Sepsis

Question 1

What are the gram negative organisms that can cause infection?

Wet and warm

Answer 1

Bacilli I.e. rods:

E.coli
Salmonella
Klebsiella
Pseudomonas
Campylobacter
Legionella
Proteus
Bacterioids

Cocci I.e. thin spheres:
Neisseria
Gonorrhoeae

Question 2

What are the gram positive organisms that can cause infection?

Dry and cold

Answer 2

Bacilli, rods:
Listeria
Clostridium

Cocci, spheres:
Staphylococci
Streptococci

Question 3

What is a yeast?

Answer 3

A single cell fungus

Reproduces by budding

Often form bio films

Question 4

What is a mould?

Answer 4

A fillamentous fungi, produces spores

Question 5

What is a dimorphic fungi?

Answer 5

One that can grow as a yeast or as a mould depending on temperature

Question 6

What are the two categories of parasite?

Answer 6

Ecto parasite - lives ON the host (skin and hair)

Endo parasite - lives IN the host (mucosal surfaces)

1. Helminths = worms
2. Protazoa = single cell

Question 7

What are non-fermenter bacteria?

Answer 7

Those that don’t use ferment sugars, they form rapid biofilms and are hard to treat

Question 8

How is streptococci classified?

Answer 8

Beta, alpha or gamma haemolytic

Whether it completely (beta), incompletely (alpha) or doesn’t haemolyse blood

Most commonly affects URT, Urinary tract, lungs and skin.

Question 9

What is sepsis?

Answer 9

Life threatening organ dysfunction due to dysregulated host response to infection.

Septic shock indicates a deterioration of sepsis, meaning profound circulatory, cellular and metabolic deterioration.

Question 10

Remember to make connections in sepsis, e.g. why are we worried about someone who has had CRC or someone who has CKD stage 4?

Answer 10

They may have a colostomy or indwelling lines or peritoneal access respectively - all are risk factors for sepsis