Which of the following patients is at greater risk for contracting an infection?
A. A postoperative patient who has undergone orthopedic surgery.
B. A patient receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics.
C. A patient with leukopenia.
D. A newly diagnosed diabetic patient.
Correct Answer: C. A patient with leukopenia.
Leukopenia is a decreased number of leukocytes (white blood cells), which are important in resisting infection. Leukopenia is a condition where a person has a reduced number of white blood cells. This increases their risk of infections. A person’s blood is made up of many different types of blood cells. White blood cells, also known as leukocytes, help to fight off infection. Leukocytes are a vital part of the immune system.
Option A: Surgical site infections (SSI) following total hip arthroplasty (THA) have a significantly adverse impact on patient outcomes and pose a great challenge to the treating surgeon. Therefore, timely recognition of those patients at risk for this complication is very important, as it allows for adopting measures to reduce this risk.
Option B: Antibiotic-mediated cell death, however, is a complex process that begins with the physical interaction between a drug molecule and its bacterial-specific target, and involves alterations to the affected bacterium at the biochemical, molecular and ultrastructural levels. Antibiotic-induced cell death has been associated with the formation of double-stranded DNA breaks following treatment with DNA gyrase inhibitors, with the arrest of DNA-dependent RNA synthesis following treatment with rifamycins, with cell envelope damage and loss of structural integrity following treatment with cell-wall synthesis inhibitors, and with cellular energetics, ribosome binding and protein mistranslation following treatment with protein synthesis inhibitors.
Option D: People who have had diabetes for a long time may have peripheral nerve damage and reduced blood flow to their extremities, which increases the chance for infection. The high sugar levels in your blood and tissues allow bacteria to grow and allow infections to develop more quickly.