Infectious Diseases Short Essays

Question 1. Oral manifestations of diphtheria

Answer:

Oral manifestations of diphtheria

• Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by Corynebacterium Diphtheriae
• It is characterized by local exudative inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and usually with the formation of pseudomembrane at the level of the nasopharynx
• Oral manifestations
  • • Sore throat
      • Formation of thick, fibrinous, greyish-green pseudomembrane on tonsils, larynx, pharynx
        • Exudation in tonsillar area
        • Hoarseness of voice
        • Paralysis of the soft palate
        • Dysphagia
        • Dysphonia
        • Cervical Lymphadenopathy

Question 2. NSAIDs

Answer:

NSAIDs Classification

Question 3. Oral manifestations of AIDS

Answer:

Oral manifestations of AIDS

1. Bacterial infections
   • Tuberculosis
   • M. avium complex
   • Salmonellosis
2. Viral infection
   • Herpes simplex
   • Varicella zoster
   • Epstein Barr virus
3. Mycotic infections
   • Pneumocystis pneumonia
   • Candidiasis
   • Aspergillosis
   • Cryptococcosis
4. Parasitic infection
   • Toxoplasmosis
   • Cryptosporidiosis
5. Malignancies
   • Kaposi’s sarcoma
   • B cell lymphoma

Read And Learn More: General Medicine Question and Answers

Question 4. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- post-exposure prophylaxis

Answer:

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- post-exposure prophylaxis

• Following exposure, postexposure prophylaxis may be required depending upon the category of exposure and HIV status of the exposure source
• Drugs used are:

1. Zidovudine 300 mg BD
2. Lamivudine 150 mg BD
3. Protease inhibitors
   • Lopinavir 400 mg BD or 800 md OD
   • Ritonovir 100 mg BD or 200 mg OD
     • Drugs are started within the first 72 hours
     • It should be continued for 4 weeks
     • The injured site on the wound should be thoroughly washed with soap and water
     • Antiseptics are also used

Question 5. Gonorrhoea

Answer:

Gonorrhoea Definition:

• It is a communicable sexually transmitted disease of humans

Etiology:

• It is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea Clinical Features:

1. In males
   • Dysuria
   • Increased frequency of micturition
   • Purulent discharge per urethra
   • Oedema of penis
   • Erythema of urethral meatus with purulent discharge
2. In females
   • Dysuria
   • Vaginal discharge
   • Abnormal menstrual bleeding
   • Rectal discomfort
3. In homosexuals
   • Asymptomatic
4. In children
   • Conjunctivae
   • Involvement of pharynx or respiratory tract

Gonorrhoea Complications:

• Acute epididymitis
• Prostatitis
• Periuretheral abscess or fistula
• Salpingitis
• Barthorlin’s abscess
• Premature birth
• Arthritis
• Bacteraemia
• Perihepatitis

Gonorrhoea Treatment:

1. For uncomplicated gonorrhea
   • 2.4 g of procaine penicillin IM + 1 g of oral probenecid or
   • Oral amoxicillin 2-3 g + Oral probenecid 1 g or
   • Cotrimoxazole (400+80 mg) 8 tablets orally
2. In penicillin-resistant gonorrhea
   • Ciprofloxacin-250-500 mg orally single dose or
   • Cefotaxime- 0.5-1 g IM as single dose or
   • Cefixime- 400 mg orally as a single dose or
   • Ceftriaxone-250 mg IM as single dose
3. In gonorrhea with complications
   • Aqueous crystalline penicillin G-10 million units 4 daily for 5 days
   • Ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily for 5 days
   • Ceftriaxone 1 g 4 daily for 5 days

Question 6. Chickenpox

Answer:

Chickenpox

• Chickenpox is caused by Varicella zoster virus
• It rarely occurs a second time
• The virus enters the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and spreads by droplets from the throat

Chickenpox Clinical Features:

• It involves young children and adults
• The incubation period is 14-21 days
• Malaise
• Low-grade fever followed by a rash
• Rash is macula papular
• Heals by scabs formation

Chickenpox Sites Involved:

• Skin lesions- over trunk and face then spread to peripheral parts of the body
• Mucosal lesions- affects the mucosa of the pharynx and vagina

Chickenpox Complications:

• Superinfection of skin due to frequent scratching
• Encephalitis
• Cerebellar ataxia
• Myocarditis
• Osteomyelitis
• Septic arthritis
• Septicaemia
• Hepatitis
• Pneumonia

Question 7. Herpes simplex

Answer:

Herpes simplex

• It is a DNA virus o It belongs to the herpesviridae family.
• Man is the only natural host.
• Herpes simplex virus has two types as follows.

