pyogenic infection.pptx

Pyogenic Infection Ajay
subedi
Bsc.MLT
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Introduction
• Infection characterized by severe local
inflammation, usually with pus formation, generally caused by one of the
pyogenic bacteria.
• Sepsis:The term sepsis covers numerous and diverse pyogenic infections
which includes superficial skin infections,wound infections,infection of
burns,infection of eyes,peritonitis and abscesses.
• Pus is an exudate typically white yellow or yellow formed at the site of
inflammation during infection.
• Abscesses are localized collection of pus composed of living and dead
WBC, components of tissue break down.
• 70% of tissue infection is mainly caused by
Staphylococcus aureus.
• Etymology:
– Greek word, pyon meaning pus, genein, meaning to produce
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

What is pus, and pus cells?
• Pus is a fluid composed of : dead & dying WBC, dead
& dying bacteria (in bacterial cause of pus),tissue
debris, edema, fibrin, lipid and nucleic acid.
• Pus cells : it is degranulated wbc, neutrophils.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

INTRODUCTION
• The body responds to invasion by a wide variety of bacteria by an
increased blood supply to the area and by an outpouring of serous
fluid and white blood cells.
• This is the typical inflammatory response.
• The white cells which pass from the blood into the infected tissues
attempt to ingest the bacteria (phagocytosis), many cells die and
the resultant material consisting of both living and dead white cells
(leucocytes or pus cells) and bacteria, together with damaged local
tissues and blood proteins, constitutes PUS.
• Infections in which pus is produced are known as pyogenic, i.e. pus-
producing infections.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Pus may be present as a localised collection deep in the tissues—an
ABSCESS, it may be produced on a surface, e.g. the mucosa of the
pharynx, the mucosa of the bladder, the méninges, indeed any body
surface, it is then known as a PURULENT EXUDATE.
• Alternatively infection may spread evenly through the tissues causing
a diffuse inflammation :CELLULITIS.
• The type of pus production will depend on the organism causing the
infection, on the tissue in which the infective process is taking place,
and also on the body resistance to the infection.
• Although the pyogenic infections have very similar appearances
whatever the causative organism, different sites of the body have a
tendency to be infected with particular species of bacteria.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Gram positive
– Staphylococcus aureus
– Streptococcus pyogenes
– Enterococcus species
– Anareobic streptococci
– Clostridium perfrinhes
and other clostridia
– Actinomycetes
– Actinomyces israaeli
– Mycobacterium
tuberculosis
• Gram negative(rare)
– Pseudomonas
aeruginosa
– Proteus species
– Escherichia coli
– Bacterioids species
– Klebsiella species
– Pasteurella species
Common organisms causing Pyogenic
infections are as follows:
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Fungi Parasites
• Mycetoma spp Entamoeba histolytica
• Histoplasma
• Blastomyces
• Candida albicans
• Cryptocooccus neoformans
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Some of the common infections caused by
pyogenic bacterias are:
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Folliculitis: It is the infection and inflammation of one or
more hair follicles.
Potential bacteria:S.aureus
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Impetigo: It is a contagious skin infection that usually
produces blisters or sores on the face, neck, hands, and
diaper area.
Potential bacteria:S.aureus, S.pyogenes
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Ecthyma :It is similar
to impetigo, but
occurs deep inside
the skin.
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Furncles: It is another word for a boil. Boils are bacterial or
fungal infections of hair follicles. S.aureus
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Carbuncle:clustures of furuncle connected
subcutaneously causing deeper supperations.A
large abscess,usually occurs in thick collagenous
tissue such as back of the neck.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Macules: A patch of skin that is altered in color but usually
not elevated and that is a characteristic feature of
various disease.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Papules: It is a circumscribed, solid elevation of skin with
no visible fluid, varying in size from a pinhead to 1 cm.
They can be brown, purple, pink or red in color, and can
cluster into a rash. The papules may open when
scratched and become infected and crusty.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Stye:It is a small boil or abscess in one of the glands of
lash follicles caused by S.aureus of endogenous
origin(anterior nares or implantation by finger from a
septic lesion elsewhere in the body.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Acne: It is a common
skin condition where the
pores of skin become
blocked by hair, sebum
(an oily substance),
bacteria and dead skin
cells. Those blockages
produce blackheads,
whiteheads, nodules and
other types of pimples.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Erysipelas :It is an infection of the upper layers of the skin
(superficial). The most common cause is group A streptococcal
bacteria, especially Streptococcus pyogenes. Erysipelas results in
a fiery red rash with raised edges that can easily be distinguished
from the skin around it. The affected skin may be warm to the
touch.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

