Nursing Book PDF
Nursing Book PDF
Nursing Book PDF
Faculty of Medicine
Microbiology Department
Medical Microbiology
For
Undergraduate Nursing Students
first Year
By
Staff Members
of
Faculty of Medicine
Menoufia University
2021-2022
رؤية الكلية
" أن تكون الكلية رائدة ومتميزة في مجال التعليم والممارسات التمريضية والبحث العلمي
وخدمة المجتمع لالرتقاء بالمنظومة الصحية وتحقيق اهداف التنمية المستدامة على المستوي
." المحلي والقومي واالقليمي والدولي
Vision:
To be a pioneer and distinguished faculty in the field of nursing
education, practices, scientific research and community services to
contribute in the advancement of health system and achieving
sustainable development goals at the local, national, regional and
international level.
رسالة الكلية
" اعداد خريج مؤهل و كفء في مجال التعليم و الممارسات التمريضية والبحث العلمي
وخدمة المجتمع قادر على االبتكار ومنافسا محليا و قوميا واقليميا وفقا للقيم المهنية
".واالخالقية
Mission:
Preparing a qualified and competent graduate in the field of
nursing education, practices, scientific research and community
services capable to innovate and a competitor locally, nationally and
regionally taking into consideration professional and ethical values.
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Preface
The aim of this note is to present microbiology and infection control in a simplified and
illustrative manner. We wish that it will be a helpful guide for the Under-graduate Nursing
Students in the first term of first year.
Topics Pages
Chapter 1: Bacterial structure and physiology 4 -7
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Microbiology for nursing students
CHAPTER 1
Bacterial structure and physiology
Microbiology is a subject which deals with living organisms that are too small to be
seen with the naked eye.
Subdivision of Microbiology
Bacteriology: is the study of bacteria.
Mycology: is the study of fungi.
Virology: is the study of viruses.
Phospholipids &
Cell membrane composition Sterols
Proteins
Bacterial Cell
Typical prokaryotic cell
Contain both DNA and RNA
Most grow on artificial media
Replicate by binary fission
Almost all contain rigid cell wall
Sensitive to antimicrobial agent
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Microbiology for nursing students
Bacterial structure
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Bacterial cell structure from outside to inside
Capsule -Flagella -Pili-Cell wall-Cell membrane.
Single DNA-Ribosomes-Plasmids-Food granules.
Cell wall:
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Microbiology for nursing students
Bacterial physiology
The four most important elements of bacteria are: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and
nitrogen.
I- Carbon: Nutritional requirements:
1. Autotrophs bacteria: utilizes simple inorganic nutrition (CO2 as source of
carbon - nitrogen) as in non-pathogenic bacteria.
2. Heterotrophs bacteria: these use complex organic substance sugars –proteins
as in pathogenic bacteria
II- Hydrogen and oxygen
• Obtained from water.
• Essential for the growth and maintenance of cell.
III- Nitrogen
• Constitutes 10% of dry weight of bacterial cell.
• Obtained from organic molecules like proteins and inorganic molecules like
ammonium salts and nitrates.
NB: The main source of nitrogen is ammonia, in the form of ammonium salt.
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Microbiology for nursing students
Chapter 2
STERILIZATION AND DISINFECTION
Sterilization: Destruction of all forms of microbial life including spores.
Disinfection: Destruction of microbes that cause disease; may not be effective in
killing spores.
Antisepsis: destruction or inhibition of microorganisms in living tissue thereby
limiting or preventing the harmful effect of infection.
c. Flaming: Scalpels and neck of flasks, bottles and tubes are exposed for a few
seconds, but it is of uncertain efficacy.
d. Hot Air Sterilizer (Oven): it is essential that hot air should circulate between
the objects being sterilized and these must be loosely packed and adequate air
space to ensure optimum heat transfer. It is done by applying 160 0c for 1
hour.
Use: Sterilizes glassware, oils, lubricants and powders.
