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Infection > Lecture 1 - What Is An Infection > Flashcards

Lecture 1 - What Is An Infection Flashcards

1
Q

What is an infection?

A

The invasion of a hosts tissues by microorganisms

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2
Q

How is a disease caused by an infection?

A

Microbes INVADE
MULTIPLY
TOXINS produced
Host responds

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3
Q

How do people get infections?

A

Microorganisms from self
Infected by others
Infected by vector organisms

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4
Q

What are Microbiota/commensals (commensile microorganisms)?

A

Microbes that normally reside on or in the body that dont normally cause harm

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5
Q

How can commensals/Microbiota causes damage to a patient?

A

If they are transferred from other sites in the body (faecal-oral transmission)

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6
Q

Where do Microbiota usually reside?

A

On skin
On mucosal membranes

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7
Q

What are the 2 modes of transmission?

A

Horizontal transmission
Vertical transmission

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8
Q

What are the 3 methods of horizontal transmission?

A

-Contact
-Inhalation
-Ingestion (faecal-oral transmission most common)

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9
Q

How can infections be spread via contact?
What are the 3 types of ways they can be spread?

A

Directly (skin to skin, kissing, sexual intercourse)
Indirect (contaminated surfaces)
Vectors (mosquito for malaria)

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10
Q

How are infections spread via inhalation?

A

Water droplets in the air
Aerosols

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11
Q

What is vertical transmission of infections?

A

When an infection is passed from mother to child
This can be before birth or after birth

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12
Q

What is an example of a group of microorganisms which can be vertically transmitted and what diseases can it causes?

A

Group B streptococcus

Meningitis
Sepsis
Pneumonia

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13
Q

What is the process to microorganisms causing disease?

A

Host exposed to microorganism
Adherence (mucosal membranes or blood vessels)
Invasion (invades cells or between cells)
Multiplication
Dissemination (spreads e.g into bloodstream)
Virulence factors produced
Host cells damaged

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14
Q

What are virulence factors?

A

Substances produced by the microorganism that enhance its survival in the host
Like toxins

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15
Q

What causes the symptoms in an infection?

A

Host cell damage

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16
Q

How do host cells get damaged in infection?

A

Directly by toxins produced or cells bursting
Consequent to hosts immune response

17
Q

What are the 2 disease determinants?

A

Pathogen
Patient

18
Q

What about a pathogen determines the significance of the disease it causes?

A

Virulence factors produced
Inoculum size (amount person infected with)

19
Q

What about a patient determines the severity of a disease?

A

The site of infection
Co-morbidities (any pre existing conditions)

20
Q

Generally what 4 questions do we need to ask about a patient relating to an infection?

A

Is there an infection?
Where is the infection?
What is the cause of the infection?
What is the best treatment?

21
Q

What 3 things do we do when trying to determine what sort of infection a patient has?

A

History
Examination
Investigations

22
Q

When taking a history for a suspected infection what are we trying to establish?

A

Symptoms:
-focal or systemic
-severity
-duration

Potential exposures (like travel to malarial countries)

23
Q

When examining a patient with a suspected infection what are we looking for?

A

Any potential organ dysfunctions or anything that is not functioning normally

24
Q

What are the 2 types of investigations done with a person who has a suspected infection?

A

Specific investigations
Supportive investigations

25
Q

What is a specific investigation?

A

Investigation which is trying to identify the specific causative organism for the infection

26
Q

What is a supportive investigation?

A

An investigation which suggests whether a patient has an infection or not

27
Q

What are some examples of supportive investigations?

A

Full blood count (number of neutrophils or lymphocytes)

CRP levels

Blood chemistry (liver and kidney function tests)

Imaging (X-rays, MRIs, ultrasound)

Histopathology (examination of tissues)

28
Q

What may an increased neutrophil count indicate?

A

Bacterial infection

29
Q

What May an increased lymphocyte count indicate?

A

Viral infection

30
Q

What does C-reactive protein indicate?

A

An acute phase protein indicating an inflammatory process is happening

31
Q

What type of specific investigations can be done to determine causative bacteria?

A

Swabs
Microscopy (gram satins, viewing cells in CSF)
Culture
Antibiotic susceptibility
Antigen detection
Nucleic acid detection

32
Q

What specific investigations can be done to determine causative virus?

A

Antigen detection
Antibody detection (produced by the patient)
Detecting viral nuclei acid (DNA or RNA)

33
Q

What must viral RNA be converted into first before it is used in PCR?
(Not all viruses have rna)

A

DNA

Infection (21 decks)

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