1.Infection of wounds
• Infection may occur following accidental trauma
and injections,but postoperative wound
infections in hospital are most common .Wound
infection may be:
• Endogenous infection:Infection occurs by patients
own bacteria flora such as S.aureus from skin and
anterior nares or coliforms.
• Exogeneous infection:Spread of organisms from
hospital staff and visitors occur by direct and indirect
airborne routes.more than 60% of hospital acquired
infections are due to Gram negative enteric bacilli and
only in 30% cases Gram positive cocci responsible.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

SURGICAL WOUND INFECTION
MINOR WOUND INFECTION—NO,SIRS
MAJOR WOUND INFECTION-TOO MUCH
PUS +SIRS
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

2.Infections of skin and subcutaneous
tissue
• Clinical types
• 1. Acne(pimple): caused by Propionibacterium acne,
anaerobic diphtheroids, coagulase negative
Staphylococci and micrococci
• 2. Staphylococcal infection: Boils , furuncles and
Carbuncle are commonest leisons caused by S.aureus
• 3. Streptococcal infections includes cellulitis,
erysipelas, ecythema and impetigo and scarlet fever.
• 4. Gram negative infections: are rare on healthy skin
except moist area of groin and axilla
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

3.Infection of Burns
• The large moist exposed surface of burns become
colonised by bacteria within 24 hours
• Bacterial flora of skin, respiratory tract and colon,
streptococci and aerobic spore-bearing bacilli and
non-fermenting bacilli are often involved
• S. aureus is the commonest isolate from burns ,
followed by P. aeruginosa and then various GNB
e.g E. coli, Klebsiella spp, Acinetobacter spp and S.
pyogenes groups A, B, C and G
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