2. Moist heat: It is preferred to dry heat due to more rapid killing. Moist heat can be
used by the following methods:
a. Boiling: It is not reliable method of sterilization. It is done by applying 100 0c
for 30 minutes. Used for sterilizing metal articles and glasswares.
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c. Autoclaving: Steam under pressure, it is based on the principle that when
water is boiled at increased pressure, hot saturated steam will be formed which
penetrates and gives up its latent heat when it condenses on cooler objects.
Filtration
Mechanical sieving through membrane filters.
Uses:
- Sterilization of thermo-labile parental and ophthalmic solutions, sera and
plasma.
- Microbial evaluation of water purity.
- Viable counting procedures.
- Determination of viral particle size
Radiation
I) Ultra violet rays:
Used for the sterilization of the air of the operating theatre.
Disadvantages: has poor penetration power and can cause eye damage.
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Packing
The aim of packing is to protect sterilized articles against recontamination until used.
Packing materials must be:
1. Permeable to air, steam and gases.
2. Resistant to penetration by microorganisms.
3. Resistant to tears.
4. Free from loose fibers and particles.
Some types of packs: Cotton pack -Kraft Paper-Aluminum Foil-Glass containers.
Phenolic compounds
Cresols e.g. Lysol, Creolin
alogenated diphenyl compounds e.g. Hexachlorophene
It is more active on Gram-positive bacteria.
Organic solvents
Alcohol e.g. Ethyl alcohol, Isopropyl alcohol 70%.
active against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria
Uses:
1. Potent skin disinfectants
2. Disinfects clinical thermometer
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Simple autoclave
Packing
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CHAPTER 3
Bacterial virulence and host immunity
1. Adherence factors:
• Pilli: Hair-like appendages extending from the bacterial cell surface.
2. Invasiveness of micro-organism: A high degree of bacterial invasiveness is usually
associated with severe infection.
3. Bacterial toxins
These are of two types.
a. Exotoxins
b. Endotoxins
Table 4.1 Characteristics of bacterial toxins
Character Exotoxin Endotoxin
4. Enzymes
•
Tissue degrading enzymes
•
Collagenase: Degrade collagen, which is major protein of fibrous connective tissue.
•
Hyaluronidase: (Early spreading factor) hydrolyzes hyaluronic acid, which is the
ground substance of connective tissue.
5. Anti-phagocytic factors
• Protein A of Staphylococcus aureus
• M protein of Streptococcus pyogenes
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CHAPTER 4
Anti-Microbial agents and Sensitivity
• Anti-microbial drugs show specific toxicity to microbial cells due to differences in cell
envelope, protein and enzymes to host cells.
Mechanism of action of anti-microbial drugs
1. Those inhibiting cell wall synthesis, leading to cell lyses.
- Penicillin –cephalosporin -vancomycin
2. Those damaging cell membrane leading to loss of cell contents and then cell death.
- Polymyxin -Amphotericin B
3. Those inhibiting protein synthesis and then arresting bacterial growth
- Aminoglycosides- tetracycline-erythromycin-chloramphenicol
4. Those inhibiting nucleic acid synthesis
4.1. Preventing DNA synthesis
- Nalidixic acid
- Quinolones
4.2. Preventing RNA synthesis
- Rifampicin
5. Those inhibiting nucleotide synthesis
- sulfonamide
- Trimethoprim
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CHAPTER 5
Systemic Bacteriology
Classification of bacteria
Bacteria
Cocci Bacilli
Gram negative Gram positive Gram negative Gram positive Organism not
Cocci Cocci Bacilli Bacilli stained by Gram
General diagnosis
1-Specimen→ according to disease site
2-Direct smear→ direct Gram stain to see organisms important in sterile specimen
3-Direct detection test → done on specimen directly before culture → very rapid to detect
Antigen in specimen → by ELISA-Immunofluorescence
If antigen is capsule → by agglutination or Quelling test
Nucleic acid in specimen→ by Probe or PCR
4-Culture→ says character
5-Identification of the organism colony that appear after culture (24 hr) by:
-Gram stain
-Biochemical reactions
- Serological → detect antigen by slide agglutination test (take colony on slide
and put its specific antibody on it)
- Nucleic acid by probe
Generally, when we study any bacteria, we start with its morphology→ Gram
reaction and arrangement.
