Infectious Diseases Of The Digestive System

Front 1

What is the nature of the digestive system?

Back 1

The digestive system is long, complicated and an open system from the mouth to the anus. Every area is a different environment with different flora and with its own characteristic diseases.

Front 2

Most food and drink contains bacteria and microorganisms yet cause no harm to the digestive system. What are the protections of this system?

Back 2

1. acidity in the stomach
2. מלחי מרה
3. peristalsis (the movement disturbs bacterial growth)
4. natural flora (more than 400 types of bacteria
5. the immune system (like IgA which protects the lining of the intestines)

Front 3

What kinds of infections threaten the digestive system?

Back 3

Worm eggs, spores, many types of bacteria and viruses or anything which comes through mouth and succeeds in surviving can cause a sickness.
The cause of the disease can be a toxin carried by the pathogen, and not the pathogen itself. (like the toxin of Diptheria)

Front 4

How serious is diahrrhea and what affects it?

Back 4

It is the most severe phenomenon causing sickness and death. Diarrhea is affected by age, personal hygiene and environment- like a natural catastrophe such as a tsunami and public hygiene like an army or summer camp.

Front 5

What happens in diahrrhea and what are the two types?

Back 5

Increased discharge of liquid and electrolites go into the colonic space often.
the two types are;
1. Osmotic diahrrhea; Materials are not absorbed into the blood stream and remain to build up in the intestines, watery feces.
2. Discharging Diahrrhea; As a result of toxins (such as cholera)
the intestines excrete salts and water into the feces

Front 6

What is the lightest to most severe form of diahrrhea?

Back 6

Symptoms can range between light diahrrhea which continues several days to heavy diahrrhea accompanied by fluid (up to 30liters a day) and electrolyte loss ending in death.

Front 7

What is the most serious danger of diahrrhea? How is it recognized?

Back 7

Dehydration is the biggest risk of diahrrhea. The signs are;
1. dryness of the mouth saliva
2. sinking eyes
3. baby- sinking fontanels
4. Decrease in the rate of urination
5. Weight loss.

Front 8

What is the necessary treatment?

Back 8

In most cases, the patient will self cure. Occasionally, hospitalization is required and saline and electroytes are given or antibiotic treatment if the cause is identified.

Front 9

Who are at risk?

Back 9

Elderly, young children,

Front 10

Who is at risk and why?

Back 10

1. Newborns are at risk due to immaturity of the immune system and can be infected during birth, by cross infection or from visitors or medical staff during hospital stay.
2. Young children in childcare have twice the risk of children at home due to poor hygiene, mouthing objects, contaminated hands, close contact between children.
3. Tourists are exposed to microorganisms against which they have no vaccination, travel in countries with inferior sanitary conditions or places in which it is difficult to keep hygienic.

Front 11

How does the appearance of infectious or non infectious diahrrehea differ? Which is the more severe of the two and what is its cause?

Back 11

Non-infectious diahrrhea is a thin watery discharge with no blood, mucous or pus.
Infectious diahrrhea is a bloody discharge containing mucous and pus. This is the more severe of the two and is caused by a bacteria in the intestines.

Front 12

What is gastroenteritis?

Back 12

Inflammation of the digestive system. It is usually bacterial, but it can be viral or from a parasite.

Front 13

What are the symptoms of gastroenteritis?

Back 13

1 Diahrrhea,
2 vomiting,
3 fever and
4 dehydration.

Front 14

How is gastroenteritis contracted?

Back 14

1.by eating contaminated food. This is usually raw meat or improperly stored food, food brought into contact with with insects or rodents, food prepared by persons with some kind of contamination or from a bad water source.
2.Direct person to person transfer; contact with an infected person, with secretions, indirect contact via toilets or faucets.
3. pathogen transfer via air
4. pathogen transfer via pets.

Front 15

Crohn's disease

Back 15

Crohn's disease is a chronic intestinal disease which is difficult to identify. It damages all the digestive system but especially the small intestines. It is more common among Jews. It appears usually between the ages of 14 and 24 and is due to an unknown cause. The intestines become inflamed, thicker and ulcerated and can caue a blockage in the intestines. This is a severe problem which should be treated as quickly as possible.

Front 16

What are the symptoms of Crohn's?

Back 16

The symptoms are
pain, diahrrhea, maladsorbtion and therefore much weight loss.

Front 17

What is the treatment for Crohn?

