Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

GI > Infections > Flashcards

Infections Flashcards

(115 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What ae 5 important things to ask about in a history of a suspected GI infection?

A

Travel, pets, contacts, functions and food history

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is gastroenteritis?

A

Inflammation of the lining of the stomach, small intestine and large intestine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Most cases of gastroenteritis are infectious, but what are two other less common causes?

A

Drugs and chemical toxins

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the 8 scenarios in which you WOULD give antibiotics?

A

Shigellosis, enterotoxic E. coli, C. diff, Amoebiasis, giardiasis, enteric fever, cholera, invasive salmonellosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What do all stool samples get tested for?

A

Shigella, campylobacter, salmonella, E.coli 0157, cryptosporidium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What do all stool samples in patients over 15 years get tested for? Why is this the case?

A

C. diff- this is a normal finding in young people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How long does it take for a stool sample result?

A

48 hours

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Patients with what infections should get a side room and transfer to infectious diseases?

A

C. diff and norovirus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are other infection control procedures which are important to remember?

A

Cohort nursing, PPE, hand hygiene, maybe closing wards

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What bacteria can survive against alcohol hand gel?

A

C. diff

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are short term infecting organisms? What is the incubation period of these?

A

Staph aureus and bacillus cereus- 1 to 6 hours

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Where is staph aureus found?

A

Preformed toxin in food, meat, potato salads, cream and eggs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are common and less common symptoms of staph aureus?

A

Common- abdominal pain and vomiting

May be present- non-bloody diarrhoea and fever

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Where is bacillus cereus mainly found?

A

Rice and other starchy foods

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What does bacillus cereus cause?

A

Profuse vomiting and maybe non-bloody diarrhoea

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is a medium term infecting organism and what is the incubation time?

A

Salmonella- 12-48 hours

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is there a risk of with salmonella?

A

Bacteraemia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Where does salmonella come from?

A

Poultry, meat and raw egg. Also common in reptiles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What does salmonella cause?

A

Diarrhoea which can sometimes be bloody, vomiting and fever

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is used for testing salmonella?

A

O antigen found on the organism surface

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the commonest cause of food poisoning?

A

Campylobacter (jejuni)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is the incubation time of campylobacter?

A

2-5 days

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Where is campylobacter usually found?

A

Poultry and raw milk

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

How is campylobacter treated?

A

No treatment really/ Only give clarithromycin in very sick or immunocompromised patients

