Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Infections Flashcards
What is the cause of gonorrhoea?
Neisseria gonorrhoea.
What are the two main categories of genitourinary infections?
Primary infections due to a sexually transmitted pathogenic organism.
Infections due to members of the resident flora.
What is the morphology of NG?
Aerobic. Gram negative diplococci.
Non-motile, non-spore forming and has a pili.
Fastidious growth requirements.
What is the pathology?
Attachment to non-ciliated columnar epithelial cells.
Cells damaged by toxins.
Alters protein antigens frequently.
What are the symptomatic infections that arise?
Urethritis, proctitis, pharyngitis, conjunctivitis.
What are the methods for diagnosis?
Gram stain.
Culturing (Thayer-Martin media)
Non-amplified DNA probe tests.
Ligase Chain Reaction (LCR) assays.
Name drugs used for treatment.
Azithromycin or Doxycycline
Name the drugs that it is resistant to.
Erythromycin, amoxicillin.
Control.
Screening, partner notification, presumptive treatment of sex contacts.
What needs to be considered for a gonorrhoeal infection?
Check for syphilis and possible chlamydia co-infection.
What is the cause of syphilis?
Treponema pallidum.
What is the pathophysiology of syphilis?
Spirochete, rotary motion, requires a break in squamous or columnar epithelium. Replication is slow.
How many stages are there for syphilis?
Primary, secondary, latency and tertiary.
Describe the clinical manifestations of primary syphilis.
Incubation period: 3 weeks
Formation of chancre which resolves in 1-5 weeks. Highly infectious.
How would you identify syphilis using fluorescent techniques?
Antibody in the patients serum binds to bacteria and is visualised by a fluorescent dye.
What are the clinical manifestations of secondary syphilis?
Dissemination of spirochetes. Signs and symptoms include rash (whole body) Mucous patches Malaise Headache Lymphadenopathy Condylomata lata Alopecia (baldness) Resolves in 2-10 weeks.