The Public Semester 2 Flashcards
What is cystic fibrosis?
- Chronic disease affecting 1 in 25 which results in a build up of mucous which is too viscous therefore stays in the throat therefore infection lingers.
- Life expectancy –> 45
What causes cystic fibrosis?
- Single faulty gene CTFR
- Chest infections
- Fatty diarrhoea as fat isn’t properly absorbed from diet
- Poor weight gain
Where is S.aureus found?
Skin - causes infection when in chest and airways.
- If get it <2 years old = increased mortality
What is the median age of acquisition of pseudonomas infection in CF?
3 years of age (isolation has no impact)
What is pseudonomal colonisation associated with?
- Mortality 2.6 more likely to die with 8 years
- Delayed growth
Characteristics of psuedonomas?
- Hospital acquired
- Opportunistic
- Gram neg rod
- Single polar flagellum for motility
- Doesn’t require many nutrients to live
- 0.5-3um in size
Psuedonomas source?
- Water
- Soil
- Plant
- Human
- Animal surfaces
- Part of normal human flora in some populations
Psuedonomas virulence factors:
- Invasive
- Toxigenic
- Minimal nutrition
- Produces extracellular proteases to assist bacterial adhesion and invasion
- Produce alginates to aid in biofilm formation
How is pseudonomas transmitted?
Biofilm–> environmental sources i.e. sinks and drains
- invasive medical devices
Human transmission source –> colonisation as part of the normal human flora
Pseudonomas diagnosis?
- bacterial culture on agar –> from wound, tissue, blood, sputum, discharge, stool
- urine analysis
- FBC = poor blood count
- corneal scrapings
- Fluorescence under UV light
- Sweet fruity odour
What are biofilms?
organism that grows on surface which can grow extracellular material.
Includes alginates
Matrix encapsulates cells
Medical conditions caused by pseudomonas areginosa?
- Respiratory tract infections
- Sepsis
- Endocarditis
- Meningitis or brain abcess
- Keratitis
- UTI’s
- Secondary would infection
What happens to mucus in CF?
- Airways secrete a thick mucus
- Mucus too thick so cilia mechanism doesn’t work
- Mucus remains in airways gathering infection.
Pathophysiology of pseudonomas?
- Pseudonomas colonises the mucus in the lower respiratory tract and then grows to cover the epithelium:
- > biofilm proliferation
- -> scarring and access formation
- -> Biofilms represent different strains and sensitivites
- -> Affects antibacterial choices
How effective is early intervention?
Can eradicate pseudonomas for up to 2 years
Nebulisation or inhalation of solution (advantages)
- Discrete and portable
- No loss of efficacy
- Easy to use covering all ages
- Dry powder inhalers
Oral antibiotics for psuedomonas:
Ciprofloxacin:
- Fluoroquinolone
- Well absorbed from GI tract
- Primary hepatic metabolism which is accelerated in CF patients.
Azithromycin:
- Interferes with adherence of pseudomonas to epithelium
- use for anti inflammatory effects
- Modifies biofilm structure and growth
- 10mg/kg daily
Infective exacerbations definition:
- Reduced in FEV1 to <50% of expected
- Acute changes on Xray
- Increased breathlessness or decreased exercise intolerance
Actions taken in clinic:
- Sputum sample
- IV access
- Admit
- Empirical antibiotics
What empirical antibiotics are used for first pseudonomal infection?
Ceftazidimine
- 3rd gen cephalosporin
- Particularly active against psuedonomas
- Reserved in the UK only for this indication
Tobramycin
- amino glycoside with favourable nephrotoxicity profile
- good activity against pseudonomas
- Then onto eradication therapy.
What are subsequent infections guided by?
Sensitivity from last exacerbation.
What are cephalosporins?
- Most widely prescribed antibiotics
- Beta lactam AB’s
- Inhibit cell wall synthesis
- Broad spectrum
- Bacteriacidal
How is resistance acquired (cephalosporins):
I) altered binding site
II) decreased permeability
III) beta lactamases
How many generations of cephalosporins are there?
5
Higher generations of cephalosporins generally have expanded spectra against gram negative bacilli. True or false?
True
Cephalosporin mode of action:
Interferes with cross linkage between peptidoglycan chains and structural integrity of cell wall.
Cephalorsporin resistance:
3rd gen are resistant to beta lactamase therefore have broader spectrum of activity G-ve bacteria than pencillins.
Overuse has created new resistance mechanisms:
What are ESBL’s?
Extended spectrum beta lactamases - no less dangerous than MRSA
How are ESBL genes transmitted between cells?
- Plasmid DNA using pili
Treatment of ESBL?
