Introduction to
Medical Infection Related Diseases I. Introduction In the field of medicine, infection related diseases have always been an important topic of concern. They not only pose a serious threat to the health of patients, but also pose great challenges to the medical system on a global scale. Understanding the characteristics, causes, transmission routes and prevention measures of these diseases is very important for healthcare workers, patients and even the general public. 2. Types of common infection-related diseases 1. Bacterial infectious diseases • Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia: This is a lung infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Streptococcus pneumoniae often lives in the nasopharynx of normal people. When human immunity decreases, such as cold, fatigue, rain and other incentives, bacteria can multiply rapidly and invade the lungs, causing inflammation. The main manifestations of the patients were high fever, cough, sputum, rust-colored sputum, chest pain, expiratory dyspnoea and other symptoms. • Staphylococcus aureus infection: Staphylococcus aureus can cause a variety of infections, such as skin and soft tissue infections, manifested as furuncles, carbuncles, impetigo, etc.; it can also cause septicemia, pneumonia and other serious infections. The bacteria can invade the human body through damaged skin and mucosa, and the toxins produced by the bacteria can lead to toxic shock syndrome and other serious consequences. 2. Viral infectious diseases • Influenza: It is caused by influenza virus and is highly infectious. Influenza viruses can spread easily and rapidly in crowded places through droplet transmission. After infection, patients will have high fever, headache, fatigue, muscle soreness, cough, runny nose and other symptoms. The severity of influenza varies, and serious cases can be complicated by pneumonia and other complications, even life-threatening. • AIDS (HIV): caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, which primarily attacks the body’s immune system, specifically CD4 + T lymphocytes. HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact, blood, mother-to-child and other ways. Patients may only have cold-like symptoms in the early stage of infection, and then enter a long incubation period. With the gradual destruction of the immune system, various opportunistic infections and tumors will occur, seriously affecting the quality of life and life span of patients. 3. Fungal infectious diseases • Candida infection: Candida albicans is one of the most common pathogenic fungi, which can cause oral candidiasis (thrush), manifested as white curd-like plaques on the oral mucosa; it can also cause vaginal candidiasis, resulting in vaginal itching, increased leucorrhea and tofu dregs-like symptoms. Candida infection is more common in people with low immunity and long-term use of antibiotics or glucocorticoids. • Aspergillus infection: Aspergillus can be widespread in the environment and can cause pulmonary aspergillosis when the human body inhales large amounts of Aspergillus spores. Patients may have cough, expectoration, hemoptysis, chest pain and other symptoms. For patients with severely impaired immune function, such as patients after organ transplantation and leukemia patients, Aspergillus infection may be fatal. 3. Etiology and transmission of infection-related diseases 1. Etiology • Pathogenicity of pathogens: Different pathogens have different pathogenic abilities. For example, some bacteria can produce toxins that directly destroy human tissues and cells; viruses can invade host cells and use intracellular substances to replicate, thus interfering with the normal functions of cells. • Host factors: The body’s own immunity is the key to fighting infection. People with low immunity, such as the elderly, infants, those with chronic diseases (such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, etc.), and those who use immunosuppressants for a long time, are more vulnerable to pathogens. 2. Transmission route • Respiratory transmission: Many pathogens can be transmitted in the air through droplets, aerosols and other forms. When healthy people inhale the air containing pathogens, they may be infected, such as influenza virus, tuberculosis Bacillus, etc. • Digestive tract transmission: It is mainly transmitted through contaminated food and water. For example, Vibrio cholerae and hepatitis A virus can enter the human body through this way, causing intestinal infection. • contact transmission: includes direct and indirect contact. Direct contact, such as sexual contact transmission AIDS, syphilis and other diseases; indirect contact is through contact with objects contaminated by pathogens, such as shared towels, toothbrushes and other diseases. • Blood transmission: Diseases such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and HIV can be transmitted through transfusion of blood or blood products containing pathogens, or through the use of medical devices that are not strictly sterilized (such as syringes, acupuncture needles, etc.). 