Microbiology Flashcards
(174 cards)
Describe the likely causes of fever in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Malaria: plasmodium falciparum, non-falciparum (P. vivax)
- Dengue fever
- Enteric fever
- Tick typhus
Describe the likely causes of fever in South-Central and South-East Asia
South-Central Asia
-Enteric fever
- Dengue
- Plasmodium vivax: non-falciparum malaria
South-East Asia
- Dengue fever
- Falciparum malaria
- Non-falciparum malaria
- Enteric fever
Describe the pathophysiology and diagnosis of malaria
Malaria is spread by female anopheles mosquitoes
> Pathophysiology
> Malaria parasites enter the bloodstream and travel to the liver, where they develop: incubation period
> Attach to RBCs, leading to symptoms
Describe the clinical features of malaria
Falciparum: features of severe malaria often reflect sludging up of microcirculation (sticky RBCs)
- Impaired consciousness or seizures
- Renal impairment: oliguria, high creatinine
- Acidosis
- Hypoglycaemia
- Pulmonary oedema or ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome)
- Hb < 80
- Spontaneous bleeding / DIC
- Shock
- Haemoglobinuria
- Parasitaemia
Describe the management of non-falciparum malaria
> Includes P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, P. knowlsei
> Tend to cause non-severe disease (not benign)
Vivac & ovale can relapse due to hypnozoites
> Oral chloroquine: blood stages
Artemether-containing therapies
Oral primaquine: hypnozoites
Describe the management of falciparum malaria
Uncomplicated
- Supportive management
- Oral antimalarials
> Artemether + lumafantrine/Riamet (3 days)
> Quinine + doxycycline (5-7 days)
> Atovaquone + proguanil/Malarone (3 days)
Severe
- Supportive treatment
> Euvolaemia
> Monitoring for hypoglycaemia
> Antibiotics v secondary bacterial infection (algid malaria)
> Haemofiltration if required
> Treatment of seizures
- Prompt antimalarial therapy
> Artesunate preferred over quinine
Describe the pathophysiology of enteric fever
Ingestion of S. typhi or S. paratyphi from contaminated water
> Organism enters via Peyer’s patches and attacks via reticuloendothelial system (RES)
> Bacteraemia
Incubation period is 5-21 days and this depends on infectious load, age, gastric acidity & immune status
Describe the clinical features and diagnosis of enteric fever
Clinical features
- Fever
- Myalgia
- Headache
- Cough
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Septic shock & death
Diagnosis
> Travel history: area visited, food & drink, pre-travel vaccination/advice
> Blood culture
> Stool culture
> Serology
Describe the treatment of enteric fever
Quinolones
- Most effective agents but resistance is an issue
Cephalosporins
- Empiric therapy; longer courses (14 days)
Azithromycin
- Good activity with increasing evidence; oral option
Describe the clinical features of dengue
Virus spread by Aedes mosquitos
- Breakbone fever
> Headache
> Fever
> Retro-orbital pain
> Arthralgia/myalgia
> Rash
> Cough
> Sore throat
> Nausea
> Diarrhoea - Lab findings:
> Leucopenia
> Thrombocytopaenia
> Transaminitis - Dengue haemorrhagic fever: <1% of infections
> Increased vascular permeability
> Thrombocytopaenia
> Fever
> Bleeding
> Less likely in travellers
Describe the different causes of viral haemorrhagic fever
- Lassa (spread by rats)
- Ebola & Marburg viruses (spread by bats)
- CCHF (Congo Crimean Haemorrhagic Fever - spread by ticks)
Spread by mosquitoes
> SAVHFs: South American Haemorrhagic Fevers
> RVF: Rift Valley Fever
> DHF: Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever
> Yellow fever
Describe the clinical presentation and treatment of viral haemorrhagic fevers
Clinical presentation: up to 21 days
> Non-specific febrile illness
> Haemorrhagic manifestations
> Sepsis syndrome / shock
> Death
Treatment
> Supportive
> Correct coagulopathy / anaemia
> Ribavirin
> Ebola antivirals
List the main bacterial, viral and parasitic causes of GI illness
Bacteria
> Enterotoxigenic E. coli
> Enteroaggregative E. coli
> Campylobacter species
> Salmonella species
> Shigella species
