What is Psuedomonas Aeruginosa?
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Pseudomonas Aeruginosa - opportunistic pathogen - is an infectious gram negative, rod-shaped strain of bacterium commonly found in moist/wet environments such as bathrooms, soil and water sources. P. Aeruginosa is called the opportunistic pathogen as it looks for a break in the host defences to commence the infection; meaning it mainly affects people who are already battling with another disease, infection or/and have a poor immune system. Healthy people can often carry the disease without showing any symptoms, or only demonstrating minor sign such as swimmers ear and/or a rash; however P. Aeruginosa can cause serious if not deadly infections in weaker populations (people with poor immune systems, elderly, babies and hospitalised). P. Aeruginosa, characterised by its green-blue colour pus, is a contagious disease that is not limited to infecting one tissue type. Unlike many other diseases which can only infect either the skin tissue or lung tissue (or whatever the disease is linked with), P. Aeruginosa can infect any human tissue including: skin, eyes, ears, nails and internal organ tissue.
Definitions: (for this websites context)
Pathogen: bacterium capable of causing disease.
Infectious: capable of spreading quickly from person to person, to cause a disease or illness.
Gram Negative: bacteria that has a cell wall made out of a thin layer of peptidoglycan.
Rod-shaped strain: long, slender type of bacteria
Bacterium: single-celled microorganisms, often multiply into colonies, to cause an infectious disease.
Contagious: capable of being transmitted through contact with a contaminated person or object.
Pathogen: bacterium capable of causing disease.
Infectious: capable of spreading quickly from person to person, to cause a disease or illness.
Gram Negative: bacteria that has a cell wall made out of a thin layer of peptidoglycan.
Rod-shaped strain: long, slender type of bacteria
Bacterium: single-celled microorganisms, often multiply into colonies, to cause an infectious disease.
Contagious: capable of being transmitted through contact with a contaminated person or object.
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Signs and Symptoms of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa include:
Pseudomonal infections can involve the following parts of the
body, with corresponding symptoms and signs:
Physical findings depend on the site and nature of the
infection, as follows:
The previous signs, symptoms and physical findings were taken from:
Medscape, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infections: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/226748-overview
Pseudomonal infections can involve the following parts of the
body, with corresponding symptoms and signs:
- Respiratory tract (eg, pneumonia)
- Bloodstream (bacteremia)
- Heart (endocarditis)
- CNS (eg, meningitis, brain abscess)
- Ear (eg, otitis externa and media)
- Eye (eg, bacterial keratitis, endophthalmitis)
- Bones and joints (eg, osteomyelitis)
- GI tract (eg, diarrhea, enteritis, enterocolitis)
- Urinary tract
- Skin (eg, ecthyma gangrenosum)
Physical findings depend on the site and nature of the
infection, as follows:
- Endocarditis: Fever, murmur, and positive blood culture findings; peripheral stigmata such as Roth spots, Janeway lesions, Osler nodes, splinter hemorrhages, and splenomegaly
- Pneumonia: Rales, rhonchi, fever, cyanosis, retractions, and hypoxia; occasionally shock; with cystic fibrosis, clubbing, increased anteroposterior (AP) diameter, and malnutrition
- GI tract: Fever, signs of dehydration, abdominal dissention, and signs of peritonitis; physical findings of Shanghai fever
- Skin and soft tissue infections: Hemorrhagic and necrotic lesions, with surrounding erythema; subcutaneous nodules, deep abscesses, cellulitis, and fasciitis; in burns, black or violaceous discoloration or eschar
- Skeletal infections: Local tenderness and a decreased range of motion; neurologic deficits
- Eye infections: Lid edema, conjunctival erythema and chemosis, and severe mucopurulent discharge
- Malignant otitis externa: Erythematous, swollen, and inflamed external auditory canal; local lymphadenopathy
- Bacteremia: Fever, tachypnea, and tachycardia; hypotension and shock; jaundice
The previous signs, symptoms and physical findings were taken from:
Medscape, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infections: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/226748-overview