Diagnosis, Fever

Question 1

What are some pathogens that you can use the latex agglutination tests for rapid antigen detection?

Answer 1

Haemophilus influenzae type B
Strep pneumoniae
GBS
Neisseria meningitidis in CSF
Group A strep in pharynx

Question 2

What are some advantages of using rapid antigen testing?

Answer 2

Partially treated meningitis (where there’s pleocytosis but no bugs)
Otherwise expensive and not useful

Question 3

What stain do you use to look for PCP?

Answer 3

Methenamine silver staine

Question 4

When do you use wright and giemsa stains?

Answer 4

Parasites (plasmodium, babesia and leishmania) and fungi in tissues (yeasts, histoplasma)

Question 5

When do you use Trichome stain?

Answer 5

Protozoa

Question 6

When do you do serology testing? Name some examples

Answer 6

To find viruses that are difficult to culture or detect with direct antigen testing.
ie Bartonella, legionella, borrelia, treponema plallidum, mycoplasma, rickettsia, ehrlichia

HIV, EBV, Hep A/B

Toxo, trichinella.

Question 7

What are molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting infectious agents?

Answer 7

DNA probes (i.e. TB vs MAC, chlamydia, gonorrhoea)

PCR - nucleic acid amplification (HIV, CMV, chlamydia, Hep B/C, resp viruses

Question 8

What is the chance of serious bacterial infection in a neonate who does not appear ill?

Answer 8

7%

Question 9

In infants 3month to 36 month, what ist he chance of occult bacteremia in immunized children?

Answer 9

<0.5%

Question 10

Who gets hepatitis A vaccination?

Answer 10

All travellers to endemic areas
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in NT, Qld, SA and WA
High risk occupations
High risk lifestyles
Intellectual disabilities
Chronic Hep B/C infection
Chronic liver disease