General provisions

The course is given in term 2 in the nursing programme.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

After the course, the student should:

* know:

- The diagnostic strategies and the standard methods used in microbiological laboratories for the most common infectious diseases

- the immune system structure and its function during infection

- the extent of the Swedish "Law for Communicable Disease Control", the duty to report and the duties and rights of infected individuals

* be able to describe:

- the occurrence and transmission routes of the most important clinical bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites as well as their clinical presentations

- concepts such as normal flora, contamination and colonisation

- the structures of bacteria and viruses including concepts such as capsules, viral envelopes, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, spores and toxins

- what virulence is and how the interaction between microorganisms and the immune system leads to effects in organs and results in different clinical pictures

- life threatening infections such as meningitis and sepsis as well as the most common microorganisms causing these

- biofilms and their clinical importance

- how one can prevent infections through hygienic measures and vaccinations

- concepts such as basic hygiene routines, high-grade clean, disinfection and sterility

- how antimicrobial substances work and how microorganisms develop resistance against them

Evaluation ability and attitudes

* After the course the student should be able to:

- reflect over the importance of a professional and scientific approach to prevent health care-associated infections and the spread of multiresistant bacteria

Content

- Hygiene in health care

- Bacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology

- Microbiological diagnostics

- Immunology including serology

- Vaccines and passive immunisation

- Antimicrobial substances

- Bacterial antibiotic resistance

Instruction

The course consists of lectures as well as 3 compulsory parts i. e. 2 tasks with a written submission/short essay and a demonstration.

Compensation for the compulsory part in the case of valid absence:

If a student had a valid reason for absence during the demonstration, he/she has the right to attend at another time during the term. He/she should contact the course leader.

Assessment

Examination is in the form of a written examation. All compulsory parts, as well as the individual written examination should be passed for the course in its entirety to be regarded as passed.

Other regulations

A student who has failed an examination is entitled to go through a renewed examination a further four times (= a total of five examinations).