Nocardia Asteroides

Question 1

What it look like?

Answer 1

G+ bacilli w/ branching coccobacillary hyphae. Saprophytic.

Question 2

Aerobic or anaerobic?

Answer 2

Aerobic actinomycetes

Question 3

Where it be?

Answer 3

Normal flora of soil + H2O

Question 4

Why do they stain weakly acid fast?

Answer 4

Have short mycolic acid chains

Question 5

Catalase and superoxide dismutase for what?

Answer 5

Tells PMNs and macrophages to fuck off

Question 6

Cord factor does what?

Answer 6

Prevents phagolysosome fusion

Question 7

Transmission?

Answer 7

Inhaled or soil infects skin wound. NO person-person or nosocomial.

Question 8

Common in which patients?

Answer 8

With underlying debilitations. Opportunistic pathogen.

Question 9

Disease?

Answer 9

Inhalation then grows in lungs forming lung abscesses. Can become systemic: infection/abscess in brain, blood, heart.

Question 10

Diagnosis?

Answer 10

Smear/culture on BCYE. G stain. AF stain to confirm.

Question 11

Treatment?

Answer 11

Sulfas.

Question 12

How long do you treat an immunocompetent pt?

Answer 12

6-12 mos

Question 13

How long do you treat an ICP?

Answer 13

12+ mos

Question 14

What if no response to sulfas?

Answer 14

sulfa + ceftriaxone + amikacin regimen