4. Diagnosis and treatment of infection-related diseases 1. Diagnosis • clinical signs and symptoms and signs: Doctors will first judge the possible types of infectious diseases according to the patient’s clinical signs, such as fever, cough, rash and other symptoms, as well as the corresponding signs, such as pulmonary rales, lymph node enlargement, etc. • Laboratory tests: This is an important basis for the diagnosis of infection-related diseases. Common laboratory tests include blood routine (to understand the changes of white blood cells, neutrophil and other indicators, to determine whether there is inflammation), pathogen culture (such as bacterial culture, viral culture, etc., to identify the types of pathogens), serological examination (to detect the antibodies against pathogens in the serum of patients, and to determine whether there is inflammation). To determine whether the corresponding pathogens have been infected), molecular biological examination (such as PCR technology, can quickly detect the nucleic acid of pathogens, high sensitivity) and so on. 2. Treatment • Anti-infective drugs: select appropriate anti-infective drugs for different types of pathogens. For bacterial infections, antibiotics are commonly used, such as penicillins, cephalosporins, etc. For viral infections, some viruses have specific antiviral drug, such as oseltamivir, etc. For many viruses, there is no specific drug at present, mainly relying on the recovery of patients’own immunity, symptomatic and supportive treatment can be given; For fungal infections, antifungal drugs, such as fluconazole and itraconazole, are commonly used. • Symptomatic and supportive treatment: Patients may have fever, pain, expiratory dyspnoea and other discomfort symptoms during infection, and need to be given corresponding symptomatic treatment, such as antipyretic, analgesic, oxygen inhalation, etc. At the same time, it is also an important part of treatment to ensure the nutritional intake of patients and maintain the balance of water and electrolyte. 5. Preventive measure of infection-related diseases 1. General preventive measure • Maintain good personal hygiene habits: wash hands frequently, especially before meals, after defecation, after contact with public goods, etc.; change clothes and bedding frequently; keep the mouth, nose, skin and other parts clean. • Enhance immunity: through a balanced diet, adequate intake of protein, vitamins and other nutrients; moderate exercise, at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise a week; ensure adequate sleep, develop good habits of work and rest to improve their own immunity. • Avoid contact with the source of infection: try to avoid going to crowded and poorly ventilated places, if necessary, wear a mask; avoid contact with patients with obvious symptoms of infection; when in hospitals and other medical institutions, comply with the hospital’s protective regulations. 2. Special preventive measure • Vaccination: This is one of the most effective means to prevent infection-related diseases. For example, influenza vaccination can effectively reduce the risk of influenza; hepatitis B vaccination can prevent hepatitis B virus infection; for some specific groups, such as the elderly, children, medical staff, pneumonia vaccination can also play a very good preventive role. • Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases: Proper use of condoms can effectively prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, syphilis, and gonorrhea; avoiding unsafe sex and maintaining a single sexual partner are also important preventive measure. • Prevention of blood-borne diseases: ensure the use of blood and blood products that have been regularly tested; in medical operations, strictly follow the aseptic operating procedures, use disposable medical equipment, and avoid cross infection. 6. Conclusion There are many kinds of infection-related diseases with complex causes and diverse transmission routes, which pose a serious threat to human health. Through in-depth understanding of the relevant knowledge of these diseases, including their types, causes, transmission routes, diagnosis, treatment and preventive measure, we can take better and effective provention and control measures to reduce the incidence of infection, improve the survival rates of patients and protect public health. Whether it is the precise diagnosis and treatment of healthcare workers in clinical work or the self-protection of the general public in daily life, it is inseparable from the knowledge of infection-related diseases. Only with the joint efforts of the whole society and the formation of a good provention and control atmosphere, can we better cope with the challenges brought by infection-related diseases.