Aminoglycosides:
- Conc dependent action
- Nephrotoxic
- Opotoxic
- Trough levels 22mg/L
- Hypermetabolised by CF patients.
Chronic treatment?
Frequent exacerbations lead some patients to have regular iv AB therapy:
- 3 monthly cycles of 2weeks
- Antimicrobial choices led by previous sensitivities
What HCP’s prescribe the most antibiotics?
GP's = 74% Inpatients = 11% Outpatients = 7% Dentists = 3%
What is MRSA?
- Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus
- Gram positive cocci
How is is MRSA detected?
By displacing resistance to methicillin (but is also resistant to all beta lactams available (penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems)
Can people be carriers of MRSA?
Yes - they can carry MRSA and have no symptoms however they are at risk developing it.
What are the MRSA sites of colonisation?
Nose and skin, axilla (armpit) and groin
How to reduce MRSA infection?
- screen at risk patients
- isolate patients
- decontamination therapy
- hand washing
- aseptic non touch treatments for care
- antibiotic prophylaxis
- antibiotic stewardship
How is MRSA treated?
For serious systemic infections:
1st line- glycoproteins e.g. IV vancomycin or teicoplanin
2nd line - linezolid, daptomycin, tigelycin = expensive and require intensive monitoring.
What are multi resistant coliforms?
- biggest threat in terms of antibiotic resistance
- coliforms = gram negative bacilli
What are the reserve antibiotics?
Carbapenems
How can UTI’s progress to septicaemia?
When caused by ESBL producing e coli
What is glycopeptide resistant enterococci (GRE)?
Enterococci is a gram positive organism in the gut
- Glycopeptide can become colonised in their bowel with GRE.
When are infections with GRF most frequently seen?
In patients with frequent antibiotic exposure.
often IV line associated infections
What is misuse of antibiotics?
- When AB’s prescribed unnecessarily
- When AB admin is delayed
- When broad spec AB’s are used too generously or when narrow spec AB’s are used incorrectly
- When dose = too high or too low
- When duration = too short or too long
What is clostridium difficile?
- Antibiotics = major risk factor for developing CD
- Gram positive anaerobic organism that can cause an infection of the intestines
Whom is CD most common in?
Elderly with underlying disease
What % of adult population have CD present in the gut?
<5% - but most patients acquire CDI by cross infection or toxigenic strain
Symptoms of CD?
Range from mild diarrhoea to severe illness with ulceration and bleeding from colon
What causes the symptoms acquired by CD?
Toxins produced by the organism.
When there is a disturbance in normal flora of colon (CD can grow and multiply)
CD produces spores that can survive for a long time
CD treatment?
- Assess severity including WCC, abdomen pain, temp
- Stop prescribing AB’s if possible
- Stop laxatives
- Assess fluid balance and ensure adequate hydration
- Assess nutritional status
MILD = oral metronidazole SEVERE = orla vancomycin
Prevention of CD:
- Prudent use of AB’s
- Minimum exposure:
- -> Fluoroquinolones
- -> cephalosporins
- -> clindamycin
- avoid prolonged courses duration
- avoid exposure to multiple AB’s
- infection control = isolation of infected patients with own toilet
- enforce hand washing to prevent spread and reinfection
What is sepsis?
Presence of infection together with systemic manifestations of infection:
- pyrexia
- tachycardia
- raised infection markers in blood WCC
Definition of severe sepsis?
Sepsis plus sepsis induced organ dysfunction or tissue hypoperfusion–>
- Low urine output 0.5ml/kg/hr
- Low arterial oxygen concentration
- Changes in blood clotting
- Raised in bilirubin (>79 micromol/L)
- Raised lactate >1mmol/L
What is septic shock?
Sepsis induced hypotension persisting despite fluid resuscitation.
Systolic BP <90mmHg (normal = 100-120)
MABP = 70mmHg (normal = 75)
Causes of sepsis?
Infection ANYWHERE in the body can cause sepsis
Most common = respiratory, abdomen, UTI, soft tissue
Sever sepsis occurs when signs and symptoms of infection come together.
Risk factors of sepsis:
- Immunocompromised
- -> HIV
- -> Cancer chemo
- Neonates and infants
- Chronic disease
- Recent surgery
- Invasive procedures
Mortality of sepsis?
Sepsis: 15% (systemic inflammation syndrome)
Severe sepsis = 20% (sepsis plus organ failure)
Septic shock = 45% (sever sepsis plus refractory hypotension)
Pathophysiology of sepsis:
- Septic shock = deregulated inflammatory response - bacterial proteins activate cellular defence mechanisms
- Release of inflammatory cytokines (TNF, interleukin 1+6)
- Nitric oxide release - triggers vasodilation
- Endothelial activation - allows immune cells to stick and stay where they’re needed. Cause capillaries to become porous.
