1. Differential diagnosis (names of possible bacteria) You should include at least 6 most relevant bacteria that can cause signs and symptoms given in the case study and rationale for including each of them (1 sentence maximum for each).
An elderly man at the hospital emergency has symptoms of high temperature (at 103oF) and an above respiratory rate. Possible bacterial pathogens that could have caused his illness are:
Haemophilus influenza – this bacterium, which is more susceptible to the elderly and excess users of alcohol, infects the blood and produces toxins that cause the illness and symptoms of high temperature, breathing problems and cough, headaches and chest pains.
Coxiella burnetii – a gram-negative intercellular pathogen that …show more content…
This can occur when hands contaminated with the bacterium are not cleaned properly and exposed to individuals, for example in a hospital, a nurse handling a patient with Klebsiella Pneumonia infection and then coming into contact with another patient whilst having the bacterium on them. Although the bacterium enters through the respiratory tract, Klebsiella Pneumonia does not transmit through air.
The opportunistic pathogen is more likely to affect elderly individuals with weakened immune systems such as those with autoimmune disease or like our case study, a 60 year old patient having severe chronic alcoholism. Klebsiella Pneumonia has evolved ways to overcome host immunity for example possessing a capsule composed of polysaccharide. This capsule can protect the bacterium from being phagocytosed by granulocytes, and can also inhibit the activation of complement components thus prevents bactericidal factors causing bacterial cell death.
Furthermore, Klebsiella Pneumonia holds virulent factors to help the infection process. The cell wall of the bacterium contains receptors that allow it to adhere to the host cells. By doing so, Klebsiella Pneumoniae can impair macrophages and leukocytes and prevent phagocytosis, as the attachment alters the bacterial
An elderly man at the hospital emergency has symptoms of high temperature (at 103oF) and an above respiratory rate. Possible bacterial pathogens that could have caused his illness are:
Haemophilus influenza – this bacterium, which is more susceptible to the elderly and excess users of alcohol, infects the blood and produces toxins that cause the illness and symptoms of high temperature, breathing problems and cough, headaches and chest pains.
Coxiella burnetii – a gram-negative intercellular pathogen that …show more content…
This can occur when hands contaminated with the bacterium are not cleaned properly and exposed to individuals, for example in a hospital, a nurse handling a patient with Klebsiella Pneumonia infection and then coming into contact with another patient whilst having the bacterium on them. Although the bacterium enters through the respiratory tract, Klebsiella Pneumonia does not transmit through air.
The opportunistic pathogen is more likely to affect elderly individuals with weakened immune systems such as those with autoimmune disease or like our case study, a 60 year old patient having severe chronic alcoholism. Klebsiella Pneumonia has evolved ways to overcome host immunity for example possessing a capsule composed of polysaccharide. This capsule can protect the bacterium from being phagocytosed by granulocytes, and can also inhibit the activation of complement components thus prevents bactericidal factors causing bacterial cell death.
Furthermore, Klebsiella Pneumonia holds virulent factors to help the infection process. The cell wall of the bacterium contains receptors that allow it to adhere to the host cells. By doing so, Klebsiella Pneumoniae can impair macrophages and leukocytes and prevent phagocytosis, as the attachment alters the bacterial