PBL: Gastrointestinal Cultures Flashcards
Anatomical regions of the GI tract
- Oral cavity
- Esophagus
- Stomach (few bacteria b/c of ↓ pH)
- Small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum)
- Large intestine
- Colon (cecum, ascending, transverse, descending)
- Sigmoid
- Rectum
List the members of normal adult bowel flora
99.9% anaerobes
- Bacteroides fragilis group
- Clostridium spp
- Bifidobacterium spp
- Anaerobic cocci
- Fusobacterium spp
Aerobes
- E. coli
- Other Enterobacteriaceae
- Enterococcus spp
Collection and transport for stool specimens
- Stool in a sterile cup or rectal swab
- In the absence of preservative, the sample is only viable for an hour after collection time
- If placed in preservative (Carey-Blair or buffered glycerol) the sample is viable for 48 hours
What preservative is not acceptable for Vibrio cultures?
Buffered glycerol
What media must all stool cultures be plated on?
- SBA
- MAC
- SMAC
- HEK
- Charcoal CAMPY
What media is available upon the physician’s request?
- TCBS
- YSA/CIN
What stool pathogens must be serologically typed after they’re identified in the lab?
Shigella and Salmonella
V. cholerae
- Appearance on TCBS
Yellow colonies (sucrose fermenter)
V. parahaemolyticus
- Appearance on TCBS
Green colonies (non-sucrose fermenters)
Shigella
- Appearance on HEK, MAC
- HEK: green/clear
- MAC: clear
E. coli 0157:H7
- Appearance on SMAC
Clear (sorbitol negative)
Salmonella
- Allearance on HEK, MAC
- HEK: black (H2S production)
- MAC: blear
Yersinia
- Media to set up
YSA/CIN or MAC
- Incubate at 25°C
C. jejuni
- Media to set up
Campy BAP
- ↑ CO2, ↓ O2, 42°C
C. difficile
- Media to set up
CCFA
H. pylori
- Tests
Biopsy, CLO test
Purpose of serotyping
- Useful in tracking an outbreak to its original source
- Aids in diagnosis and is required before identification is made
What media should serological typing be done on?
Sheep BPA
Which stool specimen must be submitted to the IN State Department of Health for confirmation?
Salmonella
Clinical signs of dehydration
- Dry or sticky mouth
- Low urine amount/color change
- “Skin tenting”
- Hypotension
- Sunken eyes
- Fatigue
- Rapid heartbeat
- Abnormal electrolytes
Clinical signs of severe dehydration
- Alteration in mental status
- Organ dysfunction (e.g., renal failure)
- Fever (indicates invasive pathogen)
- Rapid breathing
Two types of pathogenic mechanisms that contribute to organisms’ pathogenesis of GI illness
- Enterotoxin-mediated diarrhea (pre-formed in food)
- Diarrhea-mediated by invasion of bowel mucosal surface (infection)
Pathogens that cause diarrhea-mediated by invasion of bowel mucosal surface
- Shigella
- Salmonella
- Campylobacter jejuni
- Vibrio spp
Which pathogens cause non-bloody, watery stool (no RBCs, no WBCs, no mucus)
- S. aureus
- C. perfringens
- B. cereus
- B. botulinum
Which pathogens cause symptoms w/in minutes to hours (intoxication)?
- S. aureus
- C. perfringens
- B. cereus
- B. botulinum
Which pathogens cause symptoms ≥1 day?
- Shigella
- Salmonella
- C. jejuni (2-3 days)
- Vibrio spp.
What causes peptic ulcers?
H. pylori
What causes appendicitis-like illness esp. in children?
Y. enterocolitica