1. Herpes simplex type 1 – is usually associated with oral and ocular lesions.
2. Herpes simplex type 2 – is usually associated with genital infections.
   • Lesions caused by herpes simplex depend on the site of infection, age, and immune status of the individual as follows:
   • Cutaneous infections: These include:
     • Fever
     • Blisters on the cheeks, chins around the mouth, (or) on the forehand
     • Napkin rash on the buttocks of children, – Herpetic with low in medical professionals.
   • Eczema herpeticum:
     • The generalized herpetic eruption is seen in children suffering from eczema.
   • Mucosal lesions:
     • Acute gingivostomatitis
     • Recurrent herpes labialis.
   • Ophthalmic lesions:
     • Keratoconjunctivitis
     • Follicular conjunctivitis.
   • Visceral lesions:
   • Nervous system:
     • HSV meningitis,
     • Sacral autonomic dysfunction.
   • Genital lesions:
     • Infection of cervix, vagina, vulva (females)
3. Congenital lesions:
   • Subclinical or localized infection of skin mouth or eyes.
   • Besides primary infections, herpes viruses may present as latent infection, reactivation, and recrudescence.

Question 8. Herpes labialis

Answer:

Herpes labialis

• It occurs in patients with no prior infection with Herpes Simplex Virus-1

Herpes labialis Clinical Features:

• Age- children and young adults
• Incubation period-5-7 days

1. Prodromal generalized symptoms
   • Fever
   • Malaise
   • Headache
   • Nausea, vomiting
   • Painful mouth
   • Sore throat
   • Irritability
   • Excessive drooling of saliva
   • Lack of tactile sensation
   • Cervical lymphadenopathy
2. Later symptoms
   • Numerous vesicle formations over keratinized mucosa
   • Vesicles are thin-walled
   • They contain clear fluid
   • They rupture leaving multiple, small, punctuate shallow painful ulcers of 2-6 mm
   • Ulcers are surrounded by a red ring of inflammation
   • Ulcers may become secondarily infected
   • Healing starts in about 3 days and is completed within 7-14 days

Herpes labialis Treatment:

• To prevent secondary infection- antibiotics are used
• To control fever- Antipyretics are given

Question 9. Mumps

Answer:

Mumps

• Mumps is an acute viral infectious disease characterized by unilateral (or) bilateral nonsuppurative enlargement of the salivary glands usually the parotid gland.
• Submandibular and sublingual glands are occasionally involved.
• Usually, children are affected. May also occur in adults.
• Also known as epidemic parotitis

Mumps Causative organism:

• Organisms involved in paramyxovirus.

Mumps Route of infection:

• Infection is acquired by inhalation (or) direct contact or through the conjunctiva.
• The incubation period is 12 – 18 days.

Mumps Clinical Features:

• Unilateral (or) bilateral swelling of parotid glands.
• Fever, malaise
• Local pain and tender
• Involvement of extra parotid sites can cause more serious problems as follows.
  • CNS involvement may lead to
    • Meningitis,
    • Meningoencephalitis
    • Orchitis

Mumps Complications:

• Orchitis
• Oophoritis
• Arthritis
• Nephritis
• Pancreatitis
• Thyroiditis and myocarditis

Mumps Laboratory Diagnosis:

• Isolation of viruses from CSF, saline (or) urine.
• Serological tests with paired serum samples tested for the rise in the titer of antibodies by complement fixation test, ELISA, and haemagglutination tests.
• Serum amylase levare els elevated in both parotitis and acute pancreatitis.

