Host Defenses

• Upon completion of this case, students will be able to illustrate that candida is a type of fungus, classified as a yeast, that is part of normal flora, but which may cause mucosal disease if normal flora is altered, or if there are defects in cell-mediated immunity.
• Upon completion of this case, students will describe how gastroenteritis can be caused by a spectrum of pathogens and that although it is a largely preventable infection, transmitted via the fecal-oral route, it is a common cause of public outbreaks.
• Upon completion of this case, students will understand that community-acquired meningitis usually results from bacteria invading and bypassing the blood-brain barrier of a susceptible host, and appreciate deficiencies of the immune system that might predispose to infections by these pathogens.
• Upon completion of this case, students will be able to describe how vaccines stimulate the host's immune system in a particular manner to prevent acquiring a disease, as well as assess the contribution of existing and novel vaccines to health care.
• Define what a fungus is, and deterimine how yeasts differ from molds.
• Describe the subsets of T cells and their roles in the immune response, including their interaction with antigen-presenting cells.
• Describe how deficiencies in both the innate immunity (specifically neutophil depletion or dysfunction) and cell-mediated immunity (specifically T-cells) predispose to candidal infections.
• Discuss the possibility of congenital immunodeficiency.
• Describe the microbiology of the common organisms causing community-acquired meningitis.
• Discuss the pathogenesis and principles of treatment of community-acquired meningitis.
• Illustrate the role of complement and the spleen in host defense.
• Discuss the role social conditions play in the acquisitions and spread of infectious diseases.
• Describe the mechanisms of meningococcal vaccination.
• Define key concepts related to measure of health including: Incidence, Prevalence, Attack rate, Relative risk, Case-fatality rate, Principles of standardization.
• Describe the main functions of public health related to population health assessment, health surveillance, disease and injury prevention, health promotion and health protection.
• Describe the roles of infection control and public health in the management of meningitis.
• Develop a basic approach to "Fever in a Returning Traveler".
• Identify that certain infections, such as malaria, can be spread through vectors.
• Discuss surveillance systems and the role of physicians in reporting and responding to communicable disease.
• Compare the immune response to polysaccharide versus protein antigens.
• Describe the various kinds of immunizations.
• Upon completion of this problem, students will be able to distinguish between differing inflammatory pathways that can lead to a similar dermatologic presentation. They will also develop a clinical approach to the evaluation of a patient presenting with an erythematous extremity.
• Describe the pathophysiology and inflammatory pathways resulting from chronic venous insufficiency.
• Describe the pathophysiology and inflammatory pathways resulting from an exposure to an infectious agent.
• Explain how differing processes can lead to a similar clinical presentation.
• Recognize the clinical manifestations of such inflammatory pathways and clinically differentiate between various potential clinical diagnoses.
• Explain the microbiology of cellulitis and describe why cephalexin would be a reasonable empiric treatment choice.