Pseudomonas aeruginosa Flashcards
How to classify?
Gram negative bacilli
Where are they distributed?
Soil, water, plants, animals
What kind of infections do they cause?
Opportunistic infections (nosocomial pathogen)
Who is at risk?
-Patients who are on antibiotics for prolonged periods
-Patients with repeated/chronic infections (UTI, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, biliary)
-Immunocompromised (neutropaenia, cancer, burn victims, ICU)
What kind of common hospital infections does it cause?
Pneumonia, UTI, SSTI, Gastrointestinal infections, bone & joint infections, endocarditis, meningitis
-all may lead to septicaemia
What part of the environment does it colonise?
H2O, old antiseptic solutions especially after antibiotics
What is it resistant to?
Naturally resistant to many antibiotics
Co-amoxiclav, ceftriaxone
Does it grow easily?
Yes
What do the strains produce?
Green pigment
Is it oxidase positive or negative?
Oxidase positive
What diagnostic test?
Mass spectroscopy
What SSTI does it result in?
Nail infection (green nail from wet environment), folliculitis (jacuzzi/whirlpool rash), malignant otitis externa, ecthyma gangrenosum
What eye infection does it cause? What is it commonly associated with?
Contact lens associated keratitis
Improper care of contact lenses, cleaning lenses with tap water or home made solutions, swimming while wearing contact lenses
What happens if wrong antibiotic is used for Pseudomonas keratitis?
Corneal transplant
Loss of eye with enucleation
How to treat?
- Pip-tazo
- Imipenem
- Ceftazidime
- Gentamicin
- Ciprofloxacin (also for prophylasis for neutropaenic patients)
