Bacteria Causing Gastrointestinal Infections
K. Balamurugan, U. Prithika in Pocket Guide to Bacterial Infections, 2019
The Aeromonas adhere to the intestinal epithelial cells and secrete various toxins like heat labile enterotoxin, hemolysin, and cytotoxins. The other virulence factors include VacB, enolase, and the ability to produce Type VI secretory system. Cell invasion also occurs and leads to colitis and dysentery. The affected persons usually present with watery diarrhea (75%–89%), but it may be bloody in few cases. The diarrhea usually lasts for 3 to 10 days. Fever and abdominal pain are less common. Rare complications include segmental colitis, ischemic colitis, and HUS. The treatment is often conservative in the form of rehydration therapy because the illness is self-limited and does not require routine antibiotics. Antibiotics are only indicated in chronic diarrhea and in patients with systemic complications. The preferred antibiotics include fluoroquinolones or a third-generation cephalosporin or a carbapenem.
Giardia lamblia
Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin in Parasitology, 2015
Pathology Adherence of trophozoites to the intestinal epithelium via their adhesive disc may result in atrophy of the villi and reduced intestinal surface area for nutrient absorption. Infection may also cause a hypersecretion of chloride ions and water, which, in combination with malabsorption, leads to diarrhea. The trophozoites themselves aggravate the problem by covering portions of the epithelium and blocking absorption. Infection is often asymptomatic. Clinical giardiasis ranges from acute, often self-resolving diarrhea to chronic symptoms that also include nutritional disorders and weight loss. Besides diarrhea, other common symptoms include abdominal cramps, nausea, greasy stools (from malabsorption of fats), and anorexia. Infected, asymptomatic individuals often still pass infective cysts in their feces (Figure 3).
Systemic therapy for appendiceal cancer
Wim P. Ceelen, Edward A. Levine in Intraperitoneal Cancer Therapy, 2015
Irinotecan is administered via IV infusion over 90 minutes, and when given in a regimen with continuous-infusion 5-fluorouracil (such as FOLFIRI), it is administered every 2 weeks [24]. Like oxaliplatin, irinotecan is categorized as a moderately emetogenic chemotherapy agent, requiring an appropriate antiemetic regimen prior to irinotecan administration. Aside from nausea and vomiting, irinotecan is also associated with alopecia, hyperbilirubinemia, mucositis, anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and diarrhea. More specifically, irinotecan is associated with an acute onset diarrhea and a delayed or late onset diarrhea, each possessing a different mechanism for their toxicity. Early onset occurs during or within the first 24 hours of irinotecan administration. It is characterized as a cholinergic diarrhea, accompanied but other cholinergic symptoms such as rhinitis, hypersalivation, lacrimation, diaphoresis, facial flushing, and abdominal cramping. This cholinergic response is usually transient, but can also be treated with atropine. Late or delayed onset diarrhea normally occurs greater than 24 hours after irinotecan administration. The diarrhea may be prolonged and, if not properly managed, lead to dehydration, hospitalization, or death. Aside from treating with high-dose loperamide, fluid or electrolyte replacement may be warranted depending on the severity of diarrhea [24].
The clinical evidence for postbiotics as microbial therapeutics
Published in Gut Microbes, 2022
Alexis Mosca, Ana Teresa Abreu Y Abreu, Kok Ann Gwee, Gianluca Ianiro, Jan Tack, Thi Viet Ha Nguyen, Colin Hill
Chronic diarrhea is commonly caused by chronic functional diarrhea and chronic parasitic and bacterial infections in developing countries45 while in developed countries, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common cause affecting up to 15% of adults.46,47 Treatment often includes antibiotics and antimotility drugs, but they can be ineffective and cause adverse effects. Postbiotics could be a possible alternative. A recent randomized-controlled study showed that heat-treated Lactobacillus LB significantly improved chronic diarrhea and clinical symptoms compared with live lactobacilli (p < 0.05).48 Non-viable Bifidobacterium bifidum MIMBb75 has been found to substantially alleviate IBS and its symptoms compared with the placebo (p = 0 · 0007).49 Similarly, inactivated Lactobacillus LB plus fermented culture medium significantly decreased the number of weekly stools (p < 0.0001) and improved abdominal pain, bloating and quality of life in patients with IBS (p < 0.0001).50
Intestinal accumulation of microbiota-produced succinate caused by loss of microRNAs leads to diarrhea in weanling piglets
Published in Gut Microbes, 2022
Xihong Zhou, Yonghui Liu, Xia Xiong, Jingqing Chen, Wenjie Tang, Liuqin He, Zhigang Zhang, Yulong Yin, Fengna Li
Diarrheal diseases are a global health problem in humans and livestock. Although the mechanisms of diarrhea has been studied for decades, diarrhea still causes substantial mortality and morbidity in humans. This is because the causes of diarrhea are complex, including infection with bacteria and viruses, adverse effects of drugs, alternations of diet composition, and intestinal inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.1 Meanwhile, the diarrhea incidence was significantly increased after antibiotic use was gradually banned worldwide in animal husbandry. Diarrhea can be classified as acute or chronic diarrhea based on the duration, and classified as watery or fatty or inflammatory diarrhea based on the characteristics of the stools. Secretory diarrheas, occurred acutely and caused by reduced absorption or increased secretion of water from the digestive tract, are one of the most important subtypes of diarrhea, particularly in children.1 As pigs have metabolic and genetic features similar to those of humans, they are emerging as an attractive and accurate biomedical model for the study of diseases.2,3 Notably, post-weaning piglets with high incidence of secretory diarrhea could be an appropriate model for studying the mechanisms involved in diarrhea, since infant weaning is one of the major causes of diarrhea in children.4,5
HIV/AIDS-related hyponatremia: an old but still serious problem
Published in Renal Failure, 2018
Zhanjun Shu, Zimeng Tian, Jinglin Chen, Jianping Ma, Aihemaiti Abudureyimu, Qianqian Qian, Li Zhuo
Frequent diarrhea and vomiting induced by HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections can lead to hypovolemia via extra-renal salt losses. Diarrhea, defined as loose stools, occurs when the intestine does not complete absorption of electrolytes and water from luminal contents. This can occur when a nonabsorbable, osmotically active substance is ingested (“osmotic diarrhea”) or when electrolyte absorption is impaired (“secretory diarrhea”). Most cases of acute and chronic diarrhea are due to the latter mechanism. Secretory diarrhea can result from bacterial toxins, reduced absorptive surface area caused by disease or resection, luminal secretagogues (such as bile acids or laxatives), circulating secretagogues (such as various hormones, drugs and poisons), and medical problems that compromise regulation of intestinal function [39].
Related Knowledge Centers
- Defecation
- Dehydration
- Gastrointestinal Tract
- Tachycardia
- Urination
- Pallor
- Feces
- Altered Level of Consciousness
- Breastfeeding
- Bristol Stool Scale