GI infections Flashcards
Predisposing factors for GI infections (5)
- Travel to area with poor hygiene- direct exposure to sewerage
- Fecal contaminated food or water
- Food products not properly cleaned or cooked
- Previous, prolonged antimicrobial treatment
- Immunosuppressed patients suffer disseminated infections
Anatomy of the GI tract
Alimentary canal- includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, anus
Functions of the GI tract (2)
- Absorption of nutrients
- Excretion of waste products
GI host defense mechanisms (6)
- Peristalsis
- pH
- Mucus, lysozyme, proteases, lipases
- Secretory IgA
- Phagocytes
- Normal flora
Upper GI tract infections
Impact the stomach and duodenum. Infections include gastritis and peptic ulcerative disease
Lower GI tract infections
Impacts the small and large intestines. Symptoms- diarrhea, dysentery (purulent, mucous, bloody), cramping and abdominal pain
Normal flora of the upper small intestine (2)
- Streptococci
- Lactobacilli
10 - 1000 organisms/mL
Normal flora of the distal ileum (2)
- Enterobacterales
- Bacteroides sp.
106 - 107 organisms/mL
Normal flora of the large bowel (5)
Newborn: human epithelial flora, mostly gram-positive. Adult: mostly anaerobic (1000:1), approximately 1010-11 bugs/mL
1. Bacteroides sp.
2. Clostridium sp.
3. Peptostreptococcus sp.
4. Bifidobacterium sp.
5. Eubacterium sp., etc.
aerobe: Escherichia coli & other Enterobacterales, enterococci & other streptococci
Nosocomial pathogens (5)
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative rods
- Clostridioides difficile
- Candida albicans
Pathogenic mechanisms of enteric pathogens (3)
- Adherence to intestinal mucosa
- Toxigenic
- Invasion of the mucosal epithelium
Adherence to intestinal mucosa
Pathogens would have this mechanism prevent normal absorption and normal secretory function
Toxigenic infection mechanism
Intoxication- organisms growing in the GI tract produce toxins. Enterotoxins act primarily in the small intestine and produce a profuse and watery stool. WBCs and RBCs are not a prominent feature
Pathogenic invasion of mucosal epithelium
Cell destruction. There is occasional invasion of the bloodstream and systemic disease
Gram positive pathogens (5)
- S. aureus
- Bacillus cereus
- Clostridium perfringens Type A
- Clostridium botulinum
- Clostridioides difficile
S. aureus
Gram positive. Produces an enterotoxin. Severe nausea and vomiting begin 2 to 8 h after ingestion, typically followed by abdominal cramps and diarrhea, often lasting < 12 h.
Bacillus cereus
Gram positive. Produces an emetic toxin and an enterotoxin. The emetic toxin is heat and pH stable. Onset of symptoms takes 1-6 hours, and they last for less than 24 hours. There is nausea and vomiting but no fever, and diarrhea is rarely found. The toxin is pre-formed and is on food- found on contaminated rice, noodles, pasta, and cakes. The enterotoxin requires ingestion of 10^6 organisms/gram. Onset of symptoms takes 8-24 hours, and they last approximately 24 hours. Symptoms include abdominal pain and diarrheal disease. Found in cream sauces, cooked meat, poultry, vegetables, and desserts
Clostridium perfringens Type A
Gram positive. This is a common cause of food poisoning and causes mild, self limited disease. The bacteria produces a toxin after the organism is ingested. Symptom onset is 8-12 hours after ingestion. Includes large numbers of neutrophils, positive for occult blood. symptoms: pain, cramps, tenesmus. The organism is found in meats and gravies
Clostridium botulinum
Gram positive. Produces a neurotoxin that may cause death by respiratory paralysis. Adults experience intoxication, the microorganism is infrequently recovered from the stool. Infant botulism is not intoxication- the organism is ingested and multiplies, producing toxin
Clostridioides difficile
Gram positive. Antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis, as the organism is usually suppressed by normal flora. There are hospital acquired and community acquired infections. Toxin mediated infection- toxin A is a tissue damaging enterotoxin, toxin B can be detected by CPE in cell culture
Gram negative pathogens
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Yersinia species
- Escherichia coli
Salmonella species (3)
- Salmonella Typhi - serotype D1, typhoid (enteric fever)
- Salmonella Enteritidis - serotype group D
- Salmonella Typhimurium - serogroup B
Order Enterobacterales, more than 2400 serovars
Shigella species (4)
- S. dysenteriae, group A
- S. flexneri, group B
- S. boydii, group C
- S.sonnei, group D
Order Enterobacterales
Yersinia species (2)
- Y. enterocolitica
- Y. pseudotuberculosis
Motile at 22-30C, NON-MOTILE at 37C.
Escherichia coli
Gram negative. Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) - traveler’s diarrhea. Produces enterotoxins that result in severe epidemic diarrhea: heat-labile toxin (LT) - similar to cholera toxin & heat-stable toxin (ST). Invasion of intestinal wall results in inflammation and fluid loss. Symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, chills, fever, and headache
Categories of Gram-negative pathogenic mechanisms (4)
- Enterohemorrhagic (EHEC/STEC)
- Enteroinvasive (EIEC)
- Enteropathogenic (EPEC)
- Enteroaggregative (EAEC)
Enterohemorrhagic
Verotoxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 & other strains. Comes from food sources, resembles Shiga toxin. Hemolytic uremic syndrome, abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea, lower GI hemorrhage. There is no fever and no cells in stool
Oxidase positive glucose fermenting pathogens (3)
Gram negative
1. Aeromonas hydrophila
2. Plesiomonas shigelloides
3. Vibrio sp.