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Infection Flashcards

(60 cards)

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1
Q

Define reservoir

A

This is where the germ lives and grows (on/in a person, equipment, environment, food and water)

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2
Q

What is a parasite?

A

A parasite is an organism that has a relationship with the host in which the parasite benefits and the host is harmed

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3
Q

What is a communicable disease?

A

Diseases that can be passed between person, environment and animal

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4
Q

What is a susceptible person?

A

Someone who is at risk of illness

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5
Q

What is an endogenous infection?

A

An infection that comes from ourselves

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6
Q

What is exogenous infection?

A

Infection from other people, animals or the environment

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7
Q

What is the most common cause of endogenous infection?

A

When bacteria from your normal flora get into the wrong place

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8
Q

What is an example of an endogenous infection?

A

Cystitis
Infection if the lower urinary tract
Most commonly from bacteria from the gut

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9
Q

What are the ways endogenous infections are caused?

A

Migration
Perforation
Blood

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10
Q

What are the ways exogenous infections are caused?

A

Contact
Injuries
Airborne
Oral
Blood borne
Sex
Mother to baby

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11
Q

Where do healthcare associated infections often come from?

A

Surgical sites
Mucosal surfaces
Ventilators
Catheters
Implant associated surgery

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12
Q

What are healthcare associated infections?

A

Infections that occur while receiving healthcare, developed in a hospital that first appear 48 hours or more after hospital admission or within 30 days after having received healthcare

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13
Q

What makes a pathogen able to cause infection? (Pathogen factors)

A

Infectious dose
Virulence factors & toxins
Resistance to antimicrobials

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14
Q

What barriers do we have to infection?

A

Skin & mucous membranes
Stomach acid
Native bacteria
Immune system
Behaviour

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15
Q

What behaviour and social history is relevant to infection?

A

Occupation
Travel
Recreation
Sex
Drugs
Contacts

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16
Q

What 5 things are important to ask about when you take history?

A

Non-specific symptoms
Specific symptoms
PMH
DH
Lifestyle

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17
Q

What 3 types of white blood cells are tested for in a white blood cell count and why might they be elevated (provide examples)?

A
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18
Q

What are the 4 basic tests?

A

FBC
LFT
C-reactive protein (marker of inflammation)
U&E (kidney function)

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19
Q

Ideally should samples be taken before or after antibiotic treatment starts?

A

Before

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20
Q

What do we have to inform the lab of when we send them samples?

A

Background clinical information
If important samples are on the way

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21
Q

What tests do microbiologists do with the samples you send?

A

PCR
Antibiotic sensitivity testing
Culture
Antibody detection
Microscopy
Antigen detection

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22
Q

What different types of microscopy staining can we do?

A

Gram stain (bacteria)
Calcofluor (fungi)

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23
Q

What are the 2 types of antibiotic sensitivity testing?

A

Disc sensitivities testing
MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration testing)

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24
Q

How do we detect organisms that we can’t grow in the lab?

A

Identify part of the organism (proteins/DNA)
Identify the bodies immune response to the infection (antibodies)

