Mycoplasma
OVERVIEW
- Mycoplasma lack a peptidoglycan cell wall
- This page will focus on infection by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is the smallest free-living organism capable of self-replication
- Mycoplasma genitalum is a cause of PID
CLINICAL FEATURES
- “atypical” pneumonia
- skin features such as erythema multiforme in 7% of cases
- classically an epidemic cycle of 4 years
INVESTIGATIONS
- standard pneumonia investigations
- cold agglutinins (50-70% of patients)
- acute and convalescence serology
MANAGEMENT
- tetracyclines (not in pregnancy) or macrolides
- first line: clarithromycin or roxithromycin; also azithromycin
Critical Care
Compendium
Chris is an Intensivist and ECMO specialist at The Alfred ICU, where he is Deputy Director (Education). He is a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University, the Lead for the Clinician Educator Incubator programme, and a CICM First Part Examiner.
He is an internationally recognised Clinician Educator with a passion for helping clinicians learn and for improving the clinical performance of individuals and collectives. He was one of the founders of the FOAM movement (Free Open-Access Medical education) has been recognised for his contributions to education with awards from ANZICS, ANZAHPE, and ACEM.
His one great achievement is being the father of three amazing children.
On Bluesky, he is @precordialthump.bsky.social and on the site that Elon has screwed up, he is @precordialthump.
| INTENSIVE | RAGE | Resuscitology | SMACC