Infections in the Immunocompromised Host

understand the primary and secondary causes of defects in the innate and adaptive immune responses
be able to describe the presentation, diagnosis and management of the common opportunistic pathogens that take advantage of specific defects in the host immune system

Let’s remind ourselves of our innate and adaptive defence mechanisms…
So, if your defence systems are compromised… what might happen?
What are the types of immunodeficiency that we can get?
Why has the proportion of profoundly immunocompromised patients increased in the population?
What is the principal cause of morbidity and mortality in the immunocompromised host?
Look at all the bacteria that colonise different parts of our body…
More examples of normal flora…
What are our physical barriers as part of our integumentary system?
Which properties of the skin itself provide a barrier to pathogens?
Why is chemotherapy/irradiation so detrimental to the barrier function of the skin/gut?
Here’s a simple skin break that can be a portal of entry for nasty pathogens!
Burns and chronic ulcers are also a portal for infection!
Surgery, and surgical wounds - don’t forget those too…
And finally, sticking needles into patients can transfer pathogens…
Look at how many tubes are going into people in ICU…
Poor neonates too…