Case Study 64year Old John

This paper will explore a case scenario of a 64year old John who has developed an infection due to a total hip replacement surgery. He was given a broad-spectrum antibiotic but experienced an anaphylactic reaction after the second dose. The paper will examine the factors that affect the pathogen’s ability to cause infection in John’s case, possible reasons why John suffered the infection despite a normal immune system and John’s anaphylactic reaction to the second dose of the antibiotic

A pathogen is to be any microorganism that has the ability to cause a disease or an infection on a host (ref). There are several factors that contribute to the ability of a pathogen to cause an infection. These factors include; mechanism of action, infectivity, pathogenicity, virulence factor, immunogenicity, and toxigenicity (ref). In relation to John’s case, the most influential factor responsible for the
Innate immunity
Pathogens are constantly trying to invade the human body. These pathogens are been fought against in the body using a defense mechanism known as immunity (ref). Innate immunity is the body’s first line defense mechanism against infection or foreign pathogens that attempts to enter the body(ref). This type of immunity is present at birth, its non-specific at its action and has no previous memory of foreign pathogens it attacked (ref).
Innate immunity provides the body with two levels of defense. The first level of defense is known as the physical barrier, which consists of the skin and the mucous membranes. This first line of defense often provides protection for the body(individual) as long as the body is intact and not broken (ref).
The second line of defense comes into action when the first line of defense has been penetrated, for example when the skin layer has been broken this leaves the body vulnerable to foreign pathogens. Factors like epithelial barriers, cellular components, and chemical mediators are activated to engulf foreign