2 research outputs found
Clostridium difficile – emergent hospital flora
Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a Gram-positive sporogenous bacillus strictly
anaerobic, which in the last decade has became the most important anaerobic bacterium in
nosocomial human pathology. Cl.dificile is the etiological agent of more than 20% of diarrhea
postantibiotics, over 95% of pseudomembranous colitis and the first cause of nosocomial
infectious diarrhea in adults.
Although this bacterium usually colonizes the intestine of vertebrates (the normal microbiota), the
toxinogenic strains (tcdA and tcdB) are pathogenic in the digestive tract. Given the excessive use of
antibiotics and the increased spores resistance, it is possible an environment contamination, with
strains which may already be resistant to antibiotics. The main causes of this infection are
decreased resistance to antibiotic-induced colonization, contamination with a pathogenic strain of
Cl.difficile, secretion of A and/or B toxins and deficient immune response.
Due to the increasing worldwide incidence of infections with C. difficile on one hand and to the
discovery of new ways of transmitting the infection according with some studies regarding the
genetic diversity of bacterium strains on the other hand, a new approach is necessary for C.
difficile related topics.
General considerations regarding the infections with the Escherichia coli pathogen
Escherichia coli is the species of the genus Escherichia with the greatest epidemiological impact. Escherichia coli infections are found mainly in places with poor hygiene; the infants with ages between 1 and 3 years old are included in the category with the highest risk. It is a "fecal-oral" transmission mechanism as a result of consumption of contaminated food or water, or by "dirty hands". The foods most commonly implicated in the transmission of the infection are unpasteurized milk and milk products, beef, especially the one insufficiently cooked, unpasteurized fruit juice, lettuce and insufficiently washed vegetables. The disease has been reported worldwide, being described numerous episodes of infection with Escherichia coli that caused multiple illnesses and deaths. Escherichia coli has three types of antigens: antigen "O" (somatic), antigen "H" (flagella) and antigen "K" (capsular). Clinical manifestations are present in the form of non-specific diarrhea, a dysentery form of enteritis, choleriform enteritis, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The Escherichia coli infection diagnosis is made by identifying the etiologic agent and/or by highlighting the VTI toxin in the feces. The treatment consists in precautionary antibiotherapy, hydrodynamics and electrolyte rebalancing, blood transfusions and dialysis, if in the case of renal failure. The prevention of infections with Escherichia coli is achieved by personal hygiene, food hygiene and work hygiene