Generally, all bacteria are classified according to Gram stain into Gram positive Or Gram
negative bacteria
If Gram positive bacteria → bacteria appear violet under microscope
If Gram negative bacteria → bacteria appear pink under microscope
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Cocci
Gram positive Cocci Gram negative cocci
Staphylococci→ Catalase positive Neisseria
S. aureus N. meningitid (meningococci)
S. epidermidis N. gonorrhoea (gonococci)
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Staphylococci
Morphology
Gram positive cocci arranged in Grape-like cluster. Capsulated (spherical violet in
groups). Gram positive cocci → Catalase positive
Classification
There are normal flora in 40-50% of persons in nose
Three are human pathogen S. aureus- S. epidermidis- S.saprophyticiis.
STREPTOCOCCI
Morphology
Gram positive cocci arranged in chains or pairs -» catalase negative.
Streptococcus pyogenes
Diseases caused by Str. pyosenes:
1- Streptococcal sore throat or follicular tonsillitis: May be followed by rheumatic
fever or acute glomerulonephritis.
3- Toxigenic diseases
1- Streptococcus toxic shock syndrome: Invasive infections with toxic shock.
Infection follows minor trauma. Associated with group A streptococci of the M
type 1,3 produce pyrogenic exotoxin A and B.
2- Scarlet fever: disease of children characterized by sore throat and erythematous
rash. Caused by strains that produce erythrogenic toxin.
2- Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) = damage of the heart valves and muscle.
Follows 1-4 weeks after throat infection with group A Streptococci M types 1,3,5,
6,18 and others.
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Streptococcus agalactiae
Diseases produced:
Transmitted by droplet from person to person
1- Pneumonia
2- Bacteremia and its complication (meningitis-otitis media-endocarditis)
Enterococci- E. faecalis
Diseases
Enterococci are normal inhabitants of the intestine
1- Nosocomial urinary tract infections, where indwelling urinary catheters are
important predisposing factors.
2- 10% of cases of subacute bacterial endocarditis in patients who have
undergone GIT or urinary tract surgery or instrumentation.
3- Pelvic and intra-abdominal infections, typically in combination with anaerobes
4- Meningitis and bacteremia in neonates.
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Family Neisseriaceae
Pathogenic Neisseriae
1- N. gonorrhea (gonococci)
2- N. meningitides (meningococci)
Neisseria, Gram-negative cocci arranged in pairs (diplococci)
B-Non-venereal diseases
1- Gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum: newborn infected from the birth canal.
3- Gonococcal vulvo-vaginitis: may affect young girls due to contaminated toilets
Treatment:
Penicillin was the drug of choice until resistant occurred.
1- In uncomplicated gonococcal infections Ceftriaxone is the drug of choice.
2- In complicated gonococcal infections tetracycline or erythromycin is added
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Diagnosis
1 Specimens include CSF, blood and joint fluids. CSF is withdrawn by lumbar puncture
under complete aseptic conditions (between L3, L4).
2 CSF examination.
1 Physical examination: the CSF is under tension and turbid
2 Chemical examination: proteins are elevated and glucose is reduced.
Prophylaxis:
1- Vaccination: Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine:
a) Two vaccines are available:
Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV).
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV).
b) Both immunizes against types A, C, Y, W135
2- Chemoprophylaxis (used for contacts): Rifampicin: 600 mg orally twice daily for
2 days or Ciprofloxacin as a single dose.
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Gram
positive
bacilli
Spore forming Non- Spore
forming
C. diphtheriae are pleomorphic Gram-positive bacilli that appear club shaped with Chinese
letters arrangement. The rods have a beaded appearance
Bacillus anthraces
Gram-positive bacilli arranged in chains, spore forming with central and
oval spores
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Genus: Clostridium
Four important species in this group and their diseases:
I) C. perfringens produces gas-gangrene and food poisoning.
