RT Book, Section
A1 Weber, Stephen G.
A2 Hall, Jesse B.
A2 Schmidt, Gregory A.
A2 Wood, Lawrence D.H.
SR Print(0)
ID 2291886
T1 Chapter 57. Gastrointestinal Infections
T2 Principles of Critical Care, 3e
YR 2005
FD 2005
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071416405
LK accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=2291886
RD 2023/03/30
AB In  addition  to  immunologic  mechanisms,  physical  (motility),  chemical  (gastric  acidity),  and  microbiologic  (normal  colonizing  flora)  factors  normally  protect  the  gastrointestinal  tract  against  infection.Esophagitis,  most  commonly  caused  by  Candida  albicans  or  herpes  simplex  virus,  may  be  underrecognized  among  patients  in  the  intensive  care  unit.Infection  with  Helicobacter  pylori  may  play  a  role  in  the  pathogenesis  of  gastric  stress  ulceration  among  critically  ill  patients.The  epidemiology  and  microbiology  of  diarrheal  illness  is  significantly  different  among  patients  in  the  critical  care  unit  than  is  observed  in  the  community  setting.  Most  infectious  diarrhea  is  hospital-acquired  and  is  usually  attributable  to  Clostridium  difficile.A  systematic  approach  to  the  critically  ill  patient  with  diarrhea  includes  consideration  of  pathogens  that  cause  noninflammatory,  inflammatory,  and  hemorrhagic  diarrhea.  Thorough  history  taking  supplements  laboratory  data  in  the  diagnosis  of  these  patients.C.  difficile  infection  is  the  single  most  common  cause  of  gastrointestinal  infection  among  patients  in  the  intensive  care  unit.  The  spectrum  of  disease  induced  by  C.  difficile  infection  is  broad.  Timely  diagnosis  and  treatment  is  critical  both  for  the  management  of  the  infected  patient  and  to  prevent  the  spread  of  infection  through  the  unit.