remain continually active.
How can we differentiate a recent infection from a past one?
Detection of virus specific IgM.
Detection of rising titre of IgG.
Detection of very high titre of IgG.
How does the body respond after detecting a virus?
The hum oral response of IgM and then specific IgG.
Why are antibiotics selectively toxic?
They affect all parts of the body including the flora so they must be specific or they would cause great harm.
What does bacteriocidal mean?
Bacterial killing.
What does bacteriostatic mean?
Inhibition of bacterial growth.
When do PO antibiotics achieve peak serum levels?
In about an hour.
When do IV antibiotics achieve peak serum levels?
In about 15 mins.
When antibiotics are given orally are they 100% available systemically?
No a lot of it is endorsed and excreted u changed in the feces.
How are antibiotics excreted?
Either in urine or via the liver and biliary tract into the feces.
What factors should we consider when choosing an antibiotic?
Infection site.
Likely infecting organism.
What route should it be given
Local prescribing policies.
What three reasons do we give antibiotics in combination?
To cover a broad range of organisms.
To prevent development of resistance.
For the synergistic effect.
What types of antibiotics work in the cell wall?
Penicillins
Cephalosporins
Glycoproteins.
What penicillins do we use for gram positive organisms?
Flucloxacillin IV or oral.
What penicillins do we use for gram positive and gram negative organisms?
Amoxicillin IV or oral.
Co-amoxiclav IV or oral.
Tazocin IV only.
What penicillins do we use for gram negative organisms?
Temocillin IV.
How do penicillins work?
Inhibit cell wall synthesis by preventing the cross linking of peptidoglycan subunits. It is a bactericidal.
How are the penicillins excreted?
Rapidly via the kidneys.
Are the penicillins safe in pregnancy?
Yes.
What drawback does penicillin excretion have?
It is rapid so requires frequent dosing.
If a patient is allergic to penicillin what also might they be allergic to?
Definitely all the rest of the penicillins and sometimes the cephalosporins.
What organisms are flucloaxacillin exclusively useful for?
Staphylococci and streptococci.
What ring do the penicillins have and what is a problem with this in terms of microbial resistance?
A beta lactam ring.
Some bacteria make beta lactamase, an enzyme that destroys it.
Whip at is Coamoxiclav a mixture of and why does it work?
Mixture of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid.
The acid stops beta lactamase breaking down the beta lactam ring in the amoxicillin.
What type of bacteria is temocillin exclusively active against?
Coliforms.
What kind of cephalosporin antibiotic do we use?
Ceftriaxone.