H+S Y3 Flashcards
(133 cards)
Characteristics of specific food poisoning organisms?
Cryptosporidium - Protozoa, reservoir is GIT, associated with foreign travel. Recreational exposure - water (swimming pools), land (camping) - SEVERE illness in immunocompromised, oocytes resist chlorination
Norovirus - RNA virus, most common cause of infectious gastroenteritis, occurs at any age and in semi-closed environments (hospitals, care homes, schools, cruise ships). Reservoir = man. 24hrs D+V
Clostridium perfringens - part of the normal gut flora. Associated with slow cooking and un-refridgerated storage > spores germinate, toxin producing (like botulinum and diff) > vegetative cells of which cause gastroenteritis. Also causes gas gangrene
Campylobacter - commonest reported cause of infectious intestinal disease. Reservoir = GIT of birds (particularly poultry). Undercooked/raw meat, unpasteurised milk/bird-pecked milk on doorstep. 48-96 hours incubation
Food poisoning investigation?
Preliminary phase - is there an outbreak? confirm diagnosis. What is nature and extent of outbreak?
Immediate steps - who’s ill? how many? case finding - contact those who have been exposed (i.e. set menu at large event). Sx profile? Cause? Proper care arranged? Immediate action (get rid of food)
Collecting data/descriptive epidemiology > time, place, person, no. affected, Sx, common factors, usually use questionnaires (chance of recall bias)
Food Hx - poor recall, structured, lying (if on diet), buffets, snacks
Environmental investigations - environmental health officers visit restaurants and inspect premises, take samples, equipment swabs, and staff not cooking properly
Analytical Epidemiological Studies
used to ID probable cause in absence of lab confirmation.
Point source outbreak = cohort study
Common source = case-control study
Food safety > concerns: food-borne illnesses, nutritional adequacy, environmental contaminants, naturally occurring contaminants, pesticide residues, food additives
Risk factors for chronic liver disease?
Alcohol - prevent with public health campaigns, minimum unit price, taxation, licensing restrictions, sale restrictions (price, placement, promotions)
Obesity - prevent with P.H.C’s, taxation (i.e. sugar tax), sale restrictions (P.P.P), legislature forcing reformulation of foods, community food/exercise regimes, education, healthy snacks at school/work
Viruses - vaccinate (Hep B/Yellow fever), free condoms, screen blood products, decrease needle-sharing, contraception, disposable sharps, licensing/laws for tattoos
Drugs - needle banks, decrease OTC availability (paracetamol, blister packs)
Management of hospital food poisoning outbreaks?
decrease spread with hand washing, bare below elbows, clean equipment, aseptic technique, general ward hygiene, alcohol gel, prohibit potential reservoirs (i.e., cooked food, flowers, etc)
Barrier nursing - use PPE
Side rooms - quarantined bay
Restrict ward access/visiting times - or close to visitors/ new admissions
Lift new cases after 72 hrs symptom free
PHA exclusion from work if ^ risk of spreading = age extremes, immunosuppressed, pregnant women, food industry workers, doubtful hygiene/acceptful levels of hand0washing
Control of infection committee
Infection control officiers
What do you do as a Dr. if you suspect a case?
- report to consultant responsible
- notify local food safety authority
- manage as PTO in hospital
Summary of food poisoning outbreaks?
Incident in which 2+ thought to have a common exposure, experience similar illness or proven infection
General outbreak - members > 1 household/residents of institution are affected
Suspect outbreak - look for common features, identify and isolate source:
> Person - school, workplace, etc.
> Place - been to same event, restaurant
> Time - date/time of onset = can draw curve to show associations and may be able to identify outliers (often key similarity between cases)
Dr’s role of food poisoning:
- treated affected individuals > including how to prevent spread, staying off work until 48hrs Sx-free, fluid replacement
- report to consultant responsible
- inform Food Safety Authority - will isolate and shut down offending source, section 11 of Public health (control of disease) Act 1984 - states you need to notify local authority
Types of food poisoning outbreak?
Common source - people exposed continuously or intermittently to a common source (e.g., infected water)
Point source - sharped upward slope, all cases occurring in one incubation period
Propagation - spread via person-to-person, recurring increases, multiple waves, faecal-oral spread
Summary of Food Safety Act (1990)?
defines food and enforcement authorities and their responsibilities
Food includes - drinks, articles of nutritional value but for human consumption > chewing gum, ingredients
Offences under act:
> sale of food rendered injurious to health, unfit for consumption, not of quality demanded by purchaser
> display of food with label falsely describing food or likely to mislead as to nature of substance/quality
Epidemiology of smoking
In UK 2019, 14.7% of 7.2 million population smoked
M>F, 16.5% men, 13% women
highest proportion 25-34 yr olds
2019 - 74,600 deaths attributable to smoking and 506,100 hospital admissions
NI has highest proportion proportion of smokers in UK, England lowest
Only 2-3% smokers stop each year due to the addictive nicotine
every year >40 they continue smoking, life expectancy decreases by 3 m’s
Never too late to stop smoking
20 mins - HR and BP drop
12 hrs - CO levels drop to normal
2-12 wks - circulation and lung function ^
1-9m - cough and SOB decrease
1 yr - CHD is half of a smoker
5-15 yrs - stroke risk decrease to that of non-smoker
10 yrs - cancer risk half of a smoker
Life expectancy
- quit @ 30 > gain 10 years
- quit @ 40 > gain 9 yrs
- quit @ 50 > gain 6 years
- quit @ 60 > gain 3 yrs
- quit after MI > 50% lower risk of recurrence
Why stop smoking?