The wound is edematous, foul smelling, dark in colour with crepitations generalized
toxaemia, shock in, multiple organ failure and may be fatal.
II) C. tetani produces tetanus and infant (tetanus neonatorum).
generalized muscle spasms and hyper-reflex → spastic paralysis
III) C. botulinum produces botulism.
Food poison without GIT symptom due to ingestion of un sterilized canned food
meat, tuna fish. Canning provides anaerobic conditions
VI)) C. difficile is responsible for antibiotic associated diarrhoea.
A complication of antibiotic therapy (Clindamycin -Ampicillin and- Cancer
therapy). The antibiotics suppress drug sensitive normal flora allowing the drug
resistant to multiply.
Steps in lab. diagnosis of infections caused by Clostridium species:
1- Specimen collection: According to the site of infection:
Gas gangrene → Wound exudate or tissue sample.
Food poisoning with C. perfringens → Faecal sample.
Tetanus (wound) → Wound exudate or tissue sample.
Pseudomembranous colitis→Faecal sample for culture or for toxin detection.
Botulism → Faecal or vomit sample.
2- Microscopy: All the 3 Clostridia other than Cl. perfringens, are motile non-
capsulated while Cl. Perfringens is capsulated and non-motile.
Spore shape:
Cl. Botulinium Cl. Perfringens Cl. tetani
Oval, sub-terminal or Oval, sub-terminal Spherical terminal bulging (drum-
central stick appearance)
3- Culture for clostridia: Anaerobic media
a. Robertson cooked meat broth
b. Thioglycolate broth
c. Anaerobic jar → Clostridium species can grow on nutrient agar or blood agar.
They require anaerobic conditions for growth using anaerobic gas jar with gas
pack or anaerobic chamber.
Robertson cooked meat Anaerobic Jar
broth
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Diseases
1- Neonatal meningitis (40%)- followed by Group B Streptococci and Listeria
2- Urinary tract infection → 90% of community acquired UTI. It’s called uropathic
strain which contains pili= colonization antigen cause adherence to mucosa-
haemolysin
3- Hospital acquired infection→ Urinary tract infection especially with catheter
4- Pneumonia-sepsis-bacteremia in immunosuppresed
5- Intestinal disease = Diarrhoeagenic strains cause diarrhea by 5 mechanisms.
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Klebsiella
K. pneumoniae It is an important nosocomial pathogen.
It causes:
1- Pneumonia
2- Urinary tract infection
3- Septicemia and meningitis (especially in neonates)
Enterobacter
Medical important species is Enterobacter aerogens is associated with urinary tract
infection, wound infection and septicemia in immunocompromised and hospital
acquired infection
Salmonella
Enteric fever
Transmitted by fecal-oral route via contaminated food and drinks
Incubation period: 10-14 days
Predisposing factors:
- Reduced gastric acidity
- Disrupted intestinal microbial flora
- Compromised local intestinal immunity
Both manifest with persistent fever, headache, malaise, chills,
enlargement of liver and spleen and skin rashes.
Paratyphoid fever is milder than typhoid fever
Complications:
- Intestinal perforation
- Lower gastrointestinal bleeding
- Mortality rate: Untreated cases: 10-15%
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Laboratory diagnosis:
Lab. diagnosis of enteric fever depends on the stage of clinical illness.
1- Isolation of organism:
a) Isolation from blood: by Blood culture.
b) Isolation from stools: The organism is found in the stools during the second and third
week of illness.
c) Isolation from urine: The organism appears in urine from the second week onwards.
2- Serological diagnosis by the Widal test:
a) Detect antibodies in patient serum from the7th to the10th day of illness.
b) The highest dilution of the serum which gives agglutination is the titre. The significant
titre is ≥ 1/160
Prevention and control
- Vaccine is recommended for those who are travelling to endemic high-risk area.
