Pharm: GI Infections Flashcards
clostridium difficile (C. diff)
gram positive+, spore forming, anaerobic rod
caused by antibiotics, creates pseudomembranous layers that cause diarrhea, colitis (causes inflammation in the intestine)
what are signs of a CDI? (C. diff infection)
- severe diarrhea while on antibiotics
- abdominal cramping
- fever
- red inflamed intestinal mucosa with white pseudomembranous exudate (necrosis below that)
exotoxins found in C. diff?
- toxin A=enterotoxin (diarrhea)
- toxin B=cytotoxin (cytotoxic to colonic cells)
how to treat CDI?
- stop taking antibiotic
- supportive care (stop diarrhea, replace fluids)
- fecal transplantation
- give new antibiotics (vancomycin, metronidazole, fidaxomicin)
vancomycin
pharmacokinetics prevent it from entering GI if giving IV (if given PO, stays in GI)
- is cell wall synthesis inhibitor
- preferred tx for severe CDI, equivalent tx to metronidazole for mild CDI
metronidazole
- used for mild CDI
- can be used if oral administration won’t work for pt
- 2 main AE: disulfiram like effect (causes alcoholic to throw up if they ingest alcohol), and causes metallic taste in mouth
fidaxomicin
-tc for recurrent CDI,
spares many anaerobic colonic flora
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)
- MC cause of duodenal ulcers and chronic gastritis
- bismuth subsalicylate
- metronidazole
- tetracycline
- omeprazole (PPI)
Entamoeba histolytica (e. histolytica)
- “classic amoeba”
- life cycle: trophozoite, binucleated precyst, tetranucleated cyst (cyst=is how it is passed and diagnosed)
- trophozoites can invade intestinal mucosa (will see them having engulfed an RBC)
- can enter portal blood circulation, cause liver and pulmonary abscesses
Tx of E. Histolytica
- *must tx with drugs from both classes for full eradication
1. eliminate the invading trophozoites (body)- metronidazole or tinidazole
- eliminate intestinal carriage of organism (GI lumen)
- paromomycin or iodoquinol (stay just in GI lumen, doesn’t leave GI/affect other organs)
- metronidazole or tinidazole
- if pt is asymptomatic, can eliminate via luminal amebicide agents (bc they only exist in lumen of GI, not systemic)
Iodoquinol
- has 2 iodines in structure (don’t use in pts w/ iodine sensitivity)
- used as a luminal amebicide (stays in GI, excreted in feces)
- halogenated hydroxyquinoline, unknown MOA
- AE= d/n/v anorexia, abdominal pain, headache, rash, pruritus
Giardia Lamblia
- Trophozoite (kite shape) to cyst (dx by finding cysts in stool)
- *NO blood in stool
- coats wall of SI, preventing fat absorption (fat in diarrhea)
Tx of Giardia Lamblia
- supportive (correct fluid and electrolyte abnormalities from diarrhea)
- tinidazole (1st line tx)
- metronidazole (not fda approved for this use)
- nitazoxanide
Nitazoxanide
MOA: inhibits specific enzyme needed for anaerobic energy metabolism (pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase enzyme), is a prodrug (most be activated into tizoxanide)
- quickly absorbed, excreted in urine/feces
- AE= nausea, anorexia, flatulence, enlarged salivary glands, yellow eyes, bright yellow urine
Cryptosporidium parvum
- most of an issue with compromised immune system (severe/life threatening diarrhea), in healthy people, it is cleared by the immune system
- from contaminated water, day care, travelers,
- is an oocyst with 4 motile sporozoites, life cycle occurs within intestinal epithelial cells