ICS (Part 4) Flashcards
What are protozoa?
“One celled animals”
Single cell with nucleus
(Eukarytoic)
> 30,000 species
How is protozoa classified and what are the classifications?
Classified into 5 major groups based on motility:
1)Flagellates
- Trypanosoma spp
- Leishmania spp
- Trichomonas vaginalis
- Giardia lamblia
2)Amoeba
- Entamoeba histolytica
3)Sporozoa
- Toxoplasma gondii
- Cryptosporoidium spp
- Plasmodium spp
4)Cilliates
- Balantidium coli
5)Microsporidia
Talk about African Trypanosomiasis.
- “Sleeping sickness”
- endemic in Africa.
- a) Trypanosoma brucei gambiense
- b) Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense
- transmitted via the bite of an infected Tsetse fly
Signs and Symptoms:
- Chancre
- Flu like symptoms
- CNS involvement
(sleepy, confusion, personality change)
- Coma and death- Diagnosed on blood film or CSF
Talk about American Trypanosomiasis.
- “Chagas Disease”
- Trypanosoma cruzi
- Spread by faeces of Triatomine Bug
- Acute:
>Flu like symptoms - Chronic:
> Cardiomyopathy
> Megaoesophagus
> Megacolon
Classical Romana sign on the eye if you have a bite on the eyes, causes problems in luminal organs like the heart etc.
Diagnosed by visualising trypomastigotes seen on blood film, or amastigotes on biopsy (chronic).
Talk about Leishmaniasis.
- Leishmania spp
- Spread by the bite of the sandfly
- 20 species affect humans
- Three clinical pictures:
> Cutaneous
> Mucocutaneous
> Visceral
Talk about Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.
- Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form of the disease
- Incubation weeks to months
- long lasting lesion, impressive scar , afghanistan
> Ulcers on the exposed parts of the body, eg face, arms and legs.
There may be a large number of lesions – sometimes up to 200 – which can cause serious disability.
When the ulcers heal, they invariably leave permanent scars, which are often the cause of serious social prejudice.
Talk about mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.
- much more virulent, will generally affect structure around the nose and the pharynx and destructive
> partial or total destruction of the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and throat cavities and surrounding tissues.
This disabling form of leishmaniasis can lead to the sufferer being rejected by the community.
Talk about diagnosis, treatment and possible complications.
Diagnosed through biopsy, serology or PCR
Treatment is available, but may have longstanding problems with scarring/destruction that isn’t reversible.
People particularly affected by mucocutanous leishmaniasis can have recurrent bacterial pneumonias and die from sepsis due to the destruction caused to their nose and palate.
Talk about visceral leishmaniasis.
Serious with high motility rate, lymph system and bone marrow system problems, anaemic,widely distributed, visceral is less distributed, mucocutaneous in south africa
Incubation days to years
Visceral leishmaniasis (ie affects the viscera - internal organs)
Also known as kala-azar (black fever)
Characterized by irregular bouts of fever, substantial weight loss, swelling of the spleen and liver, and secondary anaemia (which may be serious).
Diagnosed through biopsy, serology or PCR
High fatality if not treated.
Treatment is available
What are the signs and symptoms of Trichomonas vaginalis?
- Sexually transmitted
- Asymptomatic
- Dysuria
- Yellow frothy discharge
- Treated with Metronidazole
Talk about Giardiasis.
- caused by Giardia lamblia
- Faeco-oral spread
- Diarrhoea
- Cramps, bloating, flatulence
- Recent travel, childcare
- Trophozoites/cysts seen in stool
- Treated with metronidazole
Talk about amoebaiasis.
- Amoebiasis - sanitation and handwashing, bloody diarrhea
- Entaemoeba histolytica
- Faeco-oral spread
> Dysentry
> Colitis
> Liver and lung abscesses - Trophozoites/cysts seen in stool
- Treated with metronidazole
Talk about sporozoa (Cryptosporidiosis).
