Treatment of Protozoal and Helminthic Infections Flashcards
What is the Treatment of G. lamblia
- Intestinal trophozoite is treated with metronidazole or tinidazole (single dose)
What is the Cryptosporidium treatment and what are the issues associated with this?
- Drugs have been proposed for use: paromomycin, nitazoxanide and spiramycin
- Limited evidence that any of these drugs have an impact on the severity or duration of diarrhoea in the most immunocompromised patients
What is the treatment for intestinal infection of amoebiasis?
treatment with metronidazole
What is the treatment for chronic infection of amoebiasis?
- Chronic infections need treatment with diloxanide furoate
What does amoebic abscess require treatment with?
metronidazole at higher and longer doses
Describe metronidazole and its mechanism of action
- Originally an antiprotozoal agent
- Under anaerobic conditions it generates toxic radicals that damage bacterial and protozoal DNA
- Active against Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia
- Penetrates well into tissue – hence its value in amoebic liver abscess
- A metallic taste is common and can be hard to tolerate
- Cause an acute nauseous reaction with alcohol
What is the mechanism of action of Diloxanide furoate and what is its functions
- A luminal amoebicide
- Flatulence, itchiness, and hives associated with use
- Usually well tolerated with minimal toxicity
- On WHO essential medicines list
Describe Parmomycin’s action
- An aminoglycoside
- Given orally
- Not absorbed from the GI tract
- Kills amoebic cystic stage
What are the adverse effects of paromomycin?
abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, heartburn, nausea and vomiting
What are the non pharmacological treatment methods for prevention of protozoal infections of the GI tract
- Improved hygiene and water supplies
- Eating only freshly prepared food served hot
- Avoiding salads and fruit which cannot be peeled
- Avoiding tap water and ice cubes
What are the main types of blood and tissue and intestinal nematodes?
Blood and tissue
- Brugia, Wucheraria, Onchocerca, Mansonella, Loa Loa, Toxocara
Intestinal
- Ascaris, hookworm, enterobius, trichiuris
What are the main types of cestodes?
Taenia
- sodium and saginata
Echinococcus
- granulises, multilocularis
What are the main types of trematodes?
Lung = paragonomiasis Liver = Opisthorcis, fasciola Blood = S.mansioni, S.haematobium, S.japonicum
Describe 4 different types of vectors
- Flies: Onchocerciasis
- Aedes mosquito: Filariasis
- Crysops: Guinea worm
- Snails: Schistosomiasis, Capillaria, Fasciola
What are the clinical features of Trichiuris?
- Vague abdominal symptoms
- Trichiuris dysentery syndrome
- Growth retardation
- Intellectual compromise
o Micronutrient deficiency
o Mucosal integrity
What are the main effects of Strongyloides stercoralis?
- Disruption of small intestine mucosa
- Villous atrophy
- Marked loss of elasticity of intestinal wall
What are the clinical manifestations of S. stercaralis?
- Dysentery (persistent in immunocompromised hosts)
- Dehydration
- Malabsorption syndrome
- Anal pruritis
- Associated with appendicitis
Treatment when pathogenesis is inflammation
- Anti-inflammatory e.g. steroids