Upper respiratory tract infections

Question 1

what does the upper respiratory tract include?

Answer 1

Nasal cavity
Pharnyx
Larynx

Question 2

what does the lower respiratory tract include?

Answer 2

trachea
primary bronchi
lungs

Question 3

what is tropism?

Answer 3

viruses prefer specific tissues due to interactions and this will have an affect on where they grow1

Question 4

what are common symptoms of an upper RTI?

Answer 4

cough

sneezing, rhinitis, congestion, tonsilittis, laryngitis, fever

Question 5

what is the common presentation of laryngitis?

Answer 5

a hoarse voice

Question 6

what are appropriate samples for an Upper RTI?

Answer 6

Swabs from the nose and throat
aspirate
sputum

Question 7

what are common forms of transmission for upper RTI?

Answer 7

aerosolised particles from cough and sneeze

fomites

Question 8

what viruses tend to survive longer in the environment?

Answer 8

ones that don’t have a lipid envelope such as rhinoviruses

Question 9

what is meant by ‘basic reproductive number?’

Answer 9

this is the number of cases one case of infection will generate on average during the course of infection

Question 10

what does basic reproductive number measure?

Answer 10

how much the disease is transmitted

Question 11

what is the basic reproductive number of the common cold?

Answer 11

2-3.

Question 12

what type of virus is rhinovirus?

Answer 12

RNA, non enveloped.

picornavirus family

Question 13

what is the incubation period of rhinovirus?

Answer 13

1-3 days

Question 14

what is the duration of rhinovirus?

Answer 14

5-7 days

Question 15

what is the transmission of rhinovirus?

Answer 15

droplet spread

Question 16

what type of virus is coronavirus?

Answer 16

enveloped RNA virus with spikes

Question 17

what are the spikes on coronavirus?

Answer 17

they are spikes that determine the tropism

Question 18

what is SARS?

Answer 18

Caused by corona virus, it’s severe acute respiratory syndrome

Question 19

what is the source of SARS?

Answer 19

wild animals, original resoirvoir being bats.

Question 20

what is MERS?

Answer 20

Middle east coronavirus

Question 21

what is treatment of coronavirus?

Answer 21

steroids
ribavirin
interferon

Question 22

what type of virus is adenovirus?

Answer 22

double stranded DNA, non-enveloped.

Question 23

what is transmission of adenovirus?

Answer 23

respiratory and faecal

Question 24

what is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under 1?

Answer 24

respiratory synctial virus

Question 25

what type of virus is respiratory synctial virus?

Answer 25

single stranded RNA

Question 26

what is transmission of respiratory synctial virus?

Answer 26

droplet

Question 27

what is treatment for respiratory synctial virus?

Answer 27

hydration, oxygen, nursing care, anti-bacterials if a second infection is suspected

Question 28

what is the gold standard for influenza diagnosis?

Answer 28

real time PCR

Question 29

what are M2 ion channel inhibitors active against?

Answer 29

influenza A

Question 30

what are examples of M2 ion channel inhibitors

Answer 30

amantadine | rimantadine

Question 31

what are neuraminidase inhibitors?

Answer 31

antivirals given for influenza. they prevent progeny virions detaching from infected cells. have to take within 48 hours of onset

Question 32

what are examples of neuraminidase inhibitors?

Answer 32

oseltamivir | anamivir

Question 33

what treatment should at risk people be given for influenza?

Answer 33

oseltamivir for 5 days

Question 34

what should severely immunosuppresed people be given to treat influenza?

Answer 34

zanamivir

Question 35

what type of virus is parainfluenza virus?

Answer 35

enveloped single stranded RNA

Question 36

what are the most common parainfluenza virus serotypes?

Answer 36

there are 4 serotypes. | 1-3 are most common

Question 37

what is the typical age group where parainfluenza virus presents?

Answer 37

6months to 4 years

Question 38

what bacteria can cause upper respiratory tract infections?

Answer 38

streptococcal pharyngitis fusobacterium necrophorum haemophilus influenza type B

Question 39

what does streeptococal pharyngitis cause?

Answer 39

severe sore throat, fever, tonsil exudates, cervical lymphadenopathy, rash, muscle pain

Question 40

how do you diagnose streptococcal pharyngitis?

Answer 40

A throat swab

Question 41

what do you see on a blood agar of strep pharyngitis show?

Answer 41

beta haemolytic zone

Question 42

what is the treatment for streptococcal pharyngitis?

Answer 42

10 days of pen V

Question 43

what can fusobacterium necrophorum cause?

Answer 43

necrobacilosis | sore throat, septicaemia, lung abscess, internal JV thrombosis

Question 44

what type of bacteria is fusobacterium necrophorum?

Answer 44

anaerobic

Question 45

what treatment does necrobacillosis require?

Answer 45

metronidazole