Staphylococcal Infections: 11.14.2022. Study Questions

Question 1

How can Staphylococcus aureus be differentiated from other common strains of Staph?

Answer 1

differentiated from Other by cOagulase
coagulase testing

Question 2

Describe the medical significance of Staphylococcus epidermidis

Answer 2

it is an occasional opportunist that is often found in medical settings

Question 3

How is a carbuncle different from a furuncle?

Answer 3

furuncle: boil or abscess

carbuncle: the abscess is spreading. more invasive, can lead to bacteremia, sepsis, and spread to bones, organs.

Question 4

How does Protein A provide an advantage to Staph. aureus?

Answer 4

it is an Fc receptor, which makes it so the cell cannot be opsonized/evade phagocytosis

Question 5

What is the function of coagulase produced by S. aureus?

Answer 5

may slow the progress of leukocytes into infected area by producing clots in the surrounding capillaries

Question 6

Describe the typical scenario of scalded skin syndrome.
toxin?
age?
other conditions?
how bacteria spreads?
symptoms?

Answer 6

• toxin: exfoliatin
• age: children 0-5 years
• other conditions: also immune compromised
• bacteria grows in lesion/hair follicle/wound, synthesizes toxin, which spreads systemically
• symptoms: fever, redness of skin, malaise, 48 hours later sandpaper skin peels easily. skin surface sloughs off.

Question 7

Describe today’s typical scenario of staphylococal toxic shock syndrome

Answer 7

• appropriate use of tampons
• washing hands before and after inserting a tampon
• use tampons with the lowest practical absorbency
• change tampons at least every 6 hours
• use a pad, not a tampon, while sleeping.
• if effectively treated, most people recover fully in 2-3 weeks, although the disease can be fatal within a few hours

Question 8

What is the most important measure to prevent S. aureus infections?

Answer 8

good hygiene (wash them hands), cover wounds, good aseptic practice

Question 9

What is MRSA?

Answer 9

methicillin-resistant Staph. aureus that are resistant to nearly all B-lactam antibiotics

Question 10

Fill out disease tables for all five Staph diseases

Question 11

Write a case study for each Staph disease

Question 12

how does scalded skin syndrome spread?

Answer 12

contagious, person to person

Question 13

aftermath of scalded skin syndrome?

Answer 13

can be fatal due to fluid loss and secondary infections

Question 14

how to treat scalded skin syndrome? (3)

Answer 14

• isolate to prevent 2ndary infections
• antibiotics
• remove dead tissue

Question 15

how to prevent scalded skin syndrome

Answer 15

isolating infected patients to prevent spread and secondary infections

Question 16

what are the two types of MRSA strains?

Answer 16

HA-MRSA: hospital-acquired MRSA
CA-MRSA: community-acquired MrSA

Question 17

how do hospitals control the spread of MRSA?

Answer 17

• screen patients at admission
• isolate + give antibiotics to those with MRSA
• some hospitals screen patients for MRSA when they leave the hospital to make sure they don’t carry the infection with them