Microbiology Lower Resp Tract infections Flashcards
Definition of LRTI:
- Any Infection of the respiratory tract from the vocal cords downwards
- Includes bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, parenchyma, pleura and pleural cavities.
Normal flora of the LRT
- The NORMAL LRT is bacteriologically strile
- Inhaled particles including micro-organisms are trapped by mucus and moved to the URT by epithelial cilia (mucociliary excalator)
Abnormal flora of LRT
- Paralysis of cilia
- Excessive volume and/or viscosity of mucus
- Macro-ventiliation: LOC, Paralysis, ventilation, failure to protect LRT
- Failure to cough/loss of swallowing reflex
Common colonisers of the LRT and origin
• “Colonisers” of LRT are often from URT such as Haemophilus influenza and Streptococcus pneumonia
Iatrogenic causes of change of antibiotics
• Antibiotic therapy will effect URT colonisation.
Types od LRTI
• Bronchiolitis (not covered) - viral • Bronchitis (acute and chronic) • Pneumonia → Community-acquired → Hospital-acquired → Aspiration → Immunocomprimised host
- Bronchiectasis
- Lung abscess/Emypema
Acute Bronchitis causes
Most are Viral: • Influenza • RSV • Rhinovirus • Adenovirus • Parainfluenza virus
Pertusis (bacterial cause)
Manifestations with % frequency
- Cough (98%)
- Trouble sleeping (60%)
- Dyspnoea (50%)
- Nasal congestations (50%)
- Rhinorrhoea (50%)
- Sore throat (50%)
- Inability to work (33%)
- Fever (10-20%)
Chronic obstructive airway disease – chronic bronchitis clinical definition
• Productive cough for more than 3 months per year for at least 2 years
• Wheezing
• Dyspnoea (shortness of breath)
COPD = chronic bronchitis with airflow limitation. Most chronic bronchitis develops COPD or time.
Infective exacerbations of chronic bronchitis common
• 1-3 exacerbations per year in COPD patients
Criteria used
Anthonisen criteria – used to optimising antibiotic selection in COPD patients Antibiotic therapy indicated if two if: • Increased breathlessness • Increased sputum volume • Increased sputum purulence
Infective exacerbations of chronic bronchitis % viral/Bacteria
40% of acute exacerbations are viral
→ Patients with COPD may have colonisation of the LRT with organisms normally found in the URT such as H. influenza, M. cattarhalis
Infective exacerbations of chronic bronchitis treatment
Amoxicillin
Tetracycline
Community Acquired required length of stay and causative organisms
< 48 hours in hospital or in community (definition)
Usually bacterial Due to S. Pneumonia and sometimes-other organisms. Sometimes viral in children (always consider TB).
Community Acquired treatment
Narrow spectrum therapy
Hospital Acquired stay in hospital and causative organisms
> 48 hours in hospital and not intubated on admission (definition)
Due to multi-resistant “hospital flora”
Hospital Acquired treatment
Broad spectrum agents
Pneumonia general clinical features
Fever/rigors/sweats
Headache
Confusion (esp. elderly)
Vomiting/diarrhoea
Pneumonia localised clinical features
Breathlessness
Cough (may be productive)
Haemoptysis
Pleuritic chest pain
Clinical Syndromes – Aspiration
(Macro aspiration) Inhalation of material, about 10% of community cases
Predisposition to aspiration
Neurological deficit and commonly affects the posterior segment of right upper lobe
Aspiration complication
Abscess formation
Can be associated with chemical pneumonitis
Aspiration prevention
Protection of the airway
Aspiration treatment
Antibiotics to cover URT flora e.g. penicillin or cephalosporin plus metronidazole.
Acute community acquired pneumonia x-ray and the differentials for x-ray findings:
Lots of acute CXR shadowing
Sometimes non-infective e.g. Cardiac failure, chemical (smoke infection), severe infection elsewhere (ARDS)
Acute-community acquired
Ilness progresses over days to a few weeks
Chronic-community acquired
Illness progresses over weeks to a months
Differentials for chronic community acquired pneumonaie
TB is the most important cause
Differential is wide including Vasculitides (non infectious)
Specialist assessment is needed.
CAP epi
More common in water Male/Female ratio 2:1 More common in older people 750,000 cases/year in UK 150,000 consult GP 50,000 hospitalised 10% mortality among hospitalised patients Up to 50% mortality if severe
Assessing severity of CAP
CURB-65 Confusion (AMT of 8 or less) Urea raised >7mmol/l Resp rate >30/min Blood pressure: • Systolid <60 mmhg 65 +
Additional adverse features of CAP
Hypoxaemia Pa 02 <8 kPa, SaO2, 92%
Bilateral or multilobar involvement on CXR
CURB65 score assessment
> 3 Severe pneumonia (mortality)
=2 Non-severe, (mortality 9-2%, consider admission)
0 of 1 Non severe (mortality 1.5%, treat at home)
In the community assessment of CAP
CRB-66 scores
>3 Urgent hospital admission
1 or 2 Hospital referral and assessment
0 Treat in community
Possible organisms related to occupation Health Care worker
MTB
Acute HIV seroconversino with pneumonia (needle sticks)
Possible organisms related to occupation Veterinarian, farmer, abattoir worker
Coxiella burnetti
Possible organisms related to occupation DKA
S. pneumonia
S. aureus
Possible organisms related to occupation Alcoholism
S. pneumonia
L. pnuemonaie
S. aureus
Possible organisms related to occupation COPD
S. pneumonia
H. influenza
M. catarrhalis
Possible organisms related to occupation Solid organ transplant recipient (>3 months)
S. pneumonia H. influenza Legionella spp. Pneumocyctis jiroveci CMV Stronglyoides Sterocoracils
Possible organisms related to occupation Sickle cell disease
S. pneumonia