Recognizing Infections and Antibiotic Use

Aug 31, 2024

Lecture on Signs of Infection and Antibiotics

Recognizing Signs of Infection

  • Key Indicators:

    • Fever: Can indicate a healthy immune response, problematic for immunocompromised patients.
    • Chills: Feeling cold despite being warm suggests advancing infection.
    • Sweating: Indicates a progressing infection.
    • Redness at Wound Site:
      • Mild Redness: Normal immune response.
      • Advanced Redness: Cause for concern.
    • Pain and Swelling: Suggests severe infection.
    • Fatigue: General tiredness is a warning sign.
    • Weight Loss: Unwanted and indicates body overwhelmed by infection.

  • Lab Work:

    • White Blood Cell Count: Elevated count suggests infection.
    • Presence of Pus: Indicates infection; may require incision and drainage for treatment.

  • Variability of Symptoms:

    • External vs. Internal Infections: Easier to spot symptoms in external infections.
    • Special Populations: Geriatric and immunocompromised patients may not show typical signs.

Special Considerations for Elderly Patients

  • Atypical Symptoms:
    • Neurological Changes: Confusion or disorientation may indicate infection like UTI, not necessarily fever or elevated white cell count.
    • Always Investigate: Don't assume confusion is normal; consider other causes like infection or blood sugar issues.

Understanding Antibiotics

  • Selective Toxicity:

    • Mechanism: Antibiotics target bacterial cells due to differences in cell walls, leaving human cells unharmed.
    • Chemotherapy Comparison: Unlike antibiotics, chemotherapy affects both cancer and normal cells due to lack of selective targeting.

  • Concept of Selective Toxicity:

    • Definition: Drug's ability to injure target organism without affecting human cells, crucial for antibiotic action.
    • Chemotherapy: Lacks selective toxicity; affects all high growth fraction cells including human cells.

This lecture emphasized observing early signs of infection and understanding how antibiotics work through selective toxicity to effectively target bacterial infections without harming human cells.