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Atypical Pneumonia
Atypical pneumonia, also known as walking pneumonia, is any type of pneumonia not caused by one of the pathogens most commonly associated with the disease. Its clinical presentation contrasts to that of "typical" pneumonia. A variety of microorganisms can cause it. When it develops independently from another disease, it is called primary atypical pneumonia (PAP). The term was introduced in the 1930s and was contrasted with the bacterial pneumonia caused by ''Streptococcus pneumoniae'', at that time the best known and most commonly occurring form of pneumonia. The distinction was historically considered important, as it differentiated those more likely to present with "typical" respiratory symptoms and lobar pneumonia from those more likely to present with "atypical" generalized symptoms (such as fever, headache, sweating and myalgia) and bronchopneumonia. Signs and symptoms Usually, the atypical causes also involve atypical symptoms: * No response to common antibiotics such a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infectious Disease (medical Specialty)
Infectious diseases (ID), also known as infectiology, is a medical specialty dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of infections. An infectious diseases specialist's practice consists of managing nosocomial (Hospital-acquired infection, healthcare-acquired) infections or community-acquired infections. An ID specialist investigates and determines the cause of a disease (bacteria, virus, parasite, fungus or prions). Once the cause is known, an ID specialist can then run various tests to determine the best drug to treat the disease. While infectious diseases have always been around, the infectious disease specialty did not exist until the late 1900s after scientists and physicians in the 19th century paved the way with research on the sources of infectious disease and the development of vaccines. Scope Infectious diseases specialists typically serve as consultants to other physicians in cases of complex infections, and often manage patients with HIV/AIDS and other forms of immuno ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leukocytosis
Leukocytosis is a condition in which the white cell (leukocyte) count is above the normal range in the blood. It is frequently a sign of an inflammatory response, most commonly the result of infection, but may also occur following certain parasitic infections or bone tumors as well as leukemia. It may also occur after strenuous exercise, convulsions such as epilepsy, emotional stress, pregnancy and labor, anesthesia, as a side effect of medication (e.g., lithium), and epinephrine administration. There are five principal types of leukocytosis: neutrophilia (the most common form), lymphocytosis, monocytosis, eosinophilia, and basophilia. This increase in leukocyte (primarily neutrophils) is usually accompanied by a "left upper shift" in the ratio of immature to mature neutrophils and macrophages. The proportion of immature leukocytes increases due to proliferation and inhibition of granulocyte and monocyte precursors in the bone marrow which is stimulated by several products o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tularemia
Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium '' Francisella tularensis''. Symptoms may include fever, skin ulcers, and enlarged lymph nodes. Occasionally, a form that results in pneumonia or a throat infection may occur. The bacterium is typically spread by ticks, deer flies, or contact with infected animals. It may also be spread by drinking contaminated water or breathing in contaminated dust. It does not spread directly between people. Diagnosis is by blood tests or cultures of the infected site. Prevention includes the use of insect repellent and long pants, rapidly removing ticks, and not disturbing dead animals. Treatment is typically with the antibiotic streptomycin. Gentamicin, doxycycline, or ciprofloxacin may also be used. Between the 1970s and 2015, around 200 cases were reported in the United States a year. Males are affected more often than females. It occurs most frequently in the young and the middle aged. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francisella Tularensis
''Francisella tularensis'' is a pathogenic species of Gram-negative coccobacillus, an aerobic bacterium. It is nonspore-forming, nonmotile, and the causative agent of tularemia, the pneumonic form of which is often lethal without treatment. It is a fastidious, facultative intracellular bacterium, which requires cysteine for growth. Due to its low infectious dose, ease of spread by aerosol, and high virulence, ''F. tularensis'' is classified as a Tier 1 Select Agent by the U.S. government, along with other potential agents of bioterrorism such as ''Yersinia pestis, Bacillus anthracis'', and Ebola virus. When found in nature, ''Francisella tularensis'' can survive for several weeks at low temperatures in animal carcasses, soil, and water. In the laboratory, ''F. tularensis'' appears as small rods (0.2 by 0.2 μm), and is grown best at 35–37 °C. History This species was discovered in ground squirrels in Tulare County, California in 1911. ''Bacterium tularense'' was so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Q Fever
Q fever or query fever is a disease caused by infection with ''Coxiella burnetii'', a bacterium that affects humans and other animals. This organism is uncommon, but may be found in cattle, sheep, goats, and other domestic mammals, including cats and dogs. The infection results from inhalation of a spore-like small-cell variant, and from contact with the milk, urine, feces, vaginal mucus, or semen of infected animals. Rarely, the disease is tick-borne. The incubation period can range from . Humans are vulnerable to Q fever, and infection can result from even a few organisms. The bacterium is an Intracellular parasites#Obligate, obligate intracellular pathogenic parasite. Signs and symptoms The incubation period is usually two to three weeks. The most common manifestation is flu-like symptoms: abrupt onset of fever, malaise, diaphoresis, profuse perspiration, severe headache, myalgia, muscle pain, Arthralgia, joint pain, Anorexia (symptom), loss of appetite, upper respi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coxiella Burnetii
''Coxiella burnetii'' is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen, and is the causative agent of Q fever. The genus ''Coxiella'' is morphologically similar to '' Rickettsia'', but with a variety of physiological differences genetically classified as part of the class Gammaproteobacteria (and not Alphaproteobacteria, like ''Rickettsia''). ''C. burnetii'' is a small Gram-negative, coccobacillary bacterium that is highly resistant to environmental stresses such as high temperature, osmotic pressure, and ultraviolet light. These characteristics are attributed to a small cell variant form of the organism that is part of a biphasic developmental cycle, including a more metabolically and replicatively active large cell variant form. It can survive standard disinfectants, and is resistant to many other environmental changes like those presented in the phagolysosome. History and naming Research in the 1920s and 1930s identified what appeared to be a new type of ''Rickettsia'', i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Psittacosis
