Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: From 1 Different Sources
colonization of the small intestine with excessive concentrations of bacteria. Patients experience nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and symptoms of *malabsorption. Diagnosis is made by identifying bacteria in cultures of small bowel aspirates obtained during endoscopy or by glucose hydrogen breath testing, in which a high concentration of hydrogen in the breath after swallowing glucose indicates bacterial overgrowth. Risk factors include previous abdominal surgery, motility disorders (such as systemic sclerosis), anatomical disruption (such as diverticula, strictures, adhesions, or fistulae), diabetes mellitus, coeliac disease, and Crohn’s disease. Management involves treatment of the underlying condition, nutritional support, and cyclical antibiotics.
See OAT CELL.... small-cell carcinoma
An infection of the vagina that causes a greyish-white discharge and itching. The disorder is due to excessive growth of bacteria that normally live in the vagina. It is more common in sexually active women and is treated with antibiotic drugs.... bacterial vaginosis
See MENINGITIS.... bacterial meningitis
Before the advent of small-bowel transplants, long-term intravenous feeding (total parenteral nutrition or TPN) was the last option for patients with chronic intestinal failure. Most recipients are children, and small-bowel transplantation is currently reserved for patients unable to continue on long-term parenteral nutrition. The main constraints to small-bowel transplantation are the intensity of rejection (necessitating high levels of immunosuppression), and the lack of donors who are the same size as the recipient (a particular problem for children).... small-bowel transplantantion
See barium X-ray examinations.... intestinal imaging
See Whipple’s disease.... intestinal lipodystrophy
bacteria normally present in the intestinal tract. Some are responsible for the synthesis of *vitamin K. By producing a highly acidic environment in the intestine they may also prevent infection by pathogenic bacteria that cannot tolerate such conditions.... intestinal flora
see succus entericus.... intestinal juice
(NSCLC) any type of lung cancer other than *small-cell lung cancer. Such cancers include *adenocarcinoma of the lung, large-cell carcinomas, and squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung.... non-small-cell lung cancer
(enteroclysis) a radiological technique for examining the jejunum and ileum by passing a tube through the nose, oesophagus, and stomach into the small bowel and directly injecting *barium sulphate. Images are captured in real time as the contrast moves through the small bowel. It produces highly detailed images of the small bowel, making it particularly useful for investigating coeliac disease and Crohn’s disease, as well as strictures, tumours, and obstructions. It can be combined with X-ray imaging, CT, or MRI.... small-bowel enema
(barium follow-through) a technique for examining the small bowel, often used when small-bowel enema is not tolerated. The patient swallows dilute *barium sulphate suspension and then a series of abdominal radiographs are taken. A complete examination occurs when contrast reaches the first part of the large bowel (caecum). This technique is particularly useful for investigating small-bowel *Crohn’s disease.... small-bowel meal
(SCLC) a type of bronchial carcinoma characterized by small cells (or oat cells), small round or oval cells with darkly staining nuclei and scanty indistinct cytoplasm. Small-cell carcinoma is usually related to smoking and accounts for about one-quarter of bronchial carcinomas; it carries a poor prognosis due to early distant spread, typically to bones, liver, and brain. Treatment is primarily with chemotherapy and radiotherapy and paraneoplastic symptoms (see paraneoplastic syndrome) from *ectopic hormone production are common. Compare non-small-cell lung cancer.... small-cell lung cancer
(SGA) describing a fetus or baby that has failed to reach the size or birth weight expected for its gestational age. This may be because the fetus or baby is constitutionally small or it may be due to *intrauterine growth restriction in the fetus. In the latter case, the perinatal outcome is less favourable.... small for gestational age
(SBP) the presence of infection in the abdominal cavity without an obvious cause (see peritonitis). SBP occurs in patients with liver disease (and occasionally in those with nephrotic syndrome) due to *portal hypertension. This leads to the build-up of large volumes of peritoneal fluid (*ascites) in which infection takes hold and propagates. Patients experience fever, nausea, abdominal pain, further accumulation of ascites, and they may develop *hepatic encephalopathy with rapid deterioration. Diagnosis is made by *paracentesis culture of the ascitic fluid to confirm the presence of bacteria. Treatment includes antibiotics.... spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
see VIP.... vasoactive intestinal peptide
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