Microbiology 6 - GI infections Flashcards
In a febrile patient with a GI infection, what are the key differentials?
- Inflammatory diarroea
- If no diarrhoea - enteric fever (typhoid/ salmonella)
In an afebrile patient with a GI infection, what is the top differential?
Secretory diarrhoea due to toxins (eg cholera)
What is the incubation period of campylobacter?
1-10 days
What is the incubation period of bacilus cereus?
1-6 hours
Why does staph aureus food poisoning produce such rapid symptoms?
Toxin is pre-formed
What are the key cytokines involved in Staph aureus food poisoning?
IL-7 and IL-2
Describe the symptoms of S aureus food poisoning
Vomiting
Waterey, non-bloody diarrhoea
Describe the different toxins produced by bacilus cereus
Heat-stable toxin causes emesis
Heat-labile toxin causes diarrhoea
Only the heat-labile toxin is destroyed upon heating
Describe the diarrhoea produced by bacilus cereus
Waterey, non-bloody
**after reheating rice/chinese takeout*
In what type of food might clostridia botulinum be found?
Honey
and vacuum packed foods
What type of clostridia spp causes food poisoning?
Clostridia perfringens
In what sort of food is clostridia perfringens found?
Re-heated meat
Which organism causes pseudomembranous colitis?
Clostridium difficile
Which diarrhoeal disease is associated with antibiotic use?
Pseudomembranous colitis caused by C. difficile
What type of symptoms does listeria monocytogenes poisoning cause?
Febrile gastroenteritis
Waterey diarrhoea
Recall 2 sources of listeria poisoning
Unpasteurised dairy Refringerated foods (eg sandwiches)
Is listeria alpha or beta haemolytic?
Beta haemolytic
What is the causative organism in ‘traveller’s diarrhoea’?
Enterobacteriacae (usually the toxogenic form, ETEC)
enterotoxogenic escherchia coli
escherichia coli
What organism causes haemolytic uraemic syndrome?
EHEC enterobacteriacae
Recall one very important thing to avoid in the management of enterobacteriacae poisoning
Antibiotics
Recall 3 worrying species of salmonella
S typhi
S enteritidis
S cholerasuis
What symptoms are caused by S typhi infection?
Bactaraemia
Constipation and fever
Splenomegaly and ROSE SPOTS
What are the 2 key forms of shigella that cause disease in humans?
S dysenteriae S flexneri (associated with MSM)
What disease pattern does shigella infection cause?
Dysentry
How should shigella infection be managed?
Avoid antibiotics
If really necessary, go for ciprofloxacin
What is the typical stool appearance in Vibrio cholerae infection?
Rice water
Which organism is most likely to cause cellulitis in a scuba diver/shellfish handler?
Vibrio vulnificus
On what sort of agar can vibrio spp be grown?
Salty agar
**vibrio, shellfish, salty
For how long can campylobacter symptoms last?
Up to 20 days
What is one key serious complication of campylobacter infection?
Guillan Barre syndrome
What is the symptom of “flask-shaped ulcer” pathognemonic for?
Entamoeba histolytica infection
What symptoms does E. histolytica infection cause?
Dysentry and flatulence
How should E. histolytica infection be managed?
Metronidazole
How can giardia infection be investigated?
String test
How should giardia infection be treated?
Metronidazole
In which patient group does cryptosporum parvum cause symptoms, and what are those symptoms?
The immunocompromised
Severe diarrhoea
Recall the 1st and 2nd line treatments for clostridium difficile
- Metronidazole
- Vancomycin
Definition of diarrhoea
Loose or watery stools at least 3 times a day.
Can be acute, persistent or chronic
a) acute: < 2 weeks
b) persistent: between 14-30 days
c) chronic: over 1 month
Small bowel vs large bowel diarrhoea
Small bowel:
- often large volumes
- often very watery, with gas and bloating
- often no accompanying fever
- no blood, mucous or inflammatory cells
Large bowel
- small volumes
- not watery. often accompanied with PAIN
- often with accompanying fever
- often has blood, mucous or inflammatory cells
secretory diarrhoe vs enteric fever vs inflammatory diarrhoea?
Secretory diarrhoea- due to toxin production
- Change in stools- profuse watery diarrhoea
- No fever
- No WBC in stool
**basc just irritation to GI tract; not very unwell**
Inflammatory diarrhoea
- Change in stools
- Fever present
- WBC in stool
**bacteria trying to actually invade the GI tract; unwell and lots of GI symptoms**
Enteric fever
- No change in stools
- Fever present
- WBC in stool present
**unwell but no GI symptoms**
Which organisms cause persistent or chornic diarrhoea?
- entameboa histolytica
- giardia lamblia
- cryptosporidium
Which organisms cause dysentry?
CHESSY
Campylobacter
Haemorrhagic E. Coli
Entamoeba histolytica (parasite)
Salmonella
Shigella
Yersinia enterocolitica
Which bacteria causes swinging fevers?
E. Histolytica
Which organisms cause abdominal pain?
E.Coli O157
Salmonella
Shigella
Campylobacter
Yersinia
noncholera Vibrio species
Clostridium difficile
Which organism causes persistent abdominal pain and fever?
Yersinia Enterocolitica
Which organisms cause nausea and vomiting lasting less than 24 hours?
These are the short incubation emetic syndromes.
- B Cereus
- Toxins of Staph Aureus
Typical Sx of clostridium perfringens
Abdominal cramps and watery diarrhoea
(non bloody)
Typical symptoms of Staph Aureus Gastroenteritis
Vomiting>diarrhoea
can cause systemic toxicity - tachycardia and hypotension
Typical symptoms of B cereus Gastroenteritis
Vomiting first
Followed by diarrhoea after 6 hours
*non bloody diarrhoea
Typical symptoms of cholera infection
Rice water stools
Severe watery diarrhoea
Sometimes afebrile
Symptoms of salmonella
Bloody diarrhoea (sometimes)
Symptoms of E Coli
Traveller’s diarrhoea: non-bloody
Bloody diarrhoea: haemorrhagic E. Coli
Symptoms of Shigella
Bloody diarrhoea
More common in MSMs
Symptoms of camylobacter
Bloody diarrhoea
Prodromal illness
Symptoms of giardia lamblia
bloating
flatulence
chronic diarrhoea
non-bloody diarrhoea
malabsorption
Symptoms of entameboa histolytica
Bloody diarrhoea
Liver/lung/brain abscesses
Swinging fevers
Flask shaped ulcers in the intestine
Flatulence
Tenesmus
Which organism causes vomiting and non-bloody diarrhoea for 1-2 days?
Norovirus
Which organisms cause long incubation emetic syndromes?
B cereus
C perfringens
Diarrhoea+adominal cramping 1-2 days
Which organisms cause Aortitis, Osteomyelitis, deep tissue infection (2):
salmonella
Yersinia
Which organism cause haemolytic anaemia?
Camylobacter
Yersinia
Which organisms cause gloerulonephritis?
Shigella
Campylobacter
Yersinia
Which organisms cause HUS?
STEC- shiga toxin producing E Coli
which organisms cause Erythema nodosum (4):
Yersinia
Campylobacter
Salmonella
Shigella