Common Diarrheal Illnesses in the Elderly.

Diarrhea is a fairly common problem among the elderly that has a higher morbidity and mortality compared with the general population. There are multiple reasons for diarrhea in the elderly that can be stratified by different mechanisms: infectious, osmotic, secretory, inflammatory, and malabsorptive. Oral hydration and dietary management are the basic management principles for all forms of diarrhea but specific treatment should address the root cause of diarrhea in order to improve outcomes.

Síndrome diarreico agudo: alternativas terapéuticas desde la medicina natural y tradicional / Acute diarrheal syndrome: therapeutic alternatives from natural and traditional medicine

Introducción: la integración de los recursos terapéuticos de la Medicina Tradicional y Natural para la prevención, tratamiento y rehabilitación de un importante número de enfermedades, se ha desarrollado de forma sostenida y sistemática. Objetivo: identificar el tratamiento del Síndrome Diarreico Agudo utilizando los recursos terapéuticos de Medicina Natural y Tradicional. Material y métodos: se realizó una revisión bibliográfica teniendo en cuenta la literatura científica de los últimos 5 años a la fecha, en idioma español e inglés, utilizando los principales gestores de información como Scielo, PubMed y Scopus, seleccionándose 15 referencias bibliográficas. Fueron empleados en lo fundamental, los descriptores siguientes: medicina natural y tradicional; síndrome diarreico agudo; apiterapia; fitoterapia; digitopuntura. Conclusiones: la digitopuntura, la fitoterapia y la apiterapia como alternativas terapéuticas poseen efectividad en el tratamiento de la sintomatología provocada en el Síndrome Diarreico Agudo. El uso de fitofármacos como el mangle rojo, manzanilla, guayaba, caña santa; mientras persista el cuadro agudo contribuye un esquema que se puede efectuar en estos casos.

Probiotics: Versatile Bioactive Components in Promoting Human Health.

The positive impact of probiotic strains on human health has become more evident than ever before. Often delivered through food, dietary products, supplements, and drugs, different legislations for safety and efficacy issues have been prepared. Furthermore, regulatory agencies have addressed various approaches toward these products, whether they authorize claims mentioning a disease's diagnosis, prevention, or treatment. Due to the diversity of bacteria and yeast strains, strict approaches have been designed to assess for side effects and post-market surveillance. One of the most essential delivery systems of probiotics is within food, due to the great beneficial health effects of this system compared to pharmaceutical products and also due to the increasing importance of food and nutrition. Modern lifestyle or various diseases lead to an imbalance of the intestinal flora. Nonetheless, as the amount of probiotic use needs accurate calculations, different factors should also be taken into consideration. One of the novelties of this review is the presentation of the beneficial effects of the administration of probiotics as a potential adjuvant therapy in COVID-19. Thus, this paper provides an integrative overview of different aspects of probiotics, from human health care applications to safety, quality, and control.

The Pretravel Consultation: Recent Updates.

Estimates suggest that 43%-79% of international travelers may develop travel-related illnesses. Most such illnesses are considered mild and self-limited; however, some are life-threatening. The pretravel consultation is aimed at assessing risks for a range of illnesses, communicating these risks, and then providing individualized recommendations and interventions to minimize or manage such risks. The effective consultation is predicated on a well-prepared clinician and motivated traveler, understanding the traveler's perception of, and tolerance for, risk, and providing education applicable to the actual itinerary. Integral to the clinician's preparation is regular review of up-to-date trip-specific recommendations; country-specific information and recommendations are readily available and can now be efficiently accessed. From the infectious diseases perspective, immunizations, malaria chemoprophylaxis, insect repellent use, and travelers