Back 17

rest, streroids, dietary habit change and sometimes amputation of the damaged section in the insestines.

Front 18

What is colitis?

Back 18

A chronic disease of the colon which appears about ages 15-30. The symptoms are severe and sometimes bloody and mucousy diahrrhea, lower stomach pain, fever and inflammation of the lower stomach.

Front 19

what are the complications of colitis?

Back 19

bleeding which causes anemia and low hemoglobin since blood is lost in the watery stool.

Front 20

how is diagnosis made?

Back 20

by colonoscopy or x ray with barium suppository.

Front 21

what is the treatment for colitis?

Back 21

a prolonged and severe inflammation may require surgery.

Front 22

What is campylobacter?

Back 22

a common cause of diahrrhea, caused by the campylobacter bacteria which is found in contaminated water and especially in uncooked meat or poultry and very common in animals. It causes diahrrhea, stomach pain and fever.

Front 23

what is the treatment for campylobacter?

Back 23

there is usually no treatment, it is unnecessary.
sensitive populations will need supportive liquid administration.

Front 24

what is טיפוס הבטן- salmonella?

Back 24

this is a bacteria which is commonly found in two types which are common in the digestive system of animals.

Front 25

How is salmonella contracted?

Back 25

The bacteria on live or vegetable foods which are contaminated by animal secretions or bacteria on contaminated eggs penetrate the digestive system .

Front 26

who is more sensitive to salmonella? why?

Back 26

1. people who are post-spleen or stomach amputations becasue their immune system is low.
2. persons with sickle cell anemia or malaria because they are missing red blood cells.

Front 27

what is the incubation period of salmonella?

Back 27

12-17 hours

Front 28

what are the symptoms of salmonella?

Back 28

fever, headache, joint pain, throat-ache, constipation, loss of apetite and stomach hypersensitivity.

Front 29

How is salmonella diagnosed?

Back 29

by a stool specimen

Front 30

what are the complications of salmonella? which is most dangerous and why?

Back 30

1. intestinal bleeding (causes anemia and its problems)
2. infection of the stomach- this is the more severe of the two, since an ulcer which moves to the stomach cavity can cause massive inflammation and septic shock.

Front 31

what is the success of the treatment for salmonella?

Back 31

1. the vaccine has little value since it is short range.
2. 3% of the people post treatment continue the secrete the bacteria more than one year

Front 32

E. Coli

Back 32

This is a bacteria of the natural flora.

Front 33

how is E. coli transferred?

Back 33

this bacteria is common among animals and passed by eating contaminated foods such as unpasteurized milk, raw meat.

Front 34

What is the way E coli damages?

Back 34

This bacteria infects the colon and forms a toxin.

Front 35

what are the symptoms of e coli?

Back 35

severe spasms, watery diahrrhea.

Front 36

what is the prognosis for e. coli?

Back 36

usually it ends with spasms and watery diahrrhea and after avoiding the risk of dehydration, ends after several painful days. Occasionally complications develop.

Front 37

how is e. coli treated

Back 37

usually supportive treatment and diet are enough, and especially avoiding dehydration.

Front 38

what are the complications of e. coli?

Back 38

HUS and TTP
1. Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome is severe anemia due to red cell decrease. This severe condition requires plasma IV, dialysis, antibiotics.
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Porpura is a strange phenomenon in which there are not enough thrombocytes (red blood cells) which usually lower blood clottage and yet here there is too much blood coagulation, making treatment difficult. It is accompanied by subcutaneous hematoma seen as spots just under the skin, patechiyot. This extreme condition necessitates full blood paresis transfusion in order to clean the blood. In this process, the white and red blood cells are returned to the body while the plasma is replaced.

Front 39

What is the shigella?

Back 39

The shigella is caused by a bacteria. it causes between 5 to 10% of all diahrrhea sickness and is common in outbreaks.

Front 40

how is shigella contracted?

Back 40

contamination occurs by contact with feces, water or contaminated objects, food or objects and may be transferrred to food via flies.

Front 41

what are the symptoms of shigella?

Back 41

fever, nausea vomitting, diahrrhea, stomach swelling and pain. the incubation period is 12-50 hours. the bacteria penetrate the intestinal lining and causes ulcers for 1-4 days. there is blood and pus in the feces, weight loss and dehydration for about 3 days.

Front 42

how is shigella diagnosed?

Back 42

by stool specimen.

Front 43

what are the complications of shigella?

Back 43

systemic infection and death.