Mumps Treatment:

• Treatment is conservative maintaining hydration. Prevention is using MMR vaccine

Question 10. Diphtheria

Answer:

Diphtheria Clinical Features:

• It is insidious at the onset
• Moderate grade fever
• Tachycardia
• Sore throat
• Formation of greyish-greenish pseudomembrane on the tonsils
• Swollen neck- Bull neck
• Tender lymphadenopathy
• Nasal infection
• Hoarseness of voice
• Cough
• Respiratory obstruction
• Acute circulatory failure
• Myocarditis
• Nerve palsies
• Dysphagia
• Dysphonia
• Paraesthesia in the limbs

Diphtheria Management:

1. Antitoxin diphtheric serum (ADS)

• The dose varies from 20,000 to 1,00,000 units depending on {ho duration and severity of the disease
• In mild cases, a lesser dose may be used

2. Antibiotics

• Penicillin G-o.00,000 units every 12 hourly intravenously or
• Amoxycillin 500 mg S hourly for 7-10 days
• Patient allergic to penicillin
  • Erythromycin- 500 mg 6 hourly or
  • Azithromycin 500 mg daily or
  • Riftamoicin 600 mg daily

3. Tradieostomy

Question 11. Three malarial parasites

Answer:

Three malarial parasites

• Malaria is a disease caused by four plasmodium speeds which are as follows:

1. P. vivax
2. P. Falciparum
3. P. Malaria
4. P. Ovale.

Question 12. Widal test

Answer:

Widal test

• It is an agglutination test for detection of agglutinin H and O in patients with enteric fever

Widal test Procedure:

• Mix equal volumes of serial dilutions of the serum and H and O antigens
• Incubate in a water bath at 37 degrees C for 4 hours
• Read after overnight refrigeration at 4 degrees C

Widal test Result:

• A Titre upto 160 indicates enteric fever

Question 13. Chancre

Answer:

Chancre

• Chancre is a typical lesion of primary syphilis that appears on genitals/at extragenital sites in 2-4 weeks after exposure to infection.
• Initially, the lesion is a painless papule that ulcerates in the center so that the fully developed chancre is an indurated lesion with central ulceration accompanied by regional lymphadenitis.
• Chancre heals without scarring, even in the absence of treatment.

Question 14. Two spirochaetal diseases

Answer:

Two spirochaetal diseases

Question 15. Oral manifestations of syphilis

Answer:

Oral manifestations of syphilis

• Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by spirochaetes, treponema pallidum.
• Syphilis is divided into 3 stages depending upon the period after which the lesions appear and the type of lesions.
• They are primary, secondary, and tertiary.
• Oral lesions occur in secondary syphilis known as mucous patches, on the tongue, gingiva, etc., or as a split papule on the lips, which are highly infectious.
• Tertiary/late syphilis/gumma is a granuloma with central necrosis, noninfectious, and is most common on the tongue and palate.
• Palatal perforation by ulcer after vigorous antibiotic use is known as the Herxheimer reaction.
• In congenital/prenatal syphilis, the most constant finding is relatively short roots of mandibular permanent 1st molars, short maxilla, Hutchinson triad (teeth, eye/ear involved), hypoplasia of incisors and molars i.e., notched incisors and mulberry molars.
• Treatment: Penicillin is the drug of choice.

Question 16. Congenital syphilis

Answer:

Congenital syphilis Major features are:

• Hutchinson’s triad includes.
• Hutchinson’s teeth-small, widely spaced, peg-shaped permanent teeth.
• Notched central incisors
• Intestinal keratitis with blindness and deafness from Stir cranial nerve injury.
• Saddle shaped nose
• Bony lesions like epiphysis and periostitis
• Mucocutaneous lesions of acquired secondary syphilis
• Diffuse fibrosis in the liver.

Question 17. VDRL test

Answer:

VDRL test

• It is an abbreviated form of the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test
• It is the most widely used test for syphilis
• It is a simple arid rapid test
• It is a slide flocculation test

VDRL test Procedure:

• Cardiolipin antigen is freshly prepared
• A drop of this is added to a drop of inactivated patient’s serum on a slide
• Mix it by shaking

VDRL test Result:

• If floccules appear it indicates a positive test

Question 18. Prednisolone

Answer:

Prednisolone

• Prednisolone has potent glucocorticoid and mild mineralocorticoid activity
• It is the most commonly used glucocorticoid

Prednisolone Uses:

• Replacement therapy
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Acute gout
• Allergic diseases
• Bronchial asthma
• Collagen diseases
• Eye diseases
• Renal diseases
• Skin diseases
• GIT diseases
• Liver diseases
• Malignancies
• Organ transplantation

Prednisolone Adverse Effects:

• HPA axis suppression
• Cushing’s syndrome
• Hyperglycemia
• Susceptibility to infection is increased
• Osteoporosis
• Avascular necrosis
• Peptic ulceration
• Mental disturbances
• Cataract and glaucoma
• Delayed wound healing

