Opportunistic Infections Flashcards
When does a bacterium not need to be as virulent to cause infection?
When host resistance is reduced
What are the frequently encountered opportunistic pathogens?
E. coli
Staph. aureus
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Enterococcus spp.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Enterobacter spp.
Serratia spp.
Proteus spp.
Clostridium difficile
What kind of epidemic can many of the opportunistic pathogens cause?
Nosocomial epidemics
Which of the opportunistic pathogens can’t cause nosocomial epidemics?
E. coli
Proteus spp.
Clostridium difficile
What do opportunistic infections in a patient often indicate?
That there is something else wrong with the patient because the host must be altered in some way for pathogens to take hold.
Which local defects in a patient can lead to opportunistic infections?
Anatomical defects
Surgical and other wounds
Burns
Catheterisation
Foreign bodies in general
Why does a foreign body in the patient often lead to opportunistic infections?
Because the pathogen can find refuge in the foreign body
What type of anatomical defects can lead to opportunistic infections?
Short urethra in women can lead to UTIs
How can surgery lead to an opportunistic infection?
Breaking of the skin means it is more likely to become infected.
Which systemic defects in a patient can lead to opportunistic infections?
Extremes of age
Leukopaenia
Malignancy
Malnutrition
Diabetes
Liver disease
Immunocompromising infections
Antimicrobial treatment
Immunodeficiencies
What is candadiasis one of the first indications of?
Diabetes
Which infections can lead to an increased likelihood of opportunistic infections?
HIV
Measles
What are the different types of opportunistic infection?
Wound infection
UTI
Intra-abdominal infection
Septicemia (sepsis)
Meningitis
Which group of people are particularly susceptible to meningitis?
Neonates
What are the two sources of opportunistic infections?
Endogenous (own microbiota) and exogenous
What are the different types of specimens that can be cultured?
Wound swab
Pus
Urine
Sputum
Blood
CSF
What does treatment of opportunistic infections depend on?
Antibiotic susceptibility
True or false: nosocomial strains are often multi-resistant.
True
What is used to treat multi-resistant nosocomial strains of opportunistic pathogens?
More potent bactericidal agents
What are the 2 ways of preventing opportunistic nosomial pathogens?
Aseptic technique (esp. hand hygiene)
Education
Is pseudomonas G- or G+?
Gram negative
What morphology is pseudomonas?
Rod
Is pseudomonas motile?
Yes
What is pseudomonas’ relationship with oxygen?
It’s an aerobe or facultative anaerobe
Is pseudomonas fermenting or non-fermenting?
Non-fermenting
Is pseudomonas sporing or non-sporing?
Non-sporing
What would the results for catalase and oxidase be for pseudomonas?
Catalase and oxidase positive
What do some species of pseudomonas, e.g. pseud. aeruginosa, produce?
Pigments - e.g. pyocyanin in ps. aeruginosa.
Why can pseudomonas survive almost anywhere?
Because it has low nutritional requirements
How is pseudomonas divided into species?
According to biochemical tests
What is pseudomonas aeruginosa subtyped according to?
Serotype and biotype
How is pseudomonas aeruginosa subtyped in epidemiological studies?
Using RFLP or MLST (multilocus sequence typing)