Caring for Clients with Infectious Disorders

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Caring for Clients with Infectious Disorders

• Chapter 17

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Overview

• Infectious disorders are conditions caused by
  infectious agents called microorganisms (with the
  exception of prions, discussed later).
• Microorganisms, commonly called germs, are so
  small they can be seen only with a microscope.

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Overview

• Once microorganisms invade, one of 3 events
  occur
• 1. The bodys immune defense mechanisms
  eliminate them.
• 2. They reside in the body without causing
  disease
• 3. They cause an infection or infectious
  disease.

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Overview

• Infectious microorganisms include bacteria,
  viruses, fungi, rickettsiae, protozoans,
  mycoplasmas, and helminths.
• Prions are a new category of infectious agent.

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Overview

• Some infectious agents cause communicable or
  contagious diseases, infections that can be
  transmitted from one person to another.
• Example measles, streptococcal sore throat,
  STDs, and TB.

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Bacteria

• Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that
  appear in various shapes (cocci, bacilli and
  spirochetes Fig. 17-1 pg. 190.

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Bacteria

• Some bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus,
  streptococcus pneumoniae, and escherichia coli,
  are developing multidrug resistance, the ability
  to remain unaffected by antimicrobial drugs such
  as antibiotics.

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Bacteria

• Infections with multidrug-resistant
  microorganisms are very difficult to destroy with
  pharmacologic agents.
• Thus, the potential for death from such
  infections is increased.

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Viruses

• Viruses are so small they can be seen only with
  high powered electron microscopes.
• They also are filterable, meaning they pass
  through very small barriers.

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Viruses

• Occasionally, viruses are dormant in a living
  host, reactivate periodically, and cause the
  infection to recur.
• An example is the herpes simplex virus, which
  causes periodic outbreaks of cold sores (fever
  blisters) long after the initial infection.

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Fungi

• Fungi are divided into 2 basic groups yeasts
  and molds.

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Rickettsiae

• Rickettsiae resemble but are different from
  bacteria.
• Like viruses, they invade living cells and cannot
  survive outside a living organism or host.
• Arthropods (invertebrate animals with a segmented
  body, an external skeleton, and jointed, paired
  appendages) transmit rickettsial disease.
• Ex. Fleas, ticks, lice and mites.

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Protozoans

• Protozoans are single-celled animals classified
  according to their motility.

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Mycoplasmas

• Mycoplasmas are single-celled microorganisms that
  lack a cell wall, and therefore, are pleomorphic
  (assume many shapes).
• They are similar to but not related to bacteria.

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Mycoplasmas

• They primarily infect the surface lining of the
  respiratory, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal
  tracts.

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Helminths

• Helminths are infectious worms, some of which are
  microscopic.
• 3 major groups roundworms, tapeworms, or flukes.

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Prions

• A prion is a protein that does not contain
  nucleic acid.
• Research suggests that normal prions, present in
  brain cells, protect against dementia.
• When a prion mutates, however, it is capable of
  becoming an infectious agent and altering other
  normal prion proteins into similar mutant copies.
  

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Prions

• The mutant prions, which can either be formed by
  genetic predisposition or acquired by
  transmission between the same or similar infected
  animal species, cause transmissible spongiform
  encephalopathies. (TSEs).

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Prions

• TSEs are so named because the brain becomes
  spongy (full of holes), the brain tissue withers,
  and uncoordinated movements develop in the
  affected person or animal.

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Prions

• Example of TSE include bovine spongiform
  encephalopathy (mad cow disease), scrapie in
  sheep, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
• Ongoing research to determine if prions
  contribute to Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and
  Huntingtons disease.

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Prions

• To prevent the transmission of new variant
  Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, infected animals are
  destroyed, and potentially infected animal
  tissues are banned from human consumption.

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On Your Own!!

• Make sure you know the terms! Box on pg. 189 of
  Words to Know.
• Common Means of Transmission Table 17-1 pg. 193.
  
• Most should be familiar due to disease control.

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On Your Own!!

• Review Types of Infections Table 17-2 pg. 194
• Sepsispg. 195
• Culture Sensitivity test
• Needle stick injury