4.Infection of Eyes
• Eyelid infections: Stye- S.aureus
• Infection of Lacrimal apparatus
• Conjunctivitis/ Keratitis/ Orbital Cellulitis:
– Causative agents: S. aureus, Hemophilus spp.
Moraxella Lacunata, Chlamydia trachomatis, S.
pneumoniae , Adenovirus, HSV 1
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Staphylococcus aureus is the commonest
pathogen isolated from subcutaneous
abscesses and skin wounds. It also causes
impetigo. Penicillin and methicillin resistant
strains of S.aureus are common causes of
hospital acquired wound infections.
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with
infected burns and hospital acquired
infections.
Notes on pathogen
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Escherichia coli, Proteus species,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacterioides
species are the pathogens most frequently
isolated from abdominal abcesses and
wounds. Pus containing Bacterioides species
has very unpleasant smell.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• C. perfringens is found mainly in deep wounds
where anaerobic conditions exist. The toxins
produced cause putrefactive decay of the
infected tissue with gas production.The death
and decay of tissue by C. perfringens is called
gas gangrene.
• Chronic leg ulceration is common in those with
sickle cell disease. The commonest pathogens
isolated are S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, S. pyogenes,
and Bacteroides species.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Mycobacterium tuberculosis is associated with
cold abscesses. It is cold because it is not accompanied by the
classical signs of inflammation .
• Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax, with cutaneous
form of the disease producing pustule usually on
the hand or arm.
• Vincent’s organisms (Borrelia vincenti with Gram
negative anaerobic fusiform bacilli) are associated
with tropical ulcer. The ulcer is commonly found
on the leg, often of malnourished persons,
especially children. Staphylococci and
streptococci are frequently secondary invaders.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Actinomycetes (filamentous bacteria) and several
species of fungi cause mycetom. Specimens of
pus from the draining sinuses contain granules,
examination of which helps to differentiate
whether the mycetoma is bacterial (treatable) or
fungal (less easily treated).
• A. israeli and other species of Actinomyces cause
actinomycosis. Small yellow granules can be
found in pus from a draining sinus (often in the
neck).
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Y. pestis causes plague. The disease is referred
to as bubonic plague when the organism
infects a lymph gland and produces a painful
swelling referred to as a bubo. The organism
can be found in the fluid aspirated from the
bubo and in the surrounding inflamed tissue.
The organism is highly infectious.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Laboratory diagnosis
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Specimens
• Tissue biopsies
• Aspirates /swabs/pus
• Material obtained by surgical debridement
• Drainage samples
• Exudates
• FNAC
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• Aspirated material is superior to a swab
specimen because swabs:
1. Commonly yield host of mixed bacterial flora
2. Often don’t reflect true organisms.
3. Easily contaminated
4. Tend to dry out.
5. Likely to expose anaerobes to too much oxygen
6 . Small volume
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Sample collection
• Pus from abcess is best collected at the time
the abcess is incised and drained, or after it is
ruptured naturally.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Care should be taken to avoid contamination
with commensal organism from the skin.
• As far as possible a specimen from wound
should be collected before an antiseptic
dressing is applied.
• If a swab must be used, collect two, one for
culture and one for Gram stain.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Sampling Deep Wounds:
1. Disinfect the surface with 70% alcohol and then
with 2% tincture of iodine.
2. Aspirate the deepest portion of the lesion or pass
a swab deep into the lesion, firmly sampling the
lesion’s leading edge. Avoid contamination by the
wound surface.
3. If collection is done at surgery, a portion of the
abscess wall should also be sent for culture.
4. Transfer material into a sterile
5. Remove tincture of iodine with 70% alcohol to
prevent burn.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Sampling Soft Tissue Aspirate:
1. Disinfect the surface with 70% alcohol and
then with 2% tincture of iodine.
2. Aspirate the deepest portion of the lesion or
sinus tract or pass a swab into the lesion, firmly
sampling the lesion’s edge. Avoid contamination
by the wound surface.
3. Transfer material into a sterile container
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Transport/Storage:
Onsite collections: Transport to the
Microbiology Laboratory immediately at room
temperature. Do not refrigerate.
Off site collections: Specimens must be
promptly transported to the laboratory, with the
next available courier, not to exceed 24 hours
from the time of collection.
• Transport aerobic swab or aspirate
refrigerated.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Transportation medium
• Amies transport medium
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Swabs
• Swabs suitable for taking specimens of
exudate from the throat, nostril, ear, skin,
wounds and other accessible lesions consist of
a sterile pledget of absorbant material, usually
cotton wool or synthetic fiber, mounted on a
thin wore or stick.
• Different swabs for special purposes are
– Baby swabs, Pernasal swab, post nasal swab,
laryngeal swab and High vaginal swab.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Sampling swabs for the safe collection, transport
and preservation of all types of microorganisms
to the laboratory.
• Synthetic and natural materials are available
allowing the user to tailor cost and performance.
• Swabs are available dry or with culture media
(Amies Clear, Amies Charcoal, MRD); with
wooden, aluminium, polystyrene or
polypropylene shafts; and with cotton, viscose or
alginate tips.
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Diferent types of swab sticks
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• Always submit two swabs so that Gram stain can be
performed.
• Limit swab sampling to wounds that are clinically infected
or those that are chronic and are not healing.
• To minimize contamination, it is important to cleanse the
wound to remove superficial debris by thorough irrigation
and cleansing with non-bacteriostatic sterile saline.
• If the wound is relatively dry, collect the specimen with
two cotton-tipped swabs moistened with sterile non-
bacteriostatic saline. Gently roll the swab over the surface
of the wound approximately five times, focusing on an area
where there is evidence of pus or inflamed tissue.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Criteria of specimen rejection
• Inappropriate specimen transport device;
• mislabeled specimen;
• unlabeled specimen;
• specimen received after prolonged delay
(usually more than 72 hours);
• specimen received in expired transport media
and dried samples.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