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What is a rare but important complication of campylobacter?
Guillain-Barre syndrome
26
What may been seen on an AXR of campylobacter?
Indentations of the bowel-thumbprint colitis
27
What does E.coli 0157 produce?
Shiga-like/verotoxins
28
What does giving antibiotics in E.coli 0157 do?
Increases shiga-like toxins
29
What agar is used to make a diagnosis of E.coli 0157 and what colour would this show up?
McConkey agar which will show up pink
30
What other studies can be used to identify toxins in E.coli 0157?
DNA studies or ELISA
31
What causes E.coli 0157?
Beef, raw milk, animal contact, person to person
32
Who are many cases of E.coli in?
< 16
33
What is the incubation period of E.coli 0157?
1-14 days
34
Does E.coli 0157 cause bloody diarrhoea?
Yes
35
What is the major complication of E. coli 0157 and how does this happen?
Haemolytic ureamic syndrome- toxins bind to receptors on renal cells and inhibit protein synthesis
36
What will be some test results of HUS?
Increased WCC, low platelets, low Hb, red cell fragments and increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
37
What should not be given in E. coli 0157?
Antibiotics, anti-motility agents or NSAIDs
38
What should you always do in a case of E.coli 0157?
Report to public health
39
What is a common healthcare acquired infection causing diarrhoea which can be transmitted person to person?
C. difficile
40
What 2 toxins does C. diff contain?
Toxin A- enterotoxin | Toxin B- cytotoxin
41
What brings about infection of C. diff?
Antibiotics are prescribed which kill off the normal competitive gut flora which allows C. diff to overgrow
42
What type of organism is C. diff?
Gram + spore bearing bacillus
43
What is important about the spores of C. diff?
Commonly antibiotic resistant
44
What is C. diff colitis commonly?
Pseudomembranous
45
What antibiotic is given in less severe C. diff?
Oral metronidazole
46
What antibiotic is given in more severe C. diff?
Oral vancomycin
47
How can C, diff infection be prevented?
Good hand hygiene, avoid broad spectrum antibiotics- especially 4 C's, isolate patients
48
1 or more of what markers suggests C. diff infection?
Pseudomembranous colitis WCC > 15 Creatinine 1.5 x baseline Persistent symptoms of C. diff despite 2 treatments
49
What virus is most common in children under 3?
Rotavirus
50
How is rotavirus spread?
Faecal-oral
51
What does rotavirus cause in the body?
Affects absorption and secretion in the bowel
52
How does rotavirus present?
Moderate fever, vomiting and then non-bloody diarrhoea
53
How long does rotavirus last?
About a week- self-limiting
54
What commonly occurs in children following rotavirus infection?
Post infection malabsorption which leads to further diarrhoea
55
How is rotavirus and norovirus diagnosed?
PCR of faeces
56
What is the key to rotavirus and norovirus treatment?
Hydration
57
Does a vaccine for rotavirus exist?
Yes-live attenuated, only given to children of 2-3 months
58
How can norovirus be spread?
Faecal oral or droplet
59
How does norovirus occur?
Asymptomatic shedding for 48 hours followed by a sudden explosive onset of V and D
60
How long does norovirus last?
2-4 days
61
What should you ask for in a history of a returned traveller with an infection?
Where, when, accommodation, is anyone else ill, insect bites, what did they do, did they take precautions
62
What are pre-hepatic causes of jaundice in a returned traveller?
Malaria, HUS, sickle cell crisis
63
What are hepatic causes of jaundice in a returned traveller?
Hepatitis A and E, malaria, enteric fever, rickett's,
64
What are post-hepatic cause of jaundice in a returned traveller?
Helminths
65
What is acute traveller's diarrhoea defined as?
3 loose stools in 24 hours
66
What is the most common cause of acute traveller's diarrhoea?
E.coli
67
If diarrhoea in a returned traveller is profuse and watery what is this likely to be?
Cholera
68
What investigations should be done on acute traveller's diarrhoea?
Stool culture and wet stool prep for amoebiasis
69
What is the treatment for acute traveller's diarrhoea?
Supportive, hydration and ciprofloxacin in severe cases
70
Where is enteric fever most common?
Indian subcontinent and SE asia
71
What is the typical incubation period of enteric fever?
7-18 days
72
What are symptoms of enteric fever?
Fever, dry cough, headache, constipation/diarrhoea
73
What are complications of enteric fever?
GI bleed, perforation, encephalopathy and bone/joint infection
74
What causes enteric fever?
Salmonella Typhi/Paratyphi
75
If a patient with enteric fever is unstable, what should you give them?
IV ceftriaxone (azithromycin can also be useful orally)
76
What tests should be taken for enteric fever?
Blood cultures first followed by urine and stool samples
77
How is amoeba spread?
Faecal-oral (associated with poor hygiene)
78
How is a diagnosis of Amoebiasis made?
Hot stool sample for ova and cysts
79
How is Amoebiasis treated?
Metronidazole
80
What investigations would be done for Amoebiasis?
Stool microscopy, AXR and endoscopy
81
What can severe or untreated Amoebiasis lead to?
Amoebic liver abscess
82
Who are amoebic liver abscessed more common in?
Men
83
How will an amoebic liver abscess present?
Subacutely over 2-4 weeks, fever, sweats, upper abdominal pain, GI upset, hepatomegaly
84
What will you see on an X-ray of Amoebic liver abscess?
Raised right hemi-diaphragm
85
What investigations should you do for Amoebic liver abscess?
US, CT, serology for IgG and stool microscopy
86
How do you treat amoebic liver abscess?
Metronidazole or tinidazole
87
How is giardia spread and what is its incubation period?
Faecal-oral, around 7 days
88
What is a feature of a giardia protozoa?
Flagellated
89
What are some symptoms of giardiasis?
Watery, malodourous diarrhoea, bloating, flatulence, abdominal cramps and weight loss
90
How do you investigate for giardia?
Stool microscopy
91
How do you treat giardia?
Metronidazole or tinidazole
92
What is cryptosporidiosis transmitted from?
Water, food, animal contact
93
How is cryptosporidium diagnosed?
Duodenal aspirate or stool samples
94
What is the treatment for cryptosporidium?
Supportive
95
What are helminths often associated with?
Eosinophilia
96
What are nematodes and trematodes?
Nematodes- roundworms | Trematodes- flukes
97
What is an example of a fluke which is associated with fresh water exposure which can cause a rash and portal hypertension?
Schistosomiasis
98
Where do tapeworms commonly come from and what can they cause?
Undercooked meat and seizures
99
What is colonisation?
Bug present but no inflammatory response
100
What is infection?
Inflammatory response as a result of a bug
101
What is bacteraemia?
Bacteria growing in blood culture
102
What is sepsis?
Infection resulting in a systemic infection. Life threatening organ dysfunction- dysregulated host response
103
What is septic shock?
Subset of sepsis with circulatory and cellular dysfunction
104
What causes difficult infections?
An abnormal host response e.g. immunocompromised, co-morbidity drugs, genetics or an abnormal microbe response
105
What is SIRS?
``` Systemic inflammatory response syndrome. 2 or more of the following suggests SIRS: Temp <36 or >38 Heart rate > 90 Resp rare > 20/PaCO2 < 32 Abnormal white cell count ```
106
Can a patient have sepsis without an infection?
No
107
What must a patient have to be defined as being in septic shock?
Infection, 2 SIRS criteria and at least one organ in failure
108
What is an important sign of septic shock?
Hypotension
109
What are common bacteroides?
Coliforms and anaerobes from perforated large bowel
110
What antibiotics should be given for an intra-abdominal infection?
Amoxicillin/Vancomycin, gentamycin, metronidazole
111
What do amoxicillin/vancomycin target?
Streptococci and enterococci
112
What does gentamycin target?
Aerobic coliforms
113
What does metronidazole target?
Anaerobes
114
What is the sepsis 6?
Give high flow oxygen (target 94-98%), start IV fluids (500mls IV saline), take blood cultures, IV antibiotics, measure lactate and FBC, monitor hourly urine output
115
What does a creatinine > 150 suggest?
Kidney damage

GI (17 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions