Gastroenteritis

Question 1

What are the 3 major forms of of diarrhea?

Answer 1

Osmotic, secretory, and motility

Question 2

Know what questions to ask patient with a history of diarrhea?

Answer 2

Durations? Blood? Volume? Current meds? Nutritional intake? Source of water? Family hx (celiac sprue, IBD etc)

Question 3

What are the possible causes for chronic diarrhea?

Answer 3

Lactose intolerance, celiac sprue, meds, IBD, IBS, DM, allergies, microscopic colitis

Question 4

What are the risk factors for Giardiasis and C. difficile colitis?

Answer 4

Drinking unpurified water

Abx use

Question 5

What abx would be used?

Answer 5

First line= Metronidazole

Second line= Vancomycin

Question 6

Which bacteria have a preformed toxin associated with them and can produce symptoms in the shortest time interval?

Answer 6

B. cereus
C. perfringens
S. aureus

Question 7

What is Osmotic Diarrhea?

Answer 7

Trapping of water molecules in bowel lumen by osmotically active particles
Majority unmeasured osmoles (very little bicarb, Cl, K, Na)

Question 8

What is the cause of Osmotic diarrhea?

Answer 8

Ingestion of poorly absorbed agent, Loss of nutrient transporter

Question 9

What is Secretory diarrhea?

Answer 9

Promotion of net secretion, or failure of absorption
Classic: cholera (NORMAL MUCOSA)
Very little unmeasured osmoles (mostly bicarb, Cl, K, Na)

Question 10

What are the causes of Secretory diarrhea?

Answer 10

Cholera toxin
Exogenous secreatgogues, endogenous secretagogues, absence of ion transporter, loss of intestinal surface area, intestinal ischemia, rapid intestinal transit