Question

9. Five hemodialysis patients at the same clinic developed fever, low blood pressure and shock. (In hemodialysis, a patient's complete blood supply is pumped out of the body and filtered to remove impurities. This procedure is performed on patients who have kidney failure). Cultures showed that each patient was infected with a different, unrelated species of gram-negative bacteria. Which of the following is false about these infections? A. Since the capsule or Extracellular Polymeric Substance (EPS) of these bacteria is toxic, this is the reason why all five patients have the same symptoms Antibiotic therapy may make the symptoms worse in these patients because dead bacterial cells will break apart and release even more endotoxin. c. It is reasonable to expect blood infections or septicemias to be a common risk in hemodialysis patients because of the invasive nature the therapy. D. Fever and shock are common symptoms of severe gram negative infections because of lipopolysaccharide E. Massive amounts of cytokines released by the white blood cells of these patients will short circuit the immune system and these cytokines are actually the direct cause of the fever and the shock. of

Answer 1

FALSE STATEMENT : Antibiotic therapy may make the symptoms worse in these patients because dead bacterial cells will break apart and release even more endotoxin.