Bacterial Infections and Vaccinations PDF

Bacterial infections and vaccinations What is bacteria? A bacterium is a single, but complex, cell. It can survive on its own, inside or outside the body. Most bacteria aren’t harmful. In fact, we have many bacteria inside our body and on our skin. Bacteria in our intesti...

Bacterial infections and vaccinations What is bacteria? A bacterium is a single, but complex, cell. It can survive on its own, inside or outside the body. Most bacteria aren’t harmful. In fact, we have many bacteria inside our body and on our skin. Bacteria in our intestines (gut) help us to digest our food and kill off other harmful forms of bacteria that try to invade your body But even the helpful ones can hurt you if they grow where they’re not supposed to. What’s the difference between a bacterial infection and viral infection? What are the common types and sites bacterial infections? What are some examples of bacterial infections? Common bacterial infections include: Campylobacter and Salmonella infections, common types of food poisoning. Cellulitis, boils and impetigo, skin infections. Pneumococcal disease, including ear and sinus infections and some types of pneumonia. Lyme disease, a disease spread by ticks. Bacterial vaginosis, an overgrowth of bacteria in your vagina. Chlamydia and gonorrhea, sexually transmitted infections. Strep throat, a bacterial infection common in children that causes a sore throat. C. diff, an infection in your intestines. E. coli, a common cause of urinary tract infection (UTI) How do bacterial infections spread? How does a bacterial infection affect my body? Bacteria can hurt your body either when they reproduce or by releasing poisons (toxins) that damage your cells. Infections that only affect the surface of your skin or mucous membranes (like your throat or intestines) aren’t usually serious, but sometimes, bacteria can spread in your body and cause life-threatening illnesses. If bacteria gets into your blood (bactermia ), it can cause sepsis, a reaction to the infection that causes organ damage, which is sometimes fatal.  Skin: Redness, blisters, ulcers, swollen or painful skin. GI tract: Diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting. Lungs: Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain and phlegm (sputum). Meningitis: Neck stiffness, nausea or vomiting, sensitivity to light and confusion. In your bloodstream and spreading (septicemia): High fever, weakness, sweating and low blood pressure. Heart (endocarditis): High fever, chest pain, night sweats, shortness of breath, cough, muscle and joint pain. Urinary tract or genitals: Burning or painful micturation (dysuria ), discharge from your penis or vagina, increased need to pee ( urgency) and painful intercourse.    How are bacterial infections diagnosed?  A healthcare provider diagnoses a bacterial infection By listening to symptoms( history taking ), Doing an examination (listening to your heart and lungs, feeling your abdomen, looking at your skin) and taking samples to test for bacteria. If suspecting bacterial infection in lungs, brain or other internal organ, they might get”( Imaging ) X-rays, ultrasound, MRI or CT imaging to look for signs of infection.  Tests for bacterial infections  Stains and Microscopy :Stains are applied to specimens that have been fixed to a microscope slide. Typically, the first test performed to diagnose a possible bacterial infection is the Gram stain  Dark Field and Fluorescent Microscopy:Dark field microscopy is a technique that involves adapting the microscope so that the organisms are viewed against a dark instead of light background. The spirochetes, thin bacteria that include the agents of syphilis and yaws(Treponema Pallidum), are visualized this way. Fluorescent microscopy, with or without special dyes, is a technique that utilizes a UV light source and can be used to visualize Mycobacteria such as tuberculosis. Antigen Detection Commercial kits are used to identify a variety of organisms from body fluid specimens. Legionnaire's disease is diagnosed from a urine sample, meningococcal or pneumococcal meningitis from cerebrospinal fluid, and Streptococcus pyogenes from a throat swab. Nucleic Acid Probes and Polymerase Chain Reaction Probes are molecules that identify the presence of certain known genes in a specimen without the necessity for culture. Probes for the toxins of E. coli or cholera can be applied directly to feces. Probes for gonorrhea and chlamydia are applied to genital secretions or urine. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to amplify a small amount of DNA from a few bacteria to produce millions of copies in a few hours. Bacteria for which this technique has been useful include Helicobacter pylori, the agent responsible for gastric ulcer disease, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which causes walking pneumonia Culture A basic microbiology laboratory is generally able to culture bacteria from blood, sputum, and urine, but with the right materials any body fluid or tissue can be processed for culture. Serology Testing for antigen–antibody interactions can be a useful way to determine the presence of a bacterial infection, particularly in the case of organisms that are difficult to grow in the culture. Serological testing is limited in most cases by the need for several weeks to pass in order for the body to develop an immune response to the infection. Serology is particularly useful for bacterial infections such as syphilis and brucellosis, which are not easy to grow in culture. How are bacterial infections treated?  Not all bacterial infections need to be treated — some go away on their own by the help of immune system. When there is a need of treatment, healthcare providers use antibiotics. Depending on where your infection is and how serious it is, antibiotics can be prescribed Your doctor’s choice of antibiotic will depend on the bacteria that is causing your infection. Antibiotics that work against a wide range of bacteria are called broad-spectrum antibiotics. How do antibiotics work? There are different types of antibiotics, which work in their unique way. However, the two main they work include: A bactericidal antibiotic, such as penicillin, kills the bacteria. These drugs usually interfere with either the formation of the bacterial cell wall or its cell contents. A bacteriostatic stops bacteria from multiplying. It may take a few hours or days after taking the first dose before people feel better or their symptoms improve. There are various classes or groups of antibiotics, which depend on their chemical structure. Some classes of antibiotics include the following: Class Examples Penicillins amoxicillin (Amoxil) Macrolides azithromycin (Zithromax) and erythromycin (Ery-Tab) Cephalosporins cephalexin (Keflex) and cefdinir (Omnicef) Fluoroquinolones ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and levofloxacin (Levaquin) Beta-lactams with increased activity amoxicillin/clavulanate (Augmentin) Urinary anti-infectives nitrofurantoin (Macrobid) Lincosamides clindamycin (Cleocin) Tetracyclines minocycline, rolitetracycline, and doxycycline Sulfonamides sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, Sulfatrim) Glycopeptides vancomycin (Firvanq), teicoplanin (Targocid), telavancin (Vibativ), ramoplanin Aminoglycosides gentamicin (Garamycin), amikacin (Arikase), tobramycin (Tobrasol), neomycin (Neosporin), and streptomycin (Agrimysin-17)    Vaccinations play a vital role in preventing bacterial infections by stimulating the immune system to recognize and respond to specific bacterial pathogens. Below are some common bacterial infections for which vaccines are available: Vaccine: DTaP, Tdap (Diphtheria combined with tetanus and pertussis vaccines) Pathogen: Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Clostridium tetani,Bordetella pertussis Target Population: Infants, children, adolescents, and adults especially pregnant women (to protect newborns from whooping cough ). Vaccine: Hib vaccine Pathogen: Haemophilus influenzae type b Target Population: Infants and young children. Vaccine: PCV13 (Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) PPSV23 (Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine) Pathogen: Streptococcus pneumoniae Target Population: Infants, older adults, and people with certain chronic conditions. Vaccine: MenACWY (Meningococcal conjugate vaccine) MenB (Meningococcal B vaccine) Pathogen: Neisseria meningitidis Target Population: Adolescents, college students, and individuals in high-risk groups. Vaccine: BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) Pathogen: Mycobacterium tuberculosis Target Population: Newborns in high-TB-prevalence areas. not widely used vaccins against cholera , typhoid fever, anthrax and plague