Organism

The entity causing disease.

Reservoir/Transmission

The source and method of pathogen spread.

Hallmark Clue

Signature clinical manifestation indicating a specific disease.

Precaution

Infection control measures to prevent disease spread.

Priority Action

The first nursing action based on clinical urgency.

Rice-water stools

Signature clue for cholera.

Koplik spots

Signature clue for measles.

Postauricular/occipital nodes + facial-to-downward rash

Signature clue for rubella.

Hypopigmented anesthetic lesions + thickened nerves

Signature clue for leprosy.

Transmission routes

Contaminated food/water, mosquito vector, respiratory spread, direct contact, sexual transmission, animal exposure, or soil penetration.

Airway, oxygenation, shock, bleeding, neurologic deterioration, and severe dehydration

Nursing priorities over comfort measures.

Precautions for TB

Airborne.

Precautions for varicella

Airborne + contact.

Precautions for measles

Airborne.

Precautions for meningococcal meningitis

Droplet.

Precautions for respiratory diphtheria

Droplet + standard.

Bacteremia

Bacteria present in the bloodstream.

Septicemia

Bloodstream infection with systemic disease/toxicity.

Plasma

Liquid portion of blood.

Serum

Liquid that remains after blood has clotted.

Clean-catch/midstream urine collection

Method for urine specimen collection.

Carbohydrates

Composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; nitrogen is the exception.

Lipids

Not water-soluble.

Dogma

A basic/fundamental doctrinal point in religion or philosophy.

Saprophytic fungi

Digest organic material outside the organism using exoenzymes.

ATP

Major energy-storing/energy-carrying molecule within a cell.

Microbial growth factors

Nutrients, temperature, pH, and osmotic pressure all affect growth.

MacConkey agar (MCA)

Selective for gram-negative bacteria.

Lyophilization

Combines dehydration/drying with freezing.

Agar

Complex polysaccharide obtained from red marine algae.

Antimicrobial agent

A chemical/drug used to treat infectious disease by inhibiting or killing pathogens in vivo.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics

Active against a wide range of organisms, including gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Co-trimoxazole

Combination of trimethoprim + sulfamethoxazole.

Chloramphenicol

Prolonged/high-dose use is associated with serious aplastic anemia.

MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Neutralism

Different microorganisms occupy the same niche without affecting one another.

Alpha-hemolytic streptococci

Associated with lumpy jaw.

Fetus and indigenous microflora

The fetus is treated as having no indigenous microflora.

Host

A living organism that harbors another living organism.

Carrier

Can carry a pathogen without having had the disease.

Prevalence

Number of existing cases in a population at a particular moment.

Toxoplasmosis

Can follow ingestion of oocysts from cat feces or cysts in raw/undercooked meat.

WHO

World Health Organization.

River blindness

Onchocerciasis.

Category C agents

Not currently believed to pose high bioterrorism risk but potentially emerging future threats.

Smallpox

Serious contagious viral disease with characteristic rash.

Primary sewage treatment

Screening, removal of floating grease/oil, and shredding/ground debris.

Iatrogenic infection

Infection resulting from medical/surgical treatment or caused by healthcare personnel.

Gram-negative bacilli examples

E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella.

Infection control

Actions taken to prevent infection or break the chain of infection.

Suspected TB precautions

Droplet precautions are inappropriate; AIIR and N95 are appropriate.

Contact precautions

Grouped for C. difficile, multidrug-resistant infections, and viral hemorrhagic fevers.

Prodromal period

Patient feels unwell but has not yet developed actual symptoms.

Pathogenesis sequence

Multiplication, invasion/spread, evasion of host defenses, and tissue damage.

Enterotoxins

Exotoxins that adversely affect the gastrointestinal tract.

Neurotoxins

Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium tetani.

Hemolysins

Exoenzymes/toxins associated with destruction of host cell membranes.

Varicella (chickenpox)

Pruritic lesions appear in successive crops.

Cholera

Profuse painless 'rice-water' diarrhea.

COVID-19 symptoms

Fever, cough, dyspnea, hypoxemia.

COVID-19

Fever, cough, dyspnea, hypoxemia.

MERS-CoV

Dromedary camel exposure in an area where MERS occurs is a key epidemiologic clue.

SARS

Fever followed by respiratory symptoms that may progress to severe pneumonia.

COVID-19/MERS/SARS infection control

Use appropriate transmission-based precautions in addition to standard precautions.

Dengue

When fever falls around the critical period and the patient develops restlessness, cool clammy skin, and weak rapid pulse, assess immediately for plasma leakage and shock.

Dengue with platelets 45,000/mm³

Monitor closely for bleeding. Avoid aspirin and unnecessary trauma/IM injections.

Dengue warning sign

Persistent vomiting and abdominal pain require immediate attention.

Respiratory diphtheria

A thick grayish-white pharyngeal membrane can threaten the airway.

Respiratory diphtheria precautions

Droplet + standard precautions.

Viral encephalitis

Fever + severe headache + confusion + seizure → reduce stimulation and institute seizure precautions.

Lymphatic filariasis

Mosquito exposure is central to transmission; insecticide-treated bed nets and reducing mosquito exposure are tested preventive measures.

Systemic fungal infection + amphotericin B

Increased serum creatinine is the concerning finding because nephrotoxicity is a major safety concern.

Priority framework

Decreasing level of consciousness in encephalitis outranks chronic leg swelling, mild oral discomfort, or itching.

Rubella

Fine pink maculopapular rash begins on face and spreads downward + tender postauricular/occipital nodes.

Gonorrhea

Lower abdominal pain, fever, abnormal vaginal discharge after unprotected sex.

Hepatitis A

Usually transmitted through contaminated food or water. Fecal-oral transmission.

Hepatitis B

HBsAg indicates current infection/infectiousness.

HSV prodrome

Tingling and burning at the usual vesicle site before lesions appear.

Herpes labialis

Active oral lesions can transmit infection.

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus

Forehead/tip of nose involvement + eye pain/blurred vision.

Hookworm

Microcytic hypochromic anemia + fatigue/pallor/weakness in poor sanitation settings.

Influenza

Sudden onset systemic symptoms with prominent fever and myalgia distinguishes it from common cold.

Avian influenza

Poultry worker + high fever, cough, dyspnea, pneumonia after sick-poultry contact.

Leprosy

Hypopigmented/reddish lesions with sensory loss and thickened peripheral nerves.

Leptospirosis / Weil disease

Severe disease with jaundice, oliguria, elevated creatinine, and bleeding tendencies.

Malaria

Cycles of fever, chills, and profuse sweating after travel to endemic area.

Measles

Fever, cough, coryza, conjunctivitis + Koplik spots.

Bacterial meningitis

Severe headache, photophobia, nuchal rigidity, positive Kernig sign.

Meningococcal meningitis

Non-blanching petechial rash + hypotension.

Infectious mononucleosis

Severe fatigue, fever, sore throat, cervical lymphadenopathy + atypical lymphocytes.

Mumps

Fever, headache, painful swelling below both ears.

Head lice

Nits firmly attached to hair shafts close to scalp.

Nitrogen in carbohydrate question

Exception.

Saprophytic fungus + extracellular digestion

Exoenzymes.

MCA

Selective for gram-negative bacteria.

Chloramphenicol + aplastic anemia

Serious hematologic toxicity.

TB

Airborne precautions / AIIR / N95.

Prodrome

Feeling unwell before actual symptoms.

Enterotoxin

GI tract.

C. botulinum + C. tetani

Neurotoxins.