Viral Infections

Question 1

What kind of pneumonia are influenza patients most likely to develop?

Answer 1

Staphylococcal pneumonia

Question 2

What two antigens are flu viruses charactised by?

Answer 2

Haemagglutinin (H) and Neuraminidase (N)

Question 3

What is antigenic drift and shift?

Answer 3

Antigenic drift = slight change in antigen = seasonal outbreak
Antigenic shift = major change in antigen = pandemic

Question 4

Ix for flu?

Answer 4

Clinical, can use nasopharyngeal swab culture - takes upto a week
PCR - 48 hours

Question 5

What antiviral medications for flu and when do you give it?

Answer 5

Oseltamivir or zanamivir for high-risk patients, if symptom onset <48h

Question 6

Who is eligible for the flu vaccine?

Answer 6

50 and over
pregnant
high risk health conditions
main carer for high risk
live with high high risk
frontline health and social care

Question 7

What criteria to assess sore throat and what does it assess for?

Answer 7

Centor - assesses risk of Group A beta-haemolytic strep infection

Question 8

What are the centor criteria?

When is it positive?

Answer 8

tonsillar exudate
tender cervical lymph nodes
fever
no cough

> =3 = likely to be group A strep

Question 9

What management for GABHS?

Answer 9

Phenylmethylpenicillin for 10 days

OR erythromycin/clarithromycin for 5 days if pen allergic

Question 10

2 main features of Measles?

Answer 10

Rash that starts on face then spreads to neck, body then limbs
White-blue KOPLICK spots in mouth

Question 11

Ix for Measles?

Answer 11

Measles specific IgM from swab or blood

Treatment is supportive

Question 12

What is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis?

Answer 12

A complication of measles - occurs 5 years after infection