About Medical Microbiology Flashcards

1
Q

What is the study of microorganisms (including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) which are of medical importance and are capable of causing disease in human beings?

A

Microbiology

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2
Q

What is one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidit in the population?

A

Infection

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3
Q

Approximately what % of hospital patients are on antibiotics at any one time?

A

30%

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4
Q

What do 1 in 10 patients acquire whilst in hospital?

A

An infection

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5
Q

What is normal flora?

A

The bacteria, fungi and parasites that are usually in and on our bodies

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6
Q

What do we call the bacteria, fungi and parasites that can be found in our skin, nose mouth and GI tract?

A

Normal Flora

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7
Q

How much bacteria does a gram of faeces carry?

A

10 to the power of 9

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8
Q

What parts of our body tend to be sterile or have defence mechanisms for bacteria?

A

Internal organs

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9
Q

What stops other, pathogenic bacteria from taking a foothold, by taking up space and competing for nutrients,
aids digestion and produces essential vitamins (folic acid and vitamin K)
but can cause disease if gets into the wrong place?

A

Normal Flora

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10
Q

What produces folic acid and vitamin K?

A

Normal Flora

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11
Q

Name 2 advantages of normal flora:

A

Prevents other bacteria from invading (takes up space and nutrients)

Aids digestion in the gut and produces vitamin K and folic acid

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12
Q

What happens if normal flora gets into the wrong place?

A

Disease

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13
Q

What is contamination?

Give 2 examples

A

Presence of an organism in a culture, that was not originally in the substance
(e.g. a culture of blood contaminated with an organism from the skin
or a sample contaminated in the lab)

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14
Q

What do we call a presence of an organism in a culture that was not in the original substance that has been cultured?

A

Contamination

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15
Q

What do we call presence of an organism at a site that does not cause a tissue reaction (inflammation), symptoms or disease?

A

Colonisation

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16
Q

What is colonisation?

Give 2 examples

A

Presence of an organism at a site that does not cause a tissue reaction (inflammation), symptoms or disease.

Normal Flora
Abnormal Flora (after a patient has received antibiotics - e.g. yeast)
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17
Q

What is the process where organisms invade a body site and their multiplication initiates a tissue reaction producing symptoms/disease?

A

Infection

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18
Q

What is infection?

A

The process where organisms invade a body site and their multiplication initiates a tissue reaction producing symptoms/disease.

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19
Q

What are the 4 classifications of organism?

A

Viruses
Bacteria
Fungi
Parasites

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20
Q

What are viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites?

A

The 4 classes of organism that can cause disease

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21
Q

Why do we classify organisms that cause disease?

3 reasons

A

Cause different DISEASES
Have different modes of TRANSMISSION
TREATMENT is different

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22
Q

List the order of bacteria, fungi and viruses from smallest to largest:

A

Viruses
Bacteria
Fungi

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23
Q

Which type of organism is unable to replicate independently and invades host cells, using their cellular machinery to replicate?

A

Viruses

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24
Q

What are influenza, chickenpox (varicella) and herpes examples of?

A

Viruses

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25
Q

What is the common cold and HIV/AIDS examples of?

A

Viruses

26
Q

Are viruses difficult to treat?

A

Yes

27
Q

How do viruses replicate?

A

By invading host cells and using their cellular machinery

28
Q

What type of organism is capable of independent replication and causes most infections seen in hospital?

A

Bacteria

29
Q

What are pneumonia, certain types of meningitis, cellulitis and UTI examples of?

A

Bacteria

30
Q

What organisms can be treated with antibiotics?

A

Bacteria

31
Q

How does bacteria replicate?

A

Independently

32
Q

What organisms are complex and large, known as eukaryotes and can be divided into yeasts and moulds?

A

Fungi

33
Q

What organisms are thrush, athletes foot, invasive and allergic aspergillosis examples of?

A

Fungi

34
Q

Most fungi diseases are opportunistic. What does this mean?