Front 44

what is the convalescence for shigella?

Back 44

quick convalescence takes 4-8 days. Long convalescence can take up to between 3 and 6 weeks.

Front 45

Cholera

Back 45

this is a bar shaped bacteria which causes sickness in people exclusively and is not contagious to animals.

Front 46

how does cholera exist? what does it cause?

Back 46

it forms colonies in the intestines next to absorbtion cells and secretes a toxin. this toxin causes the secretion of liquids and salts which cause dehydration.

Front 47

how does cholera spread?

Back 47

via contaminated water, sea-food, food.

Front 48

when are there outbreaks of cholera?

Back 48

during the hot months especially in asia, africa, the mid east and south africa.
after natural disasters such as floods in which water pools are formed, during which the bacteria survives.

Front 49

what is the incubation period of cholera? how many people of those infected will develop the disease?

Back 49

1-5 days incubation period. only 10% of infected will develop the disease.

Front 50

what are the symptoms of someone who has the disease cholera?

Back 50

loss of liquids (may be severe up to 30 liters daily)
dehydration

Front 51

what are the complications of cholera?

Back 51

1 spasms,
2 kidney failure,
3 shock and
4 death.

Front 52

what is the prognosis for cholera?

Back 52

Most people will get better within a few days but will remain carriers.
50% of those who do not receive treatment will die.

Front 53

Prevention and treatment for cholera? vaccine?

Back 53

1 hygiene
2 drinking clean or boiled water.
a killed bacteria vaccine exists but it is of low effectiveness, protecting only 50% and only for a short period of 6 months.

Front 54

Helicobacter Pylory

Back 54

this is a bacteria found in the somach of about half of the adult population.

Front 55

what are the symptoms of helicobacter pylory?

Back 55

most of the cases are a-symptomatic

Front 56

what does the helicobacter pylory cause?

Back 56

Helico is responsible for 95% of the causes of duodenum ulcer and for about 70% of stomach ulcers.

Front 57

how is helico contracted?

Back 57

via food, feces or water from person to person.

Front 58

how does helico hide?

Back 58

helic forms the enzyme oraz. oraz transforms urine into bicarbonate and amonia. they form a base cloud in which helico hides from the stomach acids.

Front 59

how long can helic hide in the stomach? how?

Back 59

after first entrance, the bacteria survives in the stomach for many years due to its enzyme which neutralizes the acidity.

Front 60

what does helic cause?

Back 60

damage to the mucous lining which protects the lining of the somach and duodenum and causes an inflammation. the acidity penetrates the damaged area and destroys the cells, causing an ulcer.

Front 61

what are the symptoms of helico?

Back 61

1. pain- about 2 hours after a meal or in the middle of the night when the stomach is empty, there is a gnawing pain in the stomach.
2. watery stool or ulcer and sharp stomach pain
3. the pain can be RELIEVED by eating or by drugs which are anti-acid.

Front 62

how is helico treated?

Back 62

three types of antibiotics are given for a very long period of time.

Front 63

duodenum ulcer- who is affected?

Back 63

this is typically found in children and the elderly

Front 64

what are the symptoms of duodenum ulcer?

Back 64

pain, burning, emptiness and hunger.
it is not felt in the morning.
it returns repeatedly during two years after which it flares up now and then.
swelling, nausea, vomiting after eating.
eating INCREASES the pain.

Front 65

what is the treatment of duodenum ulcer?

Back 65

1. anti-acids
2. lusac- to stop secretion of alkalinity in the stomach.
3. antibiotics.

Front 66

what are the complications of duodenum ulcer?

Back 66

penetration and perforation, bleeding and blockage.
1. penetration- the ulcer can go into other organs like the liver or the pancreas.
2. perforation- the ulcer can form an opening into the stomach cavity, a very dangerous condition becasue of the risk of infection and shock. this would require immediate surgery.
3. bleeding and vomitting blood or black stool treated by endoscope and burning
4. blockage- swollen tissues cause narrowing of the stomach or of the duodenum and causes severe vomitting, caused by imbalance of liquid and electrolytes whuch may cause dehydration.

Front 67

what is the diagnostic test for helico to identify if it is present?
how is it treated if present?

Back 67

1. the patient swallows a stable isotope that is not radio-active and not harmful, it breaks down i the stomach if the bacteria is present.
the examination identifies the products of the breakdown if it occurs by testing the air which is expirated.
antibiotics are a proven and successful treatment to destroy the bacteria.