Vasodilation causes a ____ in systemic vascular resistance.
REDUCTION
Body becomes relatively fluid depleted - hypovolaemia
Tissue ischaemia.
12 HOURS = DEATH
What are the Sepsis Six?
1) Admin oxygen
2) Take blood cultures
3) Give broad spec antibiotics
4) Give fluid resuscitation
5) Measure lactate and Hb.
6) Measure urine output.
Why administer oxygen for sepsis?
Increase oxygen delivery to organs
Indications = lactase, venous O2 saturation
Treatment = 100%, oxygen through face mask
Why is taking blood cultures part of the sepsis six?
- Start smart then focus
- Most patients will be culture neg. after a single dose of AB
- DO NOT DELAY antibiotics
Why give broad spec antibiotics (sepsis)?
Goal is to treat infection
Indicators = inflammatory markers
Treatment = depends on what you’re treating
= empirical therapy for first 24 hours
Infection treatment regime for sepsis?
Start smart then focus
- G+ and G- cover at first (3rd gen cephalosporin)
- Macrolide of penicillin allergic
If neutropenia (Low WCC):
- Use broad spec penicillin
- Add in aminoglycoside
Then focus - depends on bacteria–>
- Staphylcocci
- Coliforms
- Pseudomonas
AB’s used for staphylococci infection:
flucloxacillin, rifampicin, vancomycin
AB’s used for coliform infection:
co amoxiclav, carbapenem
AB’s used for pseudomonas:
ceftazidine
Why is fluid resuscitation part of the Sepsis Six?
Restores circulating fluid volume and improves tissue perfusion to restore lactate, venous O2 stat, urine output and BP
Fluid resuscitation dose used?
0.9% NaCl diffusion given as fast as possible.
Why is measuring lactate part of the sepsis six?
- Markers of anaerobic respiration
- By product of glucose metabolism
- Alerts us to tissue hypoxia
Sepsis six outcomes:
- Reduce overall morality by 50%
Two most impactful interventions:
- Blood cultures
- Antibiotics
What is staphylococcus aureus?
- Gram positive
- Spherical and non motile
- Size = 1 micrometer in diameter
- Yellow/golden colour
- Colonises skin, nasal passages and GI tract
Transmission of staphylococcus aureus:
Air borne, human contact, infected surface
Growth of staphylococcus aureus:
- Aerobic respiration or facultative anaerobe
- Binary cell division reproduction
- Staphylococcus = “bunch of grapes” in greek
Staphylococcus A strains?
- Methicillin sensitive staph A
What does staphylococcus use as a marker?
Coagulase - also is a virulence factor which confers resistance to phagocytosis
Patient groups affected by hospital acquried MRSA:
- Patients over 60
- Admission and procedures
- Immunocompromised, dialysis patients
What is community acquired MRSA?
Younger otherwise healthy patients affected
- Transmission = patients are already colonised and trauma and cuts (soft tissue and skin infections)
Medical conditions caused by S.aureus infection:
SKIN
- Mucosal membrane infections
- Pimples
- Boils
- Leg ulcers
- Cellulitis
INVASIVE
- Surgical wound infections
- UTI’s
- Septicaemia
- pneumonia
- Arthiritis
- Meningitis
OTHER
- Food poisoning
What is conjunctivitis?
Infection caused by staphylococcus aureus
(also streptococci, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, viruses)
Affects young, old, diabetes and immunocompromised
Signs and symptoms of conjunctivitis:
Grittiness, itching, discharge, pink eye
Complications–> scarring, secondary systemic infection
Treatments of conjunctivitis:
- Self limiting (1-2 weeks)
- Chloramphenicol 2 hourly QDS
- Fusidic acid gel
Can chloramphenicol hourly and fusidic acid gel be given via PGD?
YES
What is impetigo?
Infection caused by staph aureus, streptococcus pneumonid.
What are the two types of impetigo?
Primary - infective cut/bite or graze
Secondary- where an underlying skin condition exists
Epidemiology of impetigo:
- Summer months
- Children, teens, young adults, diabetics, immunocompromised, school, nurseries
Signs and symptoms of impetigo:
Bullous = affects trunk, arms and legs with large blisters
Non bullous = accounts for 70% of infections - itchy crusts, yellow/brown around nose and mouth
Complications of impetigo:
- lymphangitis
- Cellulitis
- Guttate psoriasis
- Scarlet fever
- Septicaemia
Impetigo treatment:
Fusidic cream - TDS/QDS
Mupirocin ointment TDS
Oral flucloxacillin QDS
Oral erythromycin QDS
Cause of device related infection:
S aureus introduced into the body through surgical opening.
