Spore formers Flashcards
Location of spore in bacillus anthracis
Central
Only bacteria with amino acid capsule
Bacillus anthracis
Reaction/staining used to identify bacillus anthracis
McFadyean reaction
How to identify b. Anthracis in mcfadyean reaction
Capsule stains pink (with polychrome methylene blue), and bacilli stains dark blue
Clinical characteristic of cutaneous anthrax
Eschar formation with edema
What causes cxr finding of widened mediastinum in woolsorters disease
Hemorrhagic mediastinitis (from pulmonary hemorrhage)
Other clinical entities causing pulmonary hemorrhage aside form respiratory anthrax
Weils syndrome
Congenital syphilis
Appearance of b. Anthracis on culture
Medusa head / serpentine like colonies
Treatment of anthrax and MOA
Raxibacumab - binds protective antigen
What enterotoxin of b. Cereus is the diarrheal type
Heat labile
Which of the two b. Cereus enterotoxins has a shorter incubation period
Emetic / heat stable enterotoxin
Action of botulinum toxin
Inhibits SNARE proteins: synaptobrevin, syntaxin = blocking release of acetylcholine
Test used to identify botulinum toxin
Mouse neutralization test
Where can clostridium botulinum be found
Soil, alkaline vegetables, canned goods, wild honey
Facilitates the spread of tetanospasmin
Tetanolysin
How does tetanospasmin cause sustained muscle contractions
Prevents release of GABA and glycine (inhibitory neurotransmitters)
Muscle involved in risus sardonicus
Orbicularis oris
Muscles involved in trismus
Masseter, lateral pterygoid, temporalis
Treatment for tetanus
Metronidazole 400 mg per rectum or 500 mg IV q6h for 1 week
How to identify c. Perfringens in culture
Naglers reaction
What toxin of clostridium perfringens causes gas gangrene
Alpha toxin / lecithinase
What does beta toxin of c. Perfringens do
Cause enteritis necroticans / pig bel disease
Risk factors for pseudomembranous colitis caused by c. Difficile
Prolonged hospitalization
Exposure to several antibiotics
Most common drug that can precipitate pseudomembranous colitis
Clindamycin