> C. difficile
> Vibrio species
> Aeromonas
> Plesiomonas shigelloides
> Yersinia enterocolitica
Viruses
> Norovirus
> Rotavirus
> Enteric adenovirus
Parasitic
> Giardia
> Cryptosporidium
> Cyclospora
> Microsporidia
> Isospora
> Entamoeba histolytica
Describe the clinical presentation of GI illnesses
Self-limiting diseases, often 1-5 days
Symptoms
> Anorexia
> Malaise
> Abdominal cramps
> Watery diarrhoea (no blood)
> Fever
> Nausea
> Vomiting
> Colitic symptoms - salmonella, shigella
Describe the investigations used in GI illnesses
- Stool culture
> Microscopy
> Giardia ELISA/PCR - Non-infectious diagnoses
> TTG
> Faecal calprotectin (IBD) - HIV testing
Describe the management of GI illnesses
- Fluid replacement
- Antibiotics (usually not indicated, reduce duration by 24h)
> Quinolones (ciprofloxacin)
> Azithromycin - Antimotility agents (use with caution)
Describe post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome
- 40% of diarrhoea cases lasting more than 2 weeks end up with post-infectious IBS
> Loose stool
Intermittent abdominal discomfort
Bloating
Describe the cause and treatment of cutaneous larva migrans
Itchy serpiginous rash caused by the larvae of various nematode parasites of the dog hookworm family
> eggs in dog faeces
Usually present in the feet
Treatment: albendazole
Describe the pathophysiology of schistosomiasis
3 major species: S. haematobium, S. mansoni, S. japonicum
- Snails become infected, cercariae hatch and enter fresh water (NOT saltwater)
> Swimming, paddling, splashing, washing, showers, drinking
> To reduce risk: avoid water contact
> Cercariae penetrate skin
Adult, male flatworms (helminth - trematode) live in venules
Produce eggs, which are fertilized and gain the ability to move through tissues
Describe the clinical features of schistosomiasis
Clinical features
> Asymptomatic: especially in residents of endemic areas
> Symptomatic infection
> Swimmers itch soon after infection (cercarial dermatitis)
> Katayama fever at least 6 weeks after infection
> Chronic effects
> Liver: pipe stem cirrhosis, portal hypertension
> Bladder: predisposition to cancer, calcification
Describe the diagnosis and treatment of schistosomiasis
Diagnosis
> All tests depend upon the presence of eggs
> Need adult worms so will take 6+ weeks to be positive
- Serology: antibodies to egg antigen (at least 12 weeks)
- Urine/ stool culture
Treatment
- Praziquantel 40mg/kg on one day
- Side effects very rarely reported
- 80% effective
- Serology remains positive
What is the mechanism of action of beta lactam antibiotics?
Beta lactam motif is an analogue of the branching structure of peptidoglycans
> Inhibit cross-linking of cell wall peptidoglycan
Cause lysis of bacteria - bactericidal
Describe the adverse effects associated with beta lactam antibiotic use
- GI toxicity
> Nausea and vomiting
> Diarrhoea
> Cholestasis - Infection
> Candidiasis: oral, vulvovaginal
> Clostridium difficile infection
> Selection of resistant bacteria - Hypersensitivity
> Type 1: urticarial rash, hives, swelling, anaphylaxis
> Type 4: mild to severe dermatological conditions
> Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)
> Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)
> DRESS syndrome: drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms
> Interstitial nephritis
> Especially with flucloxacillin, can lead to renal failure
- Miscellaneous rare
> Seizure
> Haemolysis
> Leukopaenia
Describe the use of amoxicillin and flucloxacillin
Amoxicillin
> Synthetic modification of the original penicillin molecule
> Well absorbed orally
> Prescribed for respiratory tract infections (streptococci)
> Resistance in E. coli & other coliforms is very common so should be avoided in UTI unless organism is sensitive
Flucloxacillin
> Synthetic penicillin modified to overcome the S. aureus beta-lactamase
> Able to be given orally but not as well absorbed as amoxicillin
> Less well tolerated: GI upset, renal & liver dysfunction at high doses
> Gold standard treatment for soft tissue infection & S. aureus when risk of MRSA is low (MSSA)