(Solved) Antibiotic Tx of Neisseria infection made Sx worse?

junkeeroo

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12 years ago

Antibiotic Tx of Neisseria infection made Sx worse?

A child with a bloodborne Neisseria infection was treated with gentamicin. After treament, Neisseria could not be cultured from her blood, indicating that the bacteria were killed. However her symptoms beacame worse. Explain why antibiotic treatment made her symptoms increase.

Is this because Neisseria are gram-negative bacteria, and antibiotic Tx can partially destroy their outer membrane thus releasing the endotoxic effects of lipid A found in the lipopolysaccharide component of the outer membrnae?

Thanks in advance!

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how_mendel

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12 years ago

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After treament, Neisseria could not be cultured from her blood, indicating that the bacteria were killed. However her symptoms beacame worse. Explain why antibiotic treatment made her symptoms increase.

Sounds like a good explanation. You could also say that the antibiotic may have destroyed other bacteria that are naturally found in the intestines (microflora) that protect the body from foreign invaders. These "good" bacteria keep your body in-check. And, like you said, it could be because the bacteria cell wall, once broken or lysed, releases an endotoxins found in the cytoplasm.

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Biology!

lewis

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12 years ago

It has to do with the antibiotic attacking the bacteria which actually cause the blood cells to burst releasing more toxin into the blood stream and actually causing the person to become septic and die. That's about the simplest way I know how to explain it. If you are talking about the other two-sepsis could have been the cause. Although the organism could not be cultured the damage to other organs may have already been done causing them (regardless of how much aggressive treatment is done) to irreversibly shut down.

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bio_man

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12 years ago

Guys, guys... Please keep it simple:

Cell death released cell wall fragments. The gram-negative cell wall is responsible for the symptoms of septic shock.

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junkeeroo Author

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Antibiotic Tx of Neisseria infection made Sx worse?

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