Microbiology for Midterm Flashcards
What are the normal biota of the CV system?
Nothing - privileged site
What valves does IE most often occur with?
Mitral or Aortic
What are the signs and symptoms associated with IE?
Fever, anemia, abnormal heartbeat, abdominal/side pain, looks ill, petechiae, septic emboli, Roth’s spots, splinter hemorrhages
Subacute - enlarged spleen
How can dental procedures lead to infectious endocarditis?
Strep. viridian’s usually resides in the normal flora of the mouth so a dental procedure could give them a good area to enter the bloodstream
What does viridians do on blood agar plates?
Alpha-hemolytic (green)
-Common among normal flora, particularly in the oral cavity
What organisms typically cause acute endocarditis?
Staph aureus
Sometimes: Strep pyogenes
What is the clinical course of acute endocarditis?
- Hectically febrile (fever comes and goes)
- Rapidly damages cardiac structures
- Seeds infection in distal sites through sepsis
- If untreated, progresses to death within weeks
What organisms typically cause subacute endocarditis?
Strep viridans, Enterococcus
What is the clinical course of acute endocarditis?
- Indolent (slow, little pain) course
- Causes structural damage slowly
- Rarely seeds infection at distal sites
- Gradually progressive
Gamma hemolysis?
Doesn’t damage RBC, no color change, but growth
Alpha hemolysis?
- Strep. viridans.
- Partial degradation of RBC
- Color change/oxidation and green
Beta hemolysis?
- Group A strep (streptoccus pyogenes)
- Completely destroys RBCs
What are the portals of entry for IE?
- Oral cavity
- Skin
- Upper respiratory tract
What are the areas of local infection for IE?
- Mitral valve
- Tricuspid valve (injection drug use)
- Prosthetic valves
What groups have the highest rates of IE?
IV drug users
How to make initial IE diagnosis?
Patient presenting with fever and valvular abnormalities
How do you make further IE diagnosis?
- Screen blood cultures
- Look for otherwise-unexplained arterial emboli & cardiac valvular incompetence
What is the fever usually in subacute infectious endocarditis?
Less than 103F
What is the fever usually in acute infectious endocarditis?
Between 103-104F
How do you know you have a positive result with the Duke Criteria?
- 2 major criteria are met
- 1 major and 3 minor criteria are met
- 5 minor criteria are met
What are the two Duke major criteria?
- Positive blood culture (contamination issues) All must have same organism
- Evidence of endocardial involvement
What are the 5 Duke Minor Criteria?
- Predisposition (heart condition or injection drug use)
- Fever above 38C (100.3F)
- Vascular phenomena (arterial emobli, Janeway lesions - nontender, erythematous lesions on hands and soles)
- Immunological phenomena (Osler node - painful, red raised lesions on hands and feet, Roth;s spots, rheumatic fever, etc.)
What drugs should you use to treat Acute IE?
Gear treatment toward staph infection with concern for MRSA or coat-neg. staph
- Nafcillin or Oxacillin +/- Gentamicin or Tobramycin
- Vancomycin + Gentamicin