In a hospital with a microbiology
laboratory
• Using a sterile technique, aspirate or collect from
a drainage tube up to 5ml of pus.
• It is then transferred to a sterile leak proof sterile
container.
• When pus is not being discharged, a sterile cotton
wool swab is used to collect sample from the
infected site.Immerse the swab in a container of
Amies transport medium.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Label the specimen and as soon as possible
deliver it with a completed request form to
the laboratory.
Caution: Specimens from patients with suspected plague or anthrax are
highly infectious. Label such specimens HIGH RISK and handle them with
care.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

In a health centre for dispatch to a
microbiology laboratory
• Collect the specimen using a sterile cotton-wool
swab. Insert it in a container of Amies transport
medium , breaking off the swab stick to allow the
bottle top to be replaced tightly.
• When the material is aspirated fluid from a
pustule, transfer the fluid to a sterile, leak-proof
container. Stopper, and seal in a leak-proof plastic
or metal container.
Note: It is not possible to transport exudate from a suspected treponemal
ulcer because the treponemes remain motile for only a short time.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Make a smear of the material on a clean slide
(for Gram staining) and allow to air-dry in a
safe place. Heat-fix the smear.
Caution: Do not make a smear for transporting when the specimen is from a
patient with suspected anthrax or bubonic plague.
• Send the specimens with a completed request
form to reach the microbiology laboratory
within 6 hours.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Laboratory examination
• Macroscopic examination
– The appearance of pus and the amount of pus
should be noted on initial examination.
– The pus of staphylococcal lesion is typically
creamy and thick.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

– That of Streptococcus pyogenes infection is
generally straw coloured and watery.
– Proteus infection has a fishy smell and the
Pseudomonas infection a sweet, musty odour and
often a blue pigmentation.
– Pus containing anaerobic organism often has an
offensive putrid smell.
Examination of wet film may reveal the
presence of fungi or motile bacteria.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• When mycetoma or actinomycosis is
suspected, the appearance of specimen and
presence of granules is reported.
• Detection of granules:
– White, yellow, brown, red or black granules may
be present in the pus in mycetoma.
– The sample is mixed with distilled water to free
the granules.
– A hand lense can be used to view the granules.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Microscopic examination
– Direct examination
• Staphylococcal lesion shows the evidence of pus cells.
• Streptococcal infection is generally with lysed pus cells.
Presence of many epithelium cells resembles
skin contamination but presence of PMNs
suggest good quality of sample.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

