Week 2 - an infection model Flashcards
describe from how a pathogen causes infection and what happens?
pathogen + patient – (mechanism of infection) –> infection –> management –> outcome
what are the different types of pathogens?
virus
bacterium
fungus
parasite
which are eukaryotes and which are prokaryotes (in pathogens)?
fungus & parasite - eukaryotes
bacterium - prokaryotes
examples of fungus?
yeast (unicellular) & mould (multicellular)
example of parasite?
protozoa (unicellular) & helminth (worm)
what are the things about the patient that can affect whether they get an infection?
age, gender, physiological state, pathological state, social factors
what are the other factors that can affect whether the patient gets an infection?
time - calendar time (days) & relative time (incubation period)
place - current & recent (travels etc.)
what are the mechanisms of infection? (ways they spread)
contiguous (direct) e.g. touch inoculation (e.g. surgery) haematogenous - spread through bloodstream ingestion inhalation - droplets or aerosols vector vertical transmission - HIV, C-section
what are the different types of toxin production?
exotoxin and endotoxin
what is exotoxin?
deliberately released by bacteria into environment as a strategy to reproduce
what is endotoxin?
something that causes inflammatory response in the host caused by bacterial cell breaking down - causing inflammatory response (i.e. only released as the bacteria is dead)
what do you find out to try and get a diagnosis?
history, examination and investigations
(where is the infection?)
(what is the infection?)
what are the types of treatment?
specific and supportive
where should infection prevention be?
hospital and community
what are specific treatments?
antimicrobials
surgery
