Microbiology Chapter 23 Quiz

Patient Assessment and Diagnosis

• Review medical history to identify relevant risks and concerns for diagnosis and treatment.
• Groin swelling can indicate sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like herpes, syphilis, chancroid, or lymphogranuloma venereum.
• Consider alternative diagnoses such as cat-scratch disease, tularemia, plague, or Chagas' disease in the absence of traditional STI risk factors.
• Plague is a major concern as a possible bioweapon, with pneumonic plague being particularly dangerous.

Diagnosing Plague

• Rapid diagnostics and cultures are crucial for confirming plague; key samples include blood, fluid from inguinal swelling, and sputum.
• Positive results from lymph node aspiration indicate bubonic plague.
• The causative agent of plague identified as Yersinia pestis, characterized by bipolar Gram-negative rods viewed with a "safety pin" appearance.

Related Health Issues

• Patient's husband likely has septicemic plague, with symptoms suggestive of disseminated intravascular coagulation, endotoxic shock, or Gram-negative sepsis being potential explanations for his condition.
• Investigators should first inspect the couple's parent's ranch in New Mexico for potential sources of infection.

Vector-Borne Diseases

• Chikungunya fever transmitted primarily through mosquito bites, particularly from Aedes mosquitoes, which are prevalent in various habitats, including inside buildings.
• Preventing infected individuals from being bitten during the first week of infection is critical to stopping virus spread.
• Climate changes, such as warmer temperatures and increased rainfall, have broadened mosquito habitats.

Disease Identification and Misconceptions

• Sepsis commonly results from infections but is not exclusively linked to Gram-negative bacteria.
• Symptoms of brucellosis include undulant fever; gas gangrene not caused by endocarditis.
• Misattributions include classifying Francisella as Gram-positive and Pasteurella being linked to cat-scratch disease.

Bioterrorism and Infectious Agents

• Brucella bacteria pose a bioterrorism threat due to their ability to become airborne.
• Cancer risk is heightened for individuals with a history of rheumatic fever, hence the requirement for antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent subacute bacterial endocarditis.
• Clostridium species are not primarily associated with rabbits.

Viral Infections and Other Conditions

• Cytomegalovirus can cross the placenta and affect fetuses.
• Epstein-Barr virus is unlikely related to endocarditis but has broader associations.
• Emerging viral hemorrhagic fevers generally present symptoms exceeding mild fever and joint pains.
• Toxoplasmosis is typically not severe in adults.
• Leishmaniasis is suggested in cases with examination findings of nucleated cells and lymph node enlargement post insect bites.
• Schistosomiasis is incorrectly associated with roundworms; it is not caused by them.

Test your knowledge on the key concepts from Chapter 23 of Microbiology. This quiz covers patient medical history assessment and hypothesis formation regarding diseases. Use flashcards to enhance your understanding and retention of the material.