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25
What are some infections do we use PCR to identify their DNA/RNA?
Meningitis HIV Hepatitis B and C Respiratory viruses
26
Describe the features of the antibody testing IgM and IgG
IgM -initial antibody response -appears within a week IgG -later antibody response -appears 10-14 days -FINISH THIS
27
Why is tuberculosis different from other bacteria in terms of cell wall?
TB has a waxy cell wall so needs a different kind of stain Normal bacteria are gram positive or gram negative due to cell wall composition (peptidoglycan)
28
What staining methods can be used for tuberculosis?
Zeihl Neelsen stain Auramine stain
29
Why is tuberculosis different from other bacteria?
Insert table
30
Describe how we grow a culture of TB?
Done on a special solid medium and a liquid medium Needs culturing for up to 6-8 weeks as bacilli are slow growing
31
What do we ideally want an antimicrobial to do?
Selective toxicity Bacteriocidal rather than bacteriostatic No resistance Good pharmacokinetics No side effects Not inactivated by enzymes secreted by microbes or by the host
32
What are the problems with antimicrobials?
Variable spectrum of activity Some cannot be given orally Many cause side effects Bacterial resistance
33
What are the 8 goals of the antimicrobials stewardship programs?
Insert picture
34
How can we reduce environmental pathogens?
General -clean drinking water -improving sanitation -hygienic food preparation In hospital -cleaning wards, rooms and equipment -filtered air in operating theatres -using sterile instruments
35
What are the classes of organisms that can cause infection? | In size order
Helminths Insects Protozoa Fungi Bacteria Viruses Prions
36
What are some non human sources of exogenous infection?
Influenza (from pigs/birds) Dengue (mosquito) Rat bite fever
37
What is the source of the following exogenous infections? Clostridium tetani Cholera Schistosomiasis
Soil and water
38
Which of the following is a specific symptom when taking a patients history?
Fever Pneumonia Loss of appetite Aching muscles
39
What extras other than symptoms are important when taking a patients history?
Do they have any existing conditions that make people more susceptible to infection? Do they have any lifestyle activities that bring people in to contact with infection?
40
What is a lumbar puncture?
Examination of cerebrospinal fluid for signs of meningitis
41
What microscopy stains can you use for bacteria and fungi?
Bacteria - gram stain Fungi - calcofluor
42
What are the two types of antibiotic sensitivity testing?
Disc sensitivity testing MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) testing
43
How do we detect organisms that we can’t grow in the lab?
Identify part of the organism (proteins or DNA/RNA) Identify the body’s immune response to the infection (IgG/IgM)
44
What are two examples of antigen testing?
Urine test (for pneumonia) SARS COV-2 antigen detection
45
At what point do you test for which class of antibody after an immune response?
IgM - initial antibody response - appears within a week IgG - Later antibody response - Appears 10-14 days - Persistes throughout life
46
Why is tuberculosis different from other bacteria?
Normal bacteria is gram positive or negative due to peptidoglycan cell wall Tuberculosis has a waxy cell wall made from mycolic acid so needs a different stain
47
What are the staining methods for tuberculosis?
Zeihl Neelsen stain Auramine stain
48
What kind of culture is tuberculosis grown in?
A special solid and liquid medium Needs culturing for up to 6-8 weeks as bacilli are slow growing Often Löwenstein-Jensen medium used
49
How is tuberculosis tested for using a skin test?
Skin test - a small amount of TB protein is put under the top layer of skin - if exposed the skin reacts to the antigens by developing a firm red bump
50
What are the two types of blood test for tuberculosis?
Quantiferon - ELISA based interferon gamma release assay T-SPOT - T cell bases assay
51
What are the two groups of ways we can treat infection called?
Supportive therapy Specific therapy
52
What are two ways of supportive therapy?
Symptomatic - e.g. paracetamol for fever Dehydration/ low blood pressure IV fluids
53
What are two ways of specific therapy?
Antimicrobials Antibiotics
54
What do we ideally want an antimicrobial to do?
- Selective toxicity (kills microbe but not host) - Bacteriocidal (kills organism not just inhibit growth) - No resistance - Good pharmacokinetics (not give multiple doses) - No side effects - Not inactivated by enzymes
55
Penicillin and mupirocin are both antibiotics - where do they come from?
Penicillin is derived from a mould Mupirocin is produced by a fluorescent bacteria
56
What is the problem with antimicrobials?
- variable spectrum of activity - some cannot be given orally - many cause side effects - bacterial resistance
57
What are the 8 goals of the antimicrobial stewardship program?
INSERT PIC
58
In general how can we reduce environmental pathogens?
Clean drinking water Improving sanitation Hygienic food preparation
59
In hospitals how can we reduce environmental pathogens?
Cleaning wards, rooms and equipment Filtered air in operating theatres Using sterile instruments when operation/taking blood/etc.
60
What are some prophylactic treatments to protect the potential host?
- antimalarials - antibiotics given to very immunosuppressed patients

IMS (12 decks)

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