– Gram Smear
• Make an evenly spread smear of the specimen on a clean,
grease-free slide
• It is air dried and stained by Gram technique.
• The smear is examined for bacteria among the pus cells
using 40x and 100x.
• and stain by Gram staining technique. Examine the smear
for the presence of bacteria and pus cells (PMNs).
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• using 100x objective lens and look especially for:
– Gram negative rods ( Possible pathogens are E.coli, Klebsiella
pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus or
Bacteroides species)
– Gram positive cocci in pairs, chains or clusters (possible
pathogens are Staphylococcus
aureus ,Streptococcus pyogenes, anaerobic streptococci or
enterococci).
– Gram positive large rods with square ends (possible pathogens
are Clostridium perfringens or Bacillus anthracis)
– In the case of anaerobic infections large number of pleomorphic
bacteria (streptococci, Gram positive and Gram negative rods of
various size and fusiform bacteria) may be seen.
Sometimes, Gram positive yeast cells with psuedohyphae may
be seen, which can be Candida albicans .
•
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Ziehl-Neelsen smear is prepared when
tuberculosis is suspected.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• KOH preparation:
When a fungal or actinomycete infection is
suspected.
• Giemsa or Wayson’s smear:
When bubonic plague is suspected.
• Polychrome methylene blue:
When cutaneous anthrax is suspected.
• Dark-field microscopy:
To detect treponemes when yaws or pinta is
suspected.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Wayson smear:Yersinia pestis appears purple with a
characteristic safety-pin appearance,which is due to
the presence of a central vacuole.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Fluorescent Ab stain- polyclonal or
monoclonal ab against specific organisms.
Direct or indirect .
most commnly used fluorescein
isothiocyanate as flurochrome.
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Culture
• The specimen is inoculated in following culture medias to obtain
isolated colonies.
1)Blood agar
Incubate aerobically
2)MacConkey agar
Incubate aerobically
3) Cooked meat medium
Subculture at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h as indicated
4) Neomycin blood agar when anaerobic infection is suspected
Incubate anaerobically up to 48 h
5)Culture for M. tuberculosis or M. ulcerans
Requires facilities of a Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• The specimen should be incubated on two
plates of blood agar, the one for incubation at
37°C aerobically and other for incubation
anaerobically in nitrogen/ hydrogen plus 5-
10% carbondioxide.
• It should also be plated for aerobic incubation
on MacConkey agar or CLED agar for
differentiation of coliforms, staphylococci and
enterococci.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• It should be inoculated into a tube of cooked
meat broth for enrichment of extracting
aerobes and anaerobes.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• If the growth is seen after 24/48 hours of culture, examination
of the colony morphology and identification of the isolates
should be done.
• In the Blood Agar plate look for the hemolysis.
Both Staphylococus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes
gives beta-hemolysis in Blood Agar (Some S. aureus isolates
may not show hemolysis).
Examination and Reporting
the Culture results:
 S. aureus gives yellow to cream or white colonies. Colonies are
slightly raised and easily emulsified.beta-hemolytic.
 S.pyogenes produces beta-hemolytic colonies. Colonies are
usually small, colourless, dry, shiny or mucoid.
 Enterococci gives non-hemolytic colonies in blood agar.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Enterococcus faecium
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• We can differentiate between streptococci and
staphylococci by a very simple and rapid test-Catalase
test(Staphylococcus-positive, Streptococcus-negative).
• For identification of suspected S. aureus colonies
perform coagulase test (to differentiate coagulase
negative Staphylococci from S. aureus) and for
suspected Group A Streptococci (S.pyogenes)
perform bacitracin sensitivity test(can be added in the
blood agar plate with other antibiotics).
• If enterococci is suspected perform bile esculin test.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Look for growth of lactose fermenter colonies (pink)
or non-lactose fermenter colonies (pale) in
MacConkey Agar plate.
• Lactose fermenter colonies can be of Escherichia
coli, Klebsiella spps or Enterobacter spps and non-
lactose fermenter colonies can be of Psuedomonas
aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp, Proteus spps etc.
•
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Member of the family of the Enterobacteriaceae
can be differentiated from other Gram-negative
bacilli by performing two rapid tests (catalase test
+ve, and oxidase test –ve).
• Identifications of the enteric bacteria can be done
by using biochemical tests such as citrate
utilization test,Triple Sugar Iron (TSI) Agar
test,Sulphite-Indole Motility(SIM) test,
and urease test.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa gives large, flat,
spreading pale colored colonies in MacConkey
Agar. It is oxidase positive and can be identified
by its pigments and/or distinctive smell
(characteristics fruity smell).
• Depending on the facilities available in the
diagnostic laboratories, organisms can be
identified using enterotube test or API-20E
test or other newer diagnostics test available for
the identification of isolates.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Anaerobic blood agar culture and
cooked meat culture
• The growth could be Clostridium perfringens,
Bacteroides fragilis group or
Peptostreptococcus species.
 C.perfringens grows rapidly in cooked meat medium with
hydrogen sulphide gas production and reddening but no
decomposition of meat.
On anaerobic blood agar, colonies are seen after 48hrs of
incubation.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

• B. fragilis grows in cooked meat medium
producing decomposition blackening of the meat.
• On blood agar non hemolytic grey colonies are
seen.
• Peptostreptococcus grows in cooked meat
medium with production of large number of
hydrogen sulphide gas.
• Small non hemolytic colonies are seen in
anaerobic blood agar after 48hrs of incubation.
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

Figure 1: Robertson's Cooked Meat Medium (RCM) showing saccharolytic property
(left), proteolytic property (middle), uninoculated RCM (right)
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

 Antigen detection by agglutination or EIA
latex agglutination
fungal antigen(C. neoformans )
bacterial antigen( CSF specimen)
EIA
bacterial Ag- group A Streptococci
bacterial toxin
 Molecular based assay
Ajay Subedi,BMLT

pyogenic infection.pptx

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