Cryptosporidium spp
Waterborne
Diarrhoea (Watery, no blood)
Vomiting, fever, weight loss
Oocytes seen in stool (acid fast!)
Usually self limiting
Severe disease in immunocompromised
Talk about sporozoa (toxoplasmosis)
Toxoplasma gondii
- Ingestion of contaminated foodand water/feline faeces
- Can cause:
> Disseminated disease
>Toxoplasma Encephalitis
> Chorioretinitis
Acute maternal infection can be devastating in pregnancy
Case study, what can this patient have?
28F attends GP
Fit and well
Complaining of….
Fevers
Abdo discomfort
Myalgia
Tachycardic
Pyrexial (38.7C)
Generalised abdotenderness
Urine dip: blood and leucocytes
Went back to GP
Ongoing fevers
Dehydrated
Dark brown urine
Mild anaemia
Thrombocytopenia
Acute kidney injury
Derranged LFTs
Travelled to Ethiopia
UTI/
Viral disease ie malaria
Talk about the epidemiology and problems of malaria. `
Epidemiology of malaria
50% of world population at risk
Problems:
- Increasing resistance of parasite to antimalarials
- Increasing resistance of mosquito to insecticides
- Ecological and climate changes
- Increased travel to endemic areas
Malaria is transmitted by?
Transmitted by bite of female anopheles mosquito
5 species:
Plasmodium falciparum (most life threathening)
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium malariae
Plasmodium knowlesi
What test do we use to diagnose Malaria?
- Blood film
- We diagnose malaria by using light microscopy
- Three blood films are done on consecutive days, as this is the length of the lifecycle
The first smear is probably positive in 95% of cases - rapid diagnostic tests
that work like pregnancy tests, and detect plasmodium antigens in the blood
What are the symptoms of malaria?
FEVER
- Chills
- Headache
- Myalgia
- Fatigue
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Abdo pain
What are the signs of malaria?
> Anaemia
Jaundice (look yellow)
Hepatosplenomegaly (big spleen and liver)
Black water fever occurs from haemolysis (haemoglobin then passes into the urine)
Talk about the life cycle of the protozoa plasmodium in Malaria.
- Sporogonic cycle
- mosquito takes a blood meal
- macrogametocyte
- ookinete
- oocyst
- ruptured oocyst - Human Liver stages
- Liver cells
- Infected liver cells
- Schizont
- Ruptured schizont - Human blood stages
- immature trophozoite
- mature trophozoite
- schizont
- ruptured schizont
What happen to blood vessels during complicated malaria?
RBCs infected with p.falcip have proteinacious knobs on the surface that bind to endothelial cells in the vessels and other RBCs
This can cause small vessels to become obstructed by clumps of red blood cells causing hypoxia of the tissues, microinfarcts in brain and lung (will come on to later)
If there is obstruction of blood vessels in complicated malaria , what will this cause?
- Cerebral malaria
> Vascular occlusion - drowsiness, increase ICP, Seizures, Coma, Death
> Hypoglycemia - Acute respiratory distress syndrome
- Vascular occlusion, anaemia, lactic acidosis, increase vascular permeability
> SOB, hypoxia, pulmonary oedema - Renal failure
- Vascular occlusion
- Dehydration
- Hypotension
- Haemoglobinuria
- Haemolysis
> Proteinuria, Fatigue, Haematuria - Bleeding
- Thrombocytopenia, DIC(disseminated intravascular coagulation), Activation of coagulation cascade
> Epistaxis
> Abnormal bleeding
> Worsening anaemia - Shock
- Pro-inflammatory cascade
- Anaemia
- Bleeding
- Gram negative sepsis
- Increase vascular permeability
> Hypotension
> Tachycardia
> Drowsy
> Pale
What is the treatment for Malaria?
Complicated
- IV artesunate
- (IV quinine + doxycycline)
Uncomplicated
- Lots of options!