Health Questions ans Answers: Bacteria Classification, Nosocomial Infections, Cancer, Colorectal Cancer

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Health Questions and Answers Question 1 Bacteria
Classification and Assessment A Gram stain is a
common test to classify bacteria in blood, urine,
or the infection site. It is based on
dissimilating cell wall components and
differentiating between Grampositive or
Gram-negative categories within a complex
ecosystem (Duquenoy et al., 2020). The
Gram-positive bacteria are characterized by a
thick peptidoglycan layer, while the Gramnegative
bacteria reveal a thin layer. Doctors usually
prescribe antibiotics to fight bacteria growth.
They destroy bacterial cell walls, inhibit their
synthesis, and predict the overall damage to the
human body (Duquenoy et al., 2020). In other
words, the goal of antibiotics is to support the
immune system in the treatment process. Carriers
are the hosts that play an important role in
pathogen transmission but remain asymptomatic.
Several types of carriers create a threat to
human health, namely transient (dangerous for
short periods), chronic (infectious for prolonged
periods), incubating (always asymptomatic), and
convalescent (possible after recovery). For
example, Jan gets an MRSA infection during
rehabilitation provoked by S. aureus. Healthcare
providers must explain the causes and
characteristics of this bacterium. The staining
method allows for identifying the anaerobic
strains that belong to this type of bacteria
(Duquenoy et al., 2020). S. aureus is one of the
most dangerous pathogens that spread by
contacting an infected person, using the same
objects, or even inhaling droplets. Skin
infections like furuncles and boils may be
provoked by S. aureus. If no treatment steps are
taken, more serious complications like pneumonia,
bone infections, or toxic shock syndrome may be
observed if bacteria reach the bloodstream. This
pathogen is resistant to many antibiotics, and it
is important to take several tests to ensure the
condition is managed and no danger to the system
is present. Question 2 Nosocomial Infections
After Abdominal Surgery
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Lou is a patient who had abdominal surgery and
was diagnosed with a nosocomial infection due to
a catheter in his bladder during post-op
hospitalization. Nosocomial infections are
commonly diagnosed in people who have to stay in
hospitals for some period. Their major
transmission routes include contact with an
infected person, droplets, food, water, blood
transition, and arthropods known as vectors
(Furnkranz Walochnik, 2021). There are several
ways to prevent the growth of this infection.
According to Furnkranz and Walochnik (2021), hand
hygiene is one of the most critical elements in
any prevention program. In addition, equipment
and skin disinfection, protective gloves and
masks, and regular catheter changing might help
patients avoid serious complications. Healthcare
providers must educate patients and their
families about external threats to predict
nosocomial infection development. In developing
countries, the rates of nosocomial infections
continue to grow for different reasons. One of
the most obvious explanations is that middle- and
low-income nations have limited access to
high-quality antibiotics (Maki Zervos, 2021).
People do not understand how to use the available
resources reasonably, which provokes additional
organizational and health problems. Secondly,
evaluating current programs and policies proves
that not many countries succeed in this
direction, and improvements are required (Maki
Zervos, 2021). A final reason for increased
nosocomial infections is a lack of professional
supervision for healthcare providers and
patients. Like any infectious disease or
pathogen, nosocomial infections have several
critical risk factors related to impaired
immunity. Thus, age and sex are the first two
characteristics that might predispose individuals
to the possibility of getting an infection. Maki
and Zervos (2021) identify pre- or post-surgical
statuses of patients and metabolism disturbances
(the presence of chronic diseases like diabetes).
A final risk factor is hospitalization length -
the longer people are at hospitals, the higher
their chances of getting infected are.
