Session 6 Flashcards
(116 cards)
What is the most common congenital cardiac defect?
Bicuspid aortic valve
Bicuspid aortic valve is associated with which infection?
Infective endocarditis
Why is bicuspid aortic valve associated with infective endocarditis?
The structural abnormality and abnormal tissue provide a surface for bacteria to stick and form a colony
Other than infective endocarditis, name two consequences of bicuspid aortic valve
Aortic stenosis
Aortic incompetence
In adulthood, bicuspid aortic valve can present with…
Heart failure
Why does the endocardium normally resits bacterial seeding and infection?
It is non-sticky
Most cases of infective endocarditis relate to ___________ defects.
Give another risk factor for endocarditis
Structural
Injectable drug use
In infective endocarditis, a _____________ is formed that binds to valves or the endocardium
Vegetation
What forms the basis of the vegetation that begins infective endocarditis?
What can cause this vegetation to be more likely to form?
Collection of fibrin, platelets and inflammatory cells
Abnormal blood flow
How does infective endocarditis progress once a vegetation has been formed?
Microorganisms bind to the vegetation and cause local infection - further platelets, fibrin, inflammatory cells and bacteria invade resulting in an infection cascade.
How do microorganisms enter the heart to cause infective endocarditis? Where can these microorganisms come from?
Through the blood stream
Skin, mouth
Why is infective endocarditis difficult to eradicate?
Why is it hard to treat infective endocarditis with antibiotics?
Micro colonies of bacteria deep in the vegetation are dormant (hard to eradicate)
Hard for the antibiotics to penetrate the vegetation
What is often the treatment given for infective endocarditis?
Surgery to remove the valve and replace it with an artificial valve
Give an example of a commensal on the skin that has low virulence but can cause infection if travels in the blood and sticks to artificial surfaces
Staphylococcus epidermis
What does staphylococcus epidermis do at an artificial surface (e.g. Prosthetic joint) too cause infection?
Produces slime which contributes to the development of a biofilm that is hard to get rid of
What is a biofilm?
A thin but robust layer of mucilage adhering to a solid surface containing a community of microorganisms (bacteria)
How does the biofilm produced in the infection of prosthetic joints with staphylococcus epidermis protect the bacteria?
The extracellular matrix protects the bacteria from exposure to innate immune defences (opsonisation/phagocytosis) and antibiotic treatment
Define a surface
Interface between a solid and either a liquid or gas
Give three examples of mucosal surfaces in the body
Gastrointestinal
Respiratory
Genitourinary
Conjunctival
Are viruses generally found as commensals on the skin?
Give two examples of viruses that affect the skin
No - usually all cause infection
HPV
Herpes Simplex
Is Staph aureus gram positive or gram negative?
Gram positive
Is coagulase negative staphylococci, gram positive or gram negative?
Gram positive
Is corynebacterium, gram-positive or gram-negative?
Gram positive
Is enterobacteriaceae, gram positive or gram negative?
Gram negative