respiratory tract infections Flashcards
what are bacterial causes for respiratory tract infections
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Legionella pneumophila
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
what are viral causes for respiratory tract infections
Rhinovirus
Influenza
Corona virus (human coronaviruses and SARS coronavirus)
what are fungal causes for respiratory tract infections
Aspergillus fumigatus
Pneumocystis jirovecii
what is the pathogenesis of respiratory tract infections
Lungs constantly exposed to particulate material and microbes from upper airway
Lower airway usually devoid of conventional pathogens
what is the innate immunity in respiratory tract infections
cilia (mucocilliary escalator removing debris and pathogens) Alveolar macrophages (secrete anti microbials, engulf and kill pathogens, recruit other immune cells and process and present antigens to t cells)
what is the acquired immunity in respiratory tract infections
B/T cell responses
IgA secreted by plasma cells interferes with adherence and viral assembly
what is the bodies response to infection
Inflammation – body’s response to insult
Macro – redness, swelling, heat, pain and loss. Of function
Micro – vasodilation, increased vascular permeability and inflammatory cell infiltration
Acute or chronic
what infections affect the upper respiratory tracts
Rhinitis Sinusitis Pharyngitis Tonsilitis Laryngitis
what infections affect the lower respiratory tracts
Bronchitis Bronchiolitis Pneumonia Pulmonary tuberculosis Pulmonary abscesses Emphysema
what are the two. common respiratory viruses and their associated symptoms
Rhinovirus: common cold alongside human corona virus (zoonotic – severe respiratory illness)
Influenza – flu
what is the common cold
5-7 x year in pre school children, 2-3 in adults
Account for 40% of all time lost from work
>200 viral subtypes
Rhinovirus is commonest 30-50% and human corona virus is 10-15%
how is the common cold spread
Hand contact (viable on skin for up to 2 hours, several on surfaces)
Droplet transmission from sneezing/coughing/breathing
IP 2-3 days, symptoms 3-10 days and 2 weeks in 25% of patients
what causes symptoms of a cold
intranasal administration of bradykinins causes a sore throat and nasal congestion due to vasodilation
Sneezing is mediated by stimulation of trigeminal sensory nerves – histamine mediated
Nasal discharge changes colour with increasing numbers of neutrophils (white -yellow -green) due to myeloperoxidase
Cough is mediated by the vagus nerve – inflammation has to extend to the larynx to trigger this, hyper reactive response in URTI
Cytokines responsible for systemic symptoms such as fever
how do you tell the difference between cold and flu
Cold Appears gradually Affects mainly nose and throat (coryza) Feel unwell but ok to carry on as normal Usually no fever
Flu Quickly -few hours Affects more than coryza Fell exhausted and too unwell to carry on as normal High fevers May have lower resp tract features
what is influenza
Caused by influenza A or B virus
Occurs in outbreaks and epidemics worldwide, usually in winter season so swaps hemispheres
Uncomplicated influenza
IP 1-4 days
Abrupt onset of fever + cough, headache, myalgia and malaise, sore throat nasal discharge
Acutely debilitating
Fever 38-41 C, otherwise exam often unremarkable
what are risk groups for influenza complications
Primary viral pneumonia
Secondary bacterial pneumonia
CNS disease
Deaths (est mortality rate) among people infected in US is about 0.13%
what are 3 issues a virus must overcome
Replicate inside a cell
Move from infected cell to new cell (and new host) in order to persist in nature
Must develop mechanism to evade host defences
what is the structure of influenza
Haemagglutinin surface proteins must bind to sialic acid on cell surface glycoproteins and glycolipids in the resp tract. Allows influenza to enter cell
The neuraminidase on the surface of the virus allows the virus to escape by cleaving sialic acid bonds – otherwise escaping virions clump together
The virus has a segmented genome (8 parts) so can reassort if 2 different viruses infect the same cell
what is influenza shift and drift
Point mutations each time to change the outer side of the Virus
Alter H so it can evade neutralising antibodies
Antigenic shift is a massive change - whole segment switch to form a whole new virus =pandemic as nobody has any immunity
what are options for treatment and prevention of influenza
Active immunisation against H and N components
Hand hygiene and droplet precautions