Psittacosis—also known as parrot fever, and ornithosis—is a zoonotic infectious disease in humans caused by a bacterium called '' Chlamydia psittaci'' and contracted from infected parrots, such as macaws, cockatiels, and budgerigars, and from pigeons, sparrows, ducks, hens, gulls and many other species of birds. The incidence of infection in canaries and finches is believed to be lower than in psittacine birds. In certain contexts, the word is used when the disease is carried by any species of birds belonging to the family Psittacidae, whereas ornithosis is used when other birds carry the disease. In humans Signs and symptoms In humans, psittacosis typically presents as a flu-like illness with an incubation period of 5–19 days. The severity of the disease varies, ranging from asymptomatic cases to systemic illness with severe pneumonia. Early symptoms often mimic typhoid fever and include high fevers, chills, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, diarrhea, conjunctivi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chlamydia Psittaci
''Chlamydia psittaci'' is a lethal intracellular bacterial species that may cause endemic avian chlamydiosis, epizootic outbreaks in other mammals, and respiratory psittacosis in humans. Potential hosts include feral birds and domesticated poultry, as well as cattle, pigs, sheep, and horses. ''C. psittaci'' is transmitted by inhalation, contact, or ingestion among birds and to mammals. Psittacosis in birds and in humans often starts with flu-like symptoms and becomes a life-threatening pneumonia. Many strains remain quiescent in birds until activated by stress. Birds are excellent, highly mobile vectors for the distribution of chlamydia infection, because they feed on, and have access to, the detritus of infected animals of all sorts. ''Chlamydia psittaci'' in birds is often systemic, and infections can be inapparent, severe, acute, or chronic with intermittent shedding. ''C. psittaci'' strains in birds infect mucosal epithelial cells and macrophages of the respiratory tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chlamydia Pneumoniae
Chlamydia, or more specifically a chlamydia infection, is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Chlamydia trachomatis''. Most people who are infected have no symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they may occur only several weeks after infection; the incubation period between exposure and being able to infect others is thought to be on the order of two to six weeks. Symptoms in women may include vaginal discharge or burning with urination. Symptoms in men may include discharge from the penis, burning with urination, or pain and swelling of one or both testicles. The infection can spread to the upper genital tract in women, causing pelvic inflammatory disease, which may result in future infertility or ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydia infections can occur in other areas besides the genitals, including the anus, eyes, throat, and lymph nodes. Repeated chlamydia infections of the eyes that go without treatment can result in trachoma, a common cause of blindness ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intracellular Parasite
Intracellular parasites are microparasites that are capable of growing and reproducing inside the cells of a host. They are also called intracellular pathogens. Types There are two main types of intracellular parasites: Facultative and Obligate. Facultative intracellular parasites are capable of living and reproducing in or outside of host cells. Obligate intracellular parasites, on the other hand, need a host cell to live and reproduce. Many of these types of cells require specialized host types, and invasion of host cells occurs in different ways. Facultative Facultative intracellular parasites are capable of living and reproducing either inside or outside cells. Bacterial examples include: Fungal examples include: Obligate Obligate intracellular parasites cannot reproduce outside their host cell, meaning that the parasite's reproduction is entirely reliant on intracellular resources. All viruses are obligate intracellular parasites. Bacterial examples (that affect ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pulse Oximetry
Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive method for monitoring blood oxygen saturation. Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) readings are typically within 2% accuracy (within 4% accuracy in 95% of cases) of the more accurate (and invasive) reading of arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) from arterial blood gas analysis. A standard pulse oximeter passes two wavelengths of light through tissue to a photodetector. Taking advantage of the pulsate flow of arterial blood, it measures the change in absorbance over the course of a cardiac cycle, allowing it to determine the absorbance due to arterial blood alone, excluding unchanging absorbance due to venous blood, skin, bone, muscle, fat, and, in many cases, nail polish. The two wavelengths measure the quantities of bound (oxygenated) and unbound (non-oxygenated) hemoglobin, and from their ratio, the percentage of bound hemoglobin is computed. The most common approach is ''transmissive pulse oximetry''. In this approach, one side of a thin part of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silent Hypoxia
Silent hypoxia (also known as happy hypoxia) is generalised hypoxia that does not coincide with shortness of breath. This presentation is known to be a complication of COVID-19, and is also known in walking pneumonia, altitude sickness, and rebreather diving. Causes One theory relating to COVID-19 presentation suggests the impaired processing of severe hypoxia and resumption of normal breathing may be due to the neurological pathway by which the virus spreads from the oral cavity to the brain. It is speculated that this condition is caused by SARS-CoV-2 affecting the blood flow of the lungs' airways, in addition to the blood vessels within the lungs, which must match in order to allow proper airflow, but not affecting them enough to cause shortness of breath. It is also speculated that silent hypoxia may be caused by the formation of small blood clots within the lungs. It has been shown that the breathing rates of patients with COVID-19 gradually increase, which in turn leads t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
