Post-splenectomy patients are at increased risk of infection from encapsulated organisms which can (very rarely) lead to overwhelming post-splenectomy sepsis (OPSS); have distinctive findings on full blood count (FBC) and the blood film
COMMON NOSOCOMIAL INFECTIONS COMMON NOSOCOMIAL ORGANISMS RISK FACTORS Patient Environment Organism References and Links
MYCOBACTERIUM organisms: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. africanum, M. microtti, and M. canetti Tb insoniazid + rifampicin + pyrazinamide + ethambutol streptomycin ciprofloxacin Non-Tb rifampicin dapsone clofazimine kansassi: ciprofloxacin fortuitum: ciprofloxacin avium-intracellulare: clarithromycin, azithromycin chelonae: clarithromycin, azithromycin INTRACELLULAR ORGANISMS Mycoplasma…
Pneumocystis pneumonia: form of pneumonia caused by the yeast-like fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii, most commonly as an opportunistic infection in the immunosuppressed
Q Fever: infection caused by Coxiella burnetii
Selective Digestive Decontamination (SDD) is a prophylactic strategy to prevent or minimize nosocomial endogenous and exogenous infections in critically ill patients
Soil-related Infections
Staphylococcus Aureus: aerobic gram positive cocci; has developed beta-lactamase activity thus is not susceptible to penicillin (use flucloxacillin at doses of 2g 4-6 hrly)
Tetanus: potentially lethal condition characterised by muscular rigidity and spasms, caused by the tetanospasmin toxin produced by Clostridium tetani, that may lead to life-threatening respiratory failure and autonomic dysregulation in severe cases
Toxoplasmosis: disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii; obligatory intracellular protozoan; cat gut multiplication -> oocysts excreted in faeces -> invasion of hosts and formation of tissue cysts (retinal and brain).
Tuberculosis (TB) is the most important infectious cause of death worldwide and is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex
Urosepsis is a severe infection, distinguishing it from other urinary tract infections including mild pyelonephritis and accounts for ~5% of severe sepsis; whereas UTIs account for ~40% of nosocomial infections