Preventing Infections Flashcards

1
Q

what is person to person indirect transmission

A

where a vector is required to transfer a disease between patients

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2
Q

what is an endemic disease

A

the rate of a disease that you would normally expect to see in a population for a specific organism

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3
Q

what is an outbreak

A

where there are 2 or more linked cases in a time and place

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4
Q

what is an epidemic

A

where the rate of infection is greater than the usual background rate

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5
Q

what is a pandemic

A

a world wide epidemic - a very high rate of infection across many countries

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6
Q

what is antigenic drift

A

when the influenza virus combines 2 or more different strains giving a mixture of antigens on its surface. Therefore more people are susceptible

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7
Q

what is antigenic shift

A

where mutation causes a new strain of a virus to be produced as a new antigen is produced meaning theres a loss of immunity as everyone is susceptible

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8
Q

what is the basic reproduction number

A

the average number of cases on case generates over the course of its infectious period in an otherwise uninfected population

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9
Q

what does it mean if R0>1

A

there is an increase in cases

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10
Q

what does it mean if R0=1

A

there is a stable number of cases

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11
Q

what does it mean if R0<1

A

there is a decrease in cases

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12
Q

what changes in a pathogen result in outbreaks of infection

A

new antigens (antigenic shift/drift), changes in virulence factors or antibacterial resistance

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13
Q

what changes in hosts result in outbreaks of infection

A

if the host is immunocompromised e.g. undergoing cancer treatment or HIV

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14
Q

what factor determines transmissibility

A

the infectious dose of a pathogen - different infections require different numbers of microbes in order to cause the infection

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15
Q

what is the shape of an endemic curve

A

bell shaped

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16
Q

what is the nature of a small scale outbreak

A

stochastic/ random

17
Q

what interventions can be made on the 4 P’s to prevent infection

A

Pathogen - reduce vector/pathogen
Patient - improve health and immunity
Practice - protective equipment and behavioural changes
Place - environmental changes

18
Q

how can you reduce/eradicate a pathogen

A
  • antibacterial
  • sterilisation
  • decontamination
19
Q

how can you reduce/eradicate vectors

A

eliminate the breeding sites

20
Q

how can you improve a patients health and immunity

A

Health - nutrition and medical treatment

Immunity - passive though maternal antibodies and IV immunoglobin and active though vaccinations

21
Q

what is herd immunity

A

vaccinating the majority of a population giving indirect protection to those who aren’t vaccinated as well as direct protection

22
Q

what does the vaccination number for herd immunity depend on

A

the reproduction number for that infection

23
Q

what environmental changes can be done to prevent infection

A
  • safe water and air
  • good quality housing
  • healthcare facilities
24
Q

what are the advantages of preventing infection

A
  • decreased incidence

- elimination of disease/organism

25
Q

what are the disadvantages of preventing infection

A
  • decreased exposure to a pathogen gives decreased immune stimulus leading to decreased antibody production and so people are more susceptible therefore an outbreak is more likely
  • there are later average ages of exposure making the severity of the infection worse