A

They will colonise where normal flora has been wiped out

35
Q

Name 3 reasons why we classify bacteria:

A

Cause different DISEASES
Are susceptible/resistant to different ANTIBIOTICS
Some are common NORMAL FLORA and others PATHOGENS

36
Q

Name the 2 main WAYS that bacteria are classified:

A

What they look like under a microscope

Based on biochemical reactions (e.g. metabolising sugar)

37
Q

What are the two classifications of bacteria when gram staining?

A

Gram Positive - Purple

Gram Negative - Pink

38
Q

What shapes can we classify bacteria into once we have picked a colour?

A

Shape

Coccus - round
Rod - long and thin

39
Q

How many combinations of gram positive and gram negative bacteria are there?

A

4

GP Rods, GP Coccus, GN Rods, GN Coccus

40
Q

What is notable about the cell wall of gram positive bacteria and what does it have high levels of?

A

It is very thick and has high levels of peptidoglycan

41
Q

What is notable about the cell wall of Gram Negative Bacteria and what does it have low levels of?

A

It has a thin cell wall and low levels of peptidoglycan

42
Q

Name the 5 steps of Gram Staining:

A

Stain the slide with crystal violet
Flood slide with Gram’s iodine for 1-2min
Decolourise by washing slide with acetone (2-3secs)
Stain with safarnin counterstain for 2min
View under microscope

43
Q

When gram staining, do you stain the slide with crystal violet or safranin counterstain first?

A

Crystal violet, you then flood with iodine, decolourise with acetone and then use safranin counterstain

44
Q

Why does Gram Positive bacteria stain purple?

A

The high levels of peptidoglycan stick to the crystal violet

45
Q

What gives us and initial identity of bacteria and can be done without growing the organism (so is quicker)?

A

Gram Staining

46
Q

What is an advantage of Gram Staining over growing a bacteria organism?

A

It is quicker

47
Q

Name 4 things we can gram stain to find what bacteria may be present:

A

Pus
Joint Fluid
Sputum
CSF

48
Q

Do we use the same antibiotics for Gram Positive and Gram Negative Bacteria?

A

No

49
Q

Name 3 differences between Gram Positive and Gram Negative bacteria:

A

Different ANTIBIOTICS
Cause different DISEASES
Differ in ability to SURVIVE ENVIRONMENT (cleaning, infection control and outbreak management)

50
Q

What are clusters of Gram Positive Cocci usually characteristic of?

A

Staphylococcus spp. Like S. Aureus

51
Q

What are chains or pairs of Gram Positive Cocci usually characteristic of?

A

Streptococcus spp. - like S. pneumoniae

52
Q

S. Aureus and S. Pneumoniae can cause lung infections. Where would be a good place to get a culture for gram staining?
What do you think the result would be?

A

Sputum

Gram Positive Cocci

53
Q

What are thick Gram Positive Rods usually characteristic of?

A

Clostridium spp. like C. perfringens, C. septicum and C. tetani

54
Q

What are thin Gram Positive rods usually characteristic of?

A

Listeria spp. (can cause food poisoning and could be found in a stool sample

55
Q

What are Clostridium infections and listeria infections examples of (if gram staining)?

A

Gram Positive Rods

56
Q

Name a bacteria that can be either gram positive or gram negative cocci/gram variable?

A

Coccobacilli - usually acinetobacter spp.

think bacilli = silly both

57
Q

What are Gram Negative Diplococci (2 coccus) usually examples of?

A

Neiseria spp like N. meningitidis or N. gonorrhoea

or

Moraxella spp. or Acinetobacter spp.

58
Q

What are thin Gram Negative Rods usually characteristic of?

A

Enterobacteriacease like E.coli

cause gut infections and food poisoning

59
Q

What are Gram Negative Coccobacilli usually examples of?

A

Haemophilus spp. like H. influenzae

can cause lung infections in kids and meningitis

60
Q

What are curved Gram Negative Rods usually characteristic of?

A

Vibrio spp. or Campylobactor spp. like V. cholerae and C. jejuni

61
Q

What are thin needle shaped Gram Negative Rods usually characteristic of?

A

Fusobacterium spp.