HTHSCI 2HH3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Stool Test, Antibiotics, Flatulence
26 May 2018
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GI Infections
2ND most common cause of human illness in North America
Injestion of food or water contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins
Fecal oral route
Fecal oral route interrupted by sanitation practices in:
Food production and handling
Sewage treatment
Disinfection of water
Breakdown in these processes can lead to numerous infections
Giardia Intestinalis
Flagella protozoan parasite
60% asymptomatic infections, can last up to 6 months
Clinical features
7+ days
Diarrhea
Flatulence
Foul-smelling stools- hydrogen sulfide
Nausea
Abdominal cramps
Excessive fatigue
*Prolonged duration of symptoms (2-4 weeks)
*Significant weight loss- more than half of patients notice a weight decrease, parasite occupies the
intestinal wall, interfereing with food absorbtion
Giardia intestinalis exists in two forms
1) Cysts: infectious form of parasite
Can survive for prolonged periods of in the environment (if kept moist)
Excystation: parasite converts from cyst to trophozoite
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Document Summary
2nd most common cause of human illness in north america. Injestion of food or water contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins. Fecal oral route interrupted by sanitation practices in: Breakdown in these processes can lead to numerous infections. 60% asymptomatic infections, can last up to 6 months. *significant weight loss- more than half of patients notice a weight decrease, parasite occupies the intestinal wall, interfereing with food absorbtion. Giardia intestinalis exists in two forms: cysts: infectious form of parasite. Can survive for prolonged periods of in the environment (if kept moist) Excystation: parasite converts from cyst to trophozoite: trophozoites: replicating form of the parasite. To remain infectious, g. intestinalis trophozoites within the mody must revert to a cyst form (this process occurs in the large intestine) Nes cysts are then passed back into the environment via feces. When a patient has diarrhea, both trophozoites and cysts are found in the stool.