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Question 3 Cancer Cancer is one of the most
dangerous diseases characterized by the growth of
body cells, known as neoplasms, benign tumors,
and malignant tumors. A neoplasm is a common name
for a tumor or an abnormal cell or tissue mass
provoked by increased cell division (Patel,
2020). It can be classified into benign and
malignant, proving that not all neoplasms are
life-threatening. A benign tumor stays in its
primary location, and neither affects other body
sites nor provokes serious problems. These tumors
usually grow slowly within their ordinary,
distinct borders (Patel, 2020). A malignant
tumor, in its turn, grows uncontrollably and
spreads to various sites within the lymphatic
system or the bloodstream (Patel, 2020). This
process is known as metastasis and may be
observed in any part of the human body. Several
chronic infections might provoke different types
of cancer. For example, Epstein-Barr Virus
infects the genetic code of human B cells,
weakens immunity, and causes Burkitts lymphoma
or nasopharyngeal carcinoma (Brubaker, 2019).
Human papillomavirus has a genome that can easily
integrate the human chromosome and provoke such
cancers as cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, or
penile carcinomas (Brubaker, 2019). Hepatitis B
virus also integrates into the genome in liver
cells and increases the risks for hepatocellular
carcinoma. Human Adult T-cell Leukemia Virus Type
1 is another chronic infection that damages T
cells and leads to rare but very aggressive
T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia. Cancer screening
as a part of a routine check-up is recommended
for men and women older than 50. Mr. Brown (63
years) and Mrs. Brown (61 years) should consider
colon and rectal cancer screening as a step to
identify the disease at its early stage, choose
an appropriate treatment, and prevent death. If
the patients have a smoking history, lung cancer
screening is required to examine available
treatment options. Finally, addressing their
gender and age differences, Mr. Brown takes the
prostate-specific antigen blood test to check for
prostate cancer, and Mrs. Brown needs mammography
to check for a threat of breast cancer.
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Question 4 Colorectal Cancer and Other Cancer
Signs and Diagnoses The reasons for increased
colorectal cancer rates and decreased cervical
cancer rates in Western society may be related to
preferred lifestyles. In addition to excessive
alcohol consumption and smoking, the number of
male sex relationships has increased (Brenner
Chen, 2018). Other factors like physical
inactivity, overweight, obesity, and a high-fat
diet (red and processed meat) popular in the West
are the causes of colorectal, not cervical
cancer. Different cancer types might have several
non-warning signs to be examined. For example,
many cancer patients report fatigue that does not
disappear even with rest, a sign of leukemia or
lymphoma when cells cannot carry enough oxygen
throughout the body. Weight loss without any
reason is another symptom to pay attention to
because a person might have colon or lung cancer.
Such patients lose their appetite and cannot
manage their weight changes in a short period.
Fever is another sign explained by the inability
of the body to control energy supply because
cancer cells grow. Instead of thinking about
infections, screening for liver or kidney cancer
is recommended. Finally, new pain cases without
evident reasons that do not go away may become a
symptom of bone cancer or colorectal cancer. A
28-year-old Aaron has an EBV infection, a swollen
lymph node, and night sweats. His possible
diagnosis is Burkitts lymphoma because this
particular type of infection affects human B
cells and promotes the growth of malignant tumors
(Brubaker, 2019). Chemotherapy drugs are usually
prescribed to treat this type of cancer during an
intensive period. Standard regimens include
cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and
prednisone, while methotrexate, ifosfamide, and
cytarabine can be added (Crombie LcCasce,
2021). There are usually four cycles with severe
toxicity in this therapy.
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References IvyPanda. (2024, March 29). Colorectal
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colorectal cancer epidemic Challenges
and opportunities for primary, secondary and
tertiary prevention. British Journal of Cancer,
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8-0264-x Brubaker, J. (2019, January 25). The 7
viruses that cause human cancers. American
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/2019/January/The-Seven-Viruses-that-Cause-Human-C
ancers Crombie, J., LaCasce, A. (2021). The
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9004099 Duquenoy, A., Bellais, S., Gasc, C.,
Schwintner, C., Dore, J., Thomas, V. (2020).
Assessment of Gram-and viability-staining methods
for quantifying bacterial community dynamics
using flow cytometry. Frontiers in Microbiology,
11. https//doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01469 Furnk
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infections Do not forget the parasites! Pathogens
, 10(2). https//doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10020238
Maki, G., Zervos, M. (2021). Health
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Patel, A. (2020). Benign vs malignant tumors.
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ncol.2020.2592