Question 19. Metronidazole

Answer:

Metronidazole

• Metronidazole is a nitroimidazole

Metronidazole Mechanism of Action:

• It is prodrug
• Susceptible micro-organisms reduce the nitro group of metronidazole by nitroreductase
• Convert it into a cytotoxic derivative
• It binds to DNA
• Inhibits protein synthesis

Metronidazole Uses:

• Anaerobic infection
• Amoebiasis
• Trichomonas vaginitis
• Giardiasis
• H.pylori infection
• Pseudomembranous colitis
• Draetmcwlosis
• Topical application

Metronidazole Adverse Reactions:

• Nausea, anorexia, abdominal pain, metallic taste in mouth
• Headache, dizziness
• Stomatitis, glossitis
• Furry tongue
• Insomnia, ataxia, vertigo
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Pruritis, urticaria, skin rashes

Question 20. Aminoglycosides

Answer:

Aminoglycosides

• Aminoglycosides are antibiotics with amino sugars in glycosidic linkages

Aminoglycosides Mechanism of Action:

• Penetrate bacterial cell membrane
• Bind to 30S ribosomes
• Inhibits bacterial protein synthesis

Aminoglycosides Uses:

• Tuberculosis
• Subacute bacterial endocarditis
• Plaque
• Tularemia
• Brucellosis

Aminoglycosides Adverse Effects:

• Ototoxicity
• Nephrotoxicity
• Neuromuscular blockade

Aminoglycosides Examples:

• Streptomycin
• Kanamycin
• Tobramycin
• Neomycin
• Gentamicin
• Netilmicin

Question 21. Chloramphenicol

Answer:

Chloramphenicol

• Chloramphenicol Is a broad spectrum and loll.

Chloramphenicol Mechanism of Action:

• It binds to 50S ribosome
• Inhibits transpeptidation reaction
• Inhibits protein synthesis

Chloramphenicol Uses:

• Typhoid lever
• Bacterial meningitis
• Anaerobic infections
• Rickettsial infection
• Kyo infections

Chloramphenicol Adverse Reactions:

• Gastrointestinal disturbances- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Bone marrow depression
• Gray baby syndrome
• Hypersensitivity reactions
• Superinfection

Question 22. Malaria

Answer:

Malaria is a disease caused by four plasmodium species which are as follows:

1. P. vivax
2. P. Falciparum
3. Malaria
4. P. Ovale.

Malaria Life Cycle:

The malarial parasites pass their life cycle in two hosts.

1. Man intermediate host [a sexual development
2. Femalanopheles mosquito delinitive host [sexual development].

Malaria Clinical Features:

• Intermittent fever which is named malaria is caused by plasmodium
• It consists of
  • Febrile paroxysm
    • It comprises of three stages
  • Anaemia
    • Microcytic or normocytic hypochromic anemia develops
  • Splenomegaly.
    • The spleen becomes enlarged and palpable
    • Black water fever and pernicious malaria are the most commonly seen complications in falciparum malaria.

Question 23. Ludwig’s angina

Answer:

Ludwig’s angina

• Ludwig’s angina was described by Wilhelm Fredrich Von Ludwig in 1836
• It is rapidly spreading cellulitis involving simultaneously all three spaces i.e. Submandibular, sublingual, and submental spaces

Etiology:

• Odontogenic infection
• Traumatic injuries
• Infective condition
• Pathologic conditions

Ludwig’s angina Clinical Features:

1. Generalised symptoms
   • Dehydration
   • Fever
   • Dysphagia
   • Dyspnoea
   • Hoarseness of voice
   • Stridor
2. Extraoral features
   • Brawny hard swelling
   • Erythematous skin
   • Local rise in temperature
   • Drooling of saliva
   • Respiratory distress
3. Intraoral features
   • Trismus
   • Raised floor of mouth
   • Airway obstruction
   • Increased salivation

Ludwig’s angina Management:

• Airway maintenance
• Removal of the causative factor
• Administration of 4 fluids
• Antibiotics
  • Penicillin G-2-4 million units TV 4-6 hourly
  • Gentamycin-80 mg IM BD
  • Metronidazole-400 mg 8 hourly
  • Erythromycin-600 mg 6-8 hourly
  • Amoxicillin-500 mg 6-8 hourly orally
    • Surgical management