^ life expectancy
lower risk of cardio, respiratory and neoplastic disease
lower chance of spontaneous abortions, still birth and growth restriction if stopped in pregnancy
reduces risk of SIDS and illnesses of children
saves money
Smoking cessation
Motivational interviewing - facilitated by any healthcare professional and plants seed to help seeking
Stop smoking groups - sessions run by HCP, giving advice and group sharing own tips.
One to one counselling - involve GP/murse explaining benefits, leaflets + helplines, or regular sessions with smoking cessation counsellor or group therapy
NRT - double chances of stopping, less addictive, doesn’t cause ca, available via prescription or OTC as gum, patches, tablets, spray, lozenges, inhalers
Bupropion - reduces cravings and helps withdrawal Sx
Varenicline - blocks nicotinic receptor so smoking doesn’t produce desired effect
Lung cancer epidemiology
most common cause of cancer death in UK, 22% of all cancer deaths
third most common cancer in the UK (1 breast 2 prostate 3 lung 4 bowel)
third most common cause of death in the UK after IHD and CVD
mortality decreasing in men, increasing in women
more common in men, 1.2:1, M:F
peak incidence 85-89
smoking directly related
other RFs - dust, coal, tar, radiation, radon, asbestos, FHx
Stop smoking campaigns
education in school and to pt’s
tobacco TV and printed adverts are banned
^ taxes to deter
adverts on packs about risks
age restrictions
smoking banned in public enclosed spaces
mass media campaigns about benefits of stopping
wider access to smoking cessation services
whilst relatively ineffective, smoking cessation is cost effective, even brief <3 mins in consultation has x2 better rate than simply asking
Smoking cessation in unwilling pt
5 Rs
Relevance - why important, 2nd hand exposure, health finances
Risks - remind of -ve consequences
Rewards - benefits of quitting, financial, regaining taste, decrease mortality
Roadblocks - identify what’s stopping them, withdrawal Sx, weight gain etc
Repetition - every time you see them
Smoking cessation in willing pt
5 As
Ask to quit at every visit
Advise to quit
Assess willingness to quit
Assist quitting > pharmacotherapy and counselling (gold standard)
Arrange follow up
Occupational lung disease implications for pt:
- employers must make work safe and create a work environment and practices that will not cause further problems
1 - may need to change job - continual exposure can cause permanent damage
2 - may be entitled to benefits and/or compensation (industrial injuries disablement benefit if a recognised disease)
3 - compensation can include before/after death = these conditions have a poor prognosis > British Lung Foundation can help with this as well as the Department for Work and Pensions
Causes of occupational lung disease
Asbestos - roofers/plumbers
Coal - miners
Aspergillus - malt worker, farmer
Cigarette smoke - bar work
Radiation - radiographer
Silica - metal mining, pottery manufacture
Arsenic - paint factory
Role of Dr in occupational lung disease
diagnosing/testifying in court
if diagnose rare condition, or cluster of more common, notify Public Health authority
reporting Injuries, Diseases or Dangerous outcomes regulations (RIDOR) = legal requirement for incident reporting
Preventing occupational lung disease
HSE (health and safety executive) has a working group on Action to Control Chemicals (WATCH)
WATCH to consider evidence on occupational exposure and health effects of substances, this includes:
1 - whether max exposure limit (MEL) or occupational exposure standard (OES) would be appropriate and setting limits where indicated
2 - cases recommend measures based on a couple of cases, including looking at long term, consequences
3 - it is probably impossible to prevent all industrial dust disease, but they can certainly be reduced by following appropriate safety precautions, including adequate ventilation, keeping down dust levels in work place, and the wearing of facemarks. In addition ca have limited exposure to a pathogen and appropriate cleaning of work areas
When is post-mortem a legal requirement?
1 - sudden death 2 - unknown cause of death 3 - unnatural death - accident/suicide/suspicious 4 - death from industrial disease 5 - death from negligence 6 - death during surgery/anaesthesia 7 - death within 24hrs admission 8 - not seen by a Dr for 14 days 9 - any pt. detained under MHA
SAD SUN DUI
Why are post-mortem beneficial?
gain deeper insight into pathological processes - improve prognoses for future pt’s
learn how to prevent patients death in future > teaching and medical research
further understand long term effects of drug therapy
explore how certain diseases progress or how they can be stopped from progressing
study and monitor levels of chemical and radioactive elements absorbed from the environment
Role of HM Coroner
investigate and ascertain causes of deaths occurring in suspicious circumstances - body can’t be released under coroner satisfied with cause of death
Consent to post-mortem
Coroner’s post mortem/inquest does not need consent (i.e. if there’s criminal investigation)
Hospital post-mortems do need consent
consent may otherwise be from - deceased before died, a nominated representative, a qualifying relationship (spouse/partner, parent/child, brother/sister)