- Sanity measures like hygienic food and drink handling, and avoid carriers from food
handling until properly treated
Shigella
Species of medical importance are: S. dysenteriae
Pathogenesis and Clinical features: Route of infection is fecal-oral route
Pathogenicity determinant (Toxins):
a. Endotoxin: irritate the bowel wall
b. Exotoxin: Enterotoxin and neurotoxin.
Disease: Bacillary dysentery (shigellosis)
S. dysenteriae type 1(shiga bacillus) produce heat labile exotoxin mediated diarrhea
IP: 1-2 days
Characterized by sudden onset of bloody mucoid diarrhea, abdominal cramp,
tenesmus, fever, generalized muscle ache and weakness.
Complication:
a. Dehydration
b. Electrolyte and acid-base disturbance
High prevalence:
Poor sanitation
Poor personal hygiene
Polluted water supply
Prevention and control:
Sanitary control of water, food and milk, sewage disposal and fly control.
Antibiotic treatment of infected individuals
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Primary animal bacterial pathogen that cause zoonotic disease
Yersinia
Y. pestis → Primary animal pathogen and cause zoonotic disease Plague and need vector for
transmission
Vector transmission:
Y. pestis transmitted by infected Flea from infected rat to human
Disease passes in three stages
1. Bubonic plague →when flea bite human Y. pestis enter and multiply in lymph node (L.N)
2. Septicaemic plague → from L.N Y. pestis reach blood and organs cause disseminated
intravascular coagulopathy (DIC).
3. Pneumonic plague → occur by two ways
Secondary Pneumonic plague →Y. pestis enter lung from blood
Primary Pneumonic plague →when disease transmitted from person to person by
inhalation
Brucella
All are transmitted from animal to human (zoonotic disease) cause Malta fever
(Brucellosis)
Disease: Malta fever (Brucellosis)
Transmission: Animal pathogen found in animal products (milk product- meat).
Affected persons are → farmers, butchers, veterinarians → who contact animal
1. Ingestion → of animal products
2. Inhalation → of secretion
3. Contacts by abrasion in skin or mucosa
- Clinically: Chronic disease (for years)
facultative intracellular organism lives in phagocytes – and metabolically inactive
long incubation period 2-6 week
the organism lives in lymph node-liver-spleen-bone marrow and can persist in phagocyte
for years lead to chronicity and granuloma formation
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Helicobacter (H.pylori)
Only human pathogen
Cause: Gastritis- peptic ulcer (only human)
Transmission by oral route in family and genetic predisposition is common
Colonization of H. pylori in gastric mucosa by:
1. Motility.
2. Production of ammonia from urea by the urease
H. pylori.
Vibrios
V. cholera→ only human pathogen
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Clinical picture:
1- Sever vomiting
2- Rice water stool =watery diarrhea 10 -20 L/day
3- No Invasion to mucosa (no pus or blood in stool no pain no fever)
4- Death occur from dehydration – collapse –shock – renal and cardiac failure
Diagnosis: During epidemic:
- Specimen: stool
1- Direct Smear for stool→ V. cholera - comma shaped bacilli –highly motile bacilli
2- Confirmation serologically → adding anti-O1 and anti-O139→ motility stop (death)
Prevention
1- Adequate personal hygiene to prevent faeco-oral transmission.
2- Proper sewage disposal.
3- Chemoprophylaxis for exposed persons by using tetracyclines.
4- Vaccination:
a) A heat-killed vaccine
b) A live-attenuated oral
Respiratory pathogen
Haemophilus influenza
Gram-negative cocco-bacilli in shape. Very small in size.
Facultative anaerobe, small cream-coloured spherical colonies on chocolate.
Require X (haematin) and V (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) factors
small creamy-coloured mucoid colonies H. influenzae on chocolate agar
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Bordetella
Bordetella pertussis cause whooping cough
Respiratory disease of children characterized by cough followed by inspiratory whoop
Transmission: droplet infection from case.
Prevention and control:
A) Vaccination:
DPT vaccine: at 2, 4, 6 months with booster doses at 12 and 18 months. Adults should
not receive the pertussis vaccine since it may cause encephalopathy if given after 6 years
of age.
Acellular vaccine: It is given to children with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids at 2, 4, 6
months and boosters at 18 months and at 4-6 years. & 10-18 yrs.
B) Chemoprophylaxis: Erythromycin for 10 days.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Definition: Acid- fast bacilli, which are difficult to stain by gram
Morphology: Acid and alcohol - fast bacilli
They are difficult to stain by Gram due to the high lipid (mycolic acid) content of the cell
wall. They can be stained by:
1. Ziehl-Neelsen stain (Z.N.)
2. Fluorochrome stains (e.g. auramine, rhodamine)
Smear of Z.N stain showing pink bacilli against L-J medium showing irregular, dry and off-white
blue background colonies of M. tuberculosis.
Disease: TUBERCULOSIS
Human tuberculosis is caused by M. tuberculosis and M. bovis.
Infection with M. tuberculosis is airborne and causes pulmonary tuberculosis
Infection with M. bovis occurs by ingestion of milk and causes intestinal tuberculosis
Diagnosis of TUBERCULOSIS
1. Specimen: Sputum or morning gastric aspirate, urine, CSF, stools
Sputum → Three morning sputum samples
2. Direct smears stained with Z-N stain→ detection of acid alcohol-fast bacilli
3. Direct smears stained with auramine→ examined by fluorescent microscopy
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Mycology
Classification of fungi:
1. Yeasts (budding) fungi: These are oval or round cells
2. Filamentous (moulds) fungi: These are branching filaments (hyphae)
3. Dimorphic fungi: these occur in two forms; a yeast form in tissues or at 37°C; and
a filamentous form (hyphae) when grown at 25°C
Candidiasis (Moniliasis)
Candida albicans is the most important species of Candida.
Candida albicans in Gram Staining Candida on Sabaroud’s agar (offwhite creamy colonies).
(Oval budding yeast cells)
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Virology
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Papillomaviruses
Mode of transmission:
Direct contact: (skin-to-skin contact and genital contact) or contaminated
surfaces.
Diseases caused by papillomavirus:
1. Warts.
Cutaneous warts.
Mucosal warts: Anogenital warts (condylomata acuminata).
2. Benign head and neck tumours: Single oral papillomas. Laryngeal papillomas.
3. Cervical dysplasia and neoplasia: HPV infection has been established as the
primary cause of cervical cancer especially HPV-16 and HPV-18.
Prevention
A quadrivalent HPV vaccine (types 6, 11, 16, and 18) and a bivalent vaccine
(types 16 and 18). Both vaccines are non-infectious recombinant vaccines.
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Microbiology for nursing students
Polioviruses
The causative agent of poliomyelitis →that affect CNS and causes flaccid
paralysis mainly in children transmitted by oral route.
Prophylaxis
Active immunization by two vaccines contain 3 antigenic types
Character Sabine vaccine: Oral polio vaccine Salk vaccine: inactivate or injected polio
(OPV) vaccine (IPV)
Influenza virus
Family classification: Family contain 3 influenza virus A, B, C
Clinical picture
A. Influenza
B. Complications:
1. Pneumonia
2. Reye’s syndrome
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Hepatitis Viruses
HBV Parental- sexual Blood 2-6 months ELISA –PCR Cause serum hepatitis
Chronicity and carrier
HCV Parental Blood 6-7 weeks ELISA and RIBA undergo mutation and
test specific for variation
HCV Chronicity and carrier
HDV Parental Blood 2-12 weeks PCR always Co- infection with
HBV
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• Wash exposed site with soap and water (If eye, flush with water only).
• In this order of preference contact:
- Your immediate supervisor
- Employee Health
- Emergency Department
- Infection Control Physician on call
• Tests for HIV will most likely occur immediately and 3, 6, and 12 months
after exposure.
