PBL: Respiratory Cultures Flashcards
List the anatomical areas of the respiratory tract
- Upper: Nasal, sinus, nasopharnyx, oropharynx, epiglottis, larynx
- Lower: Trachea, bronchi, alveoli (last 2 are in the lungs)
Which anatomic regions of the respiratory region are sterile?
Lower: trachea, bronchi, alveoli (last 2 are in the lungs)
List the organisms most commonly found as “normal flora” in upper respiratory tract specimens
- Streptococcus Viridans
- S. pneumoniae
- S. pyogenes
- Corynebacterium spp
- Neisseria spp
- CoNS
- Micrococcus spp
- Rothia spp
- Haemophilus spp
- Aggregatibacter aphrophilus
- Moraxella spp
- Anaerobes (Veillonella spp, Fusobacterium spp, Prevotella spp, Porphymonas spp, Parvimonas micra)
List the common general symptoms of pneumonia
- Fever, chills
- Malaise
- Dyspnea
- Thick, purulent sputum
What is pneumonia?
Inflammation of the lungs detected via physical examination of CXR
What are the characteristic signs of pneumonia?
Inflammation → fluid buildup in alveolar sacs
- Physical examination: decreased or abnormal breath sounds (crackles)
- CXR infiltrates: fluid buildup in alveolar sacs
Relationship of positive blood cultures and pneumonia
S. pneumoniae infection occurs w/ 30% positive blood cultures?
Discuss the vaccines which are available for the prevention of respiratory infections
- Pneumococal conjugate vaccine (PCV)
- Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23)
List the most common bacterial pathogen in HIV patients
M. avium
List the most common bacterial pathogen(s) in cystic fibrosis patients
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa (most often isolated)
- Burkholderia cepacia
List the most common bacterial pathogen that causes “walking pneumonia” in young adults
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
What are the 3 most common upper respiratory tract pathogens?
- Cryptococcus neoformans
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Moraxella catarrhalis
List the most common bacterial pathogen(s) in the throat (pharyngitis)
- Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A/Beta hemolytic)
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Neisseria spp (N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis)
- Haemophilus influenzae
List the most common anaerobic pathogen(s) causing aspiration pneumonia
- Fusobacterium spp (GNR)
- Prevotella spp (GNR)
- Porphymonas spp (GNR)
- Veillonella (GNC)
- Peptostreptococcus anaerobius (GPC)
List the common bacterial pathogen(s) that are community acquired
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (most common cause of bacterial pneumonia)
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Legionella pneumophilia
List the most common bacterial pathogen that are nosocomial acquired
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Prevents engulfment and drying out
Polysaccharide capsule
Which organisms have a polysaccharide capsule?
- H. influenzae
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Neisseria meningitidis
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Bordetella pertussis
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Cryptococcus spp
Which organisms are intracellular?
- Mycobacteirum tuberculosis
- Chlamydophila pneumoniae
Which organisms should be considered agents of bioterrorism if isolated from respiratory culture?
- Bacillus anthracis
- Yersinia pestis (plague)
- Francisella tularensis
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mult-drug resistant)