Toxoplasmosis
OVERVIEW
- 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).
RISK FACTORS
- consumption of uncooked meat
- ingestion of cat faeces
- immunosuppression (HIV, IVDU)
CLINICAL FEATURES
- asymptomatic
- brain: confusion, fever, seizures
- liver
- heart
- lung
INVESTIGATIONS
- guided by symptoms
- CTH: ring enhancing lesions, need to rule out cerebral lymphoma
- HIV screen (AIDS defining illness)
MANAGEMENT
- pyrimethamine (+ folinic acid -> reduces incidence of associated myelotoxicity) + sulfadiazine or clindamycin
- anti-retrovirals if HIV confirmed
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