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مكافحة العدوى
يشير مصطلح مكافحة العدوى إلى الترتيب الخاص بالوقاية من عدوى المستشفيات أو العدوى
المصاحبة لتقديم خدمات الرعاية الصحية ومن ثم فقضية مكافحة العدوى تخاطب العوامل
آخر،
مريض ٍ
ٍ المرتبطة بانتشار العدوى داخل أماكن تقديم الرعاية الصحية (سوا ًء من مريض إلى
أو من المرضى لطاقم العمل بالمستشفيات ،أو العكس من طاقم العمل إلى المرضى ،أو فيما بين
أعضاء طاقم العمل نفسه) ،ومنها الوقاية (سوا ًء من خالل التدابير الصحية لنظافة اليد/غسل
اليدين ،التنظيف/تطهير العدوى /التعقيم ،التطعيم ،والمراقبة) ،باإلضافة إلى إجراءات
الرقابة/التحقيق في انتشار العدوى المشتبه بها داخل إحدى مناطق تقديم الرعاية الصحية (مراقبة
وتفشي العدوى) ،وكذلك إدارة (مقاطعة حوادث تفشي العدوى) .ومن هنا يصبح العنوان شائع
االستخدام ضمن مجال الرعاية الصحية هنا هو "مكافحة العدوى والوقاية منها"
-1نظافة اليد
-2التنظيف ،التطهير والتعقيم
تهدف عملية التعقيم إلى قتل الكائنات الدقيقة ،باإلضافة إلى أنه يمثل المستوى األعلى لعملية قتل
الميكروبات .ومن ثم فقد تكون المعقمات الحرارة فقط ،أو البخار ،أو المواد الكيميائية السائلة.
أما التطهير فيشير إلى استخدام الماد الكيميائية السائلة على األسطح وفي درجات حرارة الغرفة
بهدف قتل الكائنات الحية الدقيقة مسببات األمراض .وهنا نالحظ أن عملية التطهير أقل فعالي ٍة من
التعقيم بسبب أنها ال تقتل مسببات األمراض البكتيرية نتيجة أنها ال تقتل األبواغ البكتيرية.
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وفي الواليات المتحدة األمريكية ،تُطالب «إدارة السالمة والصحة المهنية» العمال باستخدام
تجهيزات الحماية الشخصية لحماية أنفسهم من التعرض لمسببات األمراض الناقلة لألمراض
المعدية عن طريق الدم أو السوائل الجسدية األخرى ،وذلك في حالة توقع احتمالية تعرضهم لمثل
تلك المواد.
ومن أمثلة تجهيزات الحماية الشخصية القفازات الطبية ،العباءة الطبية ،القلنسوات ،أغطية
الواقية ،األقنعة االصطناعي ،النظارات أقنعة التنفس (الكمامة)، الوجه الحذاء ،أقنعة
الجراحية وكمامة قناع مانع لالستنشاق .وغالبا ً ما تقرر التنظيمات والتشريعات أو بروتوكول
مكافحة العدوى عدد تلك التجهيزات المستخدمة باإلضافة إلى طريقة استخدامها داخل المنشأة
الطبية محط التساؤول أو الشك .مع مالحظة أن العديد من تلك األدوات يتم التخلص منها بعد
آخر
مريض إلى ٍ
ٍ استخدامها لمر ٍة واحد ٍة فقط بهدف تجنب حملها لمسببات األمراض المعدية من
في بعض الحاالت التي يتعذر فيها الحصول على اللقاح بعد التعرض للعدوى ،تكون الوقاية هنا
هي خير سبيل لحماية عمال الرعاية الصحية المعرضين لتهديد اإلصابة باألمراض المعدية .على
سبيل المثال ،يمكن أن تترسب الجسيمات الفيروسية المسببة لعدوى نقص المناعة المكتسب
ت من التعرض المثبت الواضح
(اإليدز) إن تم الحقن باألجسام المضادة في غضون أربعة ساعا ٍ
للفيروس.
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