Session 1 - Introduction Flashcards
what is an infection
invasion of a host’s tissues by micro-organisms
diseases caused by toxins, multiplication of microbes or the host response
why can people have pathogens within then but not be affected?
the pathogens are in areas that are ok but they may move to places that are not ok
what are zoonotic diseases
diseases spread by animals e.g. Rabies and Anthrax
what are microbiota
bacteria that exist on or in you which are normally harmless or beneficial
when can microbiota become harmful
when they transfer to other sites in the body
give 4 ways in which people become infected
physical contact, airborne, ingestion of contaminated food/water or vectors
what is the vector for the spread of malaria
mosquito
what are the 2 ways of transmissions of how people get infected
horizontal and vertical
what are the 3 methods in which people become infected in the mode of horizontal transmission
contact (direct/indirect)
inhalation
ingestion (faecal-oral transmission)
what is vertical transmission
transmission of an infection from mother to child, before or at birth
what should you ask when taking a patient history for a suspected infection
ask about symptoms (severity and duration) and potential exposures (where they’ve been, animals they’ve been in contact with)
what do supportive investigations find out
how unwell the patient is
why do you repeat supportive investigations over periods of time
to find out if the patient is getting better or worse
give some example of supportive investigations
full blood count, C reactive protein test, imaging, liver and kidney function tests
what tests are undertaken to find out the cause of an infection
bacteriology and virology tests
what are virulence factors
molecules produced by pathogens
what are exotoxins
a type of virulence factor that is produced as part of their pathogenic process
what are endotoxins
structures in pathogen (e.g on the bacteria cell wall) that cause a response by the host
what is dissemination
spreading of the pathogen in the body
what is cellulitis
severe inflammation of dermal and subcutaneous layers of the skin
what 2 bacteria are the most common causes of cellulitis
streptococcus and straphylococcus
what is tested for in a full blood count
white blood cell, white blood cell differential, red blood cell, haemoglobin, haematocrit, platelet and mean corpuscular volume
what is the mean corpuscular volume
average size of your red blood cells
why are agar plates red
they are a spread of blood