Epidemiology of device related infections:
- Surgical patients
- Hospitalised patients with IV lines
- Urinary catheters
- Tracheostomies
Signs and symptoms of device related infections:
- Redness, warmth, inflammation, pain at site,
- Fever
- Malaise
- Tachycardia
Complications of device related infections:
- Endocarditis
- Septicaemia
Device related infection treatment:
- Removal of temporary device
- Surgical removal of infected tissue
- Antibiotics iv = flucloxacillin, calrithromycin, clindamycin (7-10 day course)
- Biofilms very difficult to treat
What is a SSI?
Surgical site infection caused when microorganisms get into the part of the body that has been operated on.
Surgical site definiton:
incision or cut in the skin made by a surgeon to carry out a surgical procedure and the tissue handled or manipulated during the procedure.
SSI epidemiology:
- Incidence = 2.6% of all operations
- 3rd most common hospital acquired infection
Classification of SSI’s:
Superficial incisional SSI - skin and subcutaneous
Deep incisional SSI - deep, soft tissue
Organ space - organ space
Classification of operative procedures:
- Clean
- Clean contaminated
- Contaminated
- Dirty
Most common pathogens in SSI’s:
- S aureus = predominant in orthapeadic categories
- Coagulase negative staphylococci
- Enterococcus species
- E coli
- Pseduonomas aeruginosa
Structure of S aureus:
- Cytoplasmic membrane and cell wall
- Coagulase - protects it from immune system
- alpha toxin - damages cells
- Proteins that allow bacteria to stick i.e. elastin binding, collagen binding
- Clumping factor
How to reduce incidence of SSI:
- surveillance
- prophylactic antibiotics
- asepsis
- Preparation of incision site
- warming
- Oxygenation
- Glucose control
Antibiotics for SSI:
Given to patients prior to:
- clean surgery involving prothesis or implant
- clean contaminated surgery
- contaminated surgery
- but not for clean, non prosthetic uncomplicated surgery.
What determines antibiotics for SSI:
- normally based on local formulary
Why is hair removal required for surgery:
- Improved view and access
- Perceived reduction infection
HOWEVER, use trimmers not razor as it can potentially increase SSI rate.
What antiseptics are used for surgical sites:
2% chlorhexidine or 10% povidone iodine
-
What is spreptococcus pyogenes:
- Gram pos cocci
- arranged in chains
- group A streptococcus
- –> lancefield group A
- -> beta haemolyte
- Facultative anaerobe
Virulence factors of spreptococcus pyogenes:
- Bacterial capsule
- Exotoxin production
- immune evasion
Common spreptococcus pyogenes infections:
- Sore throat
- impetigo
- Cellulitis
- Scarlet fever
- Meningitis
- Pneumonia
Strep throat transmission:
Droplets of air/direct contamination of wound.
Strep throat signs and symptoms:
- swollen tonsils
- painful tender
- Discomfort when swallowing
Differential diagnosis of strep throat.
- Glandular fever = viral
- Cancer = persistant sore throat
- Quinsy= painful collection of pus
Epiglottis = inflammation of epiglottis
Danger eliminations of strep throat:
- Persistent high temp above 38 degrees
- Frequent action
- Symptoms of longer than 4-5 days which don’t respond to medication
- Difficult swallowing/breathing
Strep throat diagnosis:
- Physical examination
- Throat swabs of affected tissue or saliva
- Blood test- Antibodies
- Invasive infection – Blood cultures for bacteria
Strep throat treatment:
- Often no treatment required
- OTC- analgesics / anaesthetic & antibacterial lozenges /sprays/ mouthwashes
- Antibiotics
- Invasive infection- medical emergency -> Hospitalisation
Complications of Group A Strep infections:
Acute rheumatic fever
Rheumatic heart disease
Post streptococcal glomerulonephritis
Bacteraemia / septicaemia
Necrotising Fasciitis
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome
What is cellulitis?
1) Skin surface damage
2) Bacterial entry
3) Bacteria attack skin and tissue
Aetiology of cellulitis:
Obese
Weakened immune system
Poorly controlled diabetes / circulation problems
Chickenpox or shingles
Lymphoedema
IV drug use
Previous episodes of cellulitis
Bacterial source.
Endogenous carriers of Gp A streptococci:
- Interdigital toe spaces
- Vagina
- Anus
Cellulitis - Signs and symptoms:
- Skin becomes red, hot, swollen, tender, painful
- Commonly affects legs
- Blisters