Gastroenteritis Flashcards
What are some GI infection risk factors?
- malnutrion
- closed communities
- exposure to contaminated food/water
- <5 years , not breastfeeding
- older age
What is the bacterial effect of gastroenteritis?
- cellular invasion
- production of exotoxins
- changes in epithelial cell physiology
- loss of brush borders
What defines diarrhoea?
- > 3 unformed stools/day
- stools hold shape of container
What scoring system is used for diahorrea?
- bristol stool chart
Explain dysentery
- inflammation of the intestine
- causing diarrhoea
- with blood and mucus
What is important when taking a history with someone with diarrhoea?
- other symtoms
- description of stools
- travel
- food history
What is the cause of traveler’s diarrhoea?
- eneterotoxgenic E.coli
What bacteria is the cause of gastroenteritis after a course of antibiotics?
- c.difficile
What may be the bacteria/virus that causes gastroenteritis in children or someone working in day care?
- rotavirus
What is the most common bacteria involved in gastroenteritis?
- campylobacter jejuni
What is the shiga toxin?
- inhibits protein synthesis
- causes cell death
- e.coli can produce the toxin
Which toxin of shiga is most potent?
- toxin 2
Should antibiotics be given to a patient with E.coli 0157?
- no
What antigens are present on salmonella?
- O antigens
What are the 2 most common viruses that cause gastroenteritis?
- norovirus
- rotavirus
Explain rotavirus in terms of gastroenteritis?
- commonest cause in children
- person-faceal oral spread
- NOT BLOODY STOOLS
Describe the rotavirus vaccine
- oral
- live attenuated
Explain the norovirus in terms of gastroenteritis?
- winter vomiting bug
- person-person spread
- highly infectious
When examinating a returned traveller what should you be looking for?
- fever
- rash
- hepatospenomegaly
- lymphadenopath
- insect bites
Purfuse watery diarrhoea may be a sign of what?
- cholera
What is enteric fever also called?
- typhoid fever
What causes enteric fever?
- returning from India or SE Asia
- salmonella typhi
What investigations should be done for amoebiasis?
- stool microscopy
- AXR (toxic megacolon)
- endoscopy
Explain campylobacter
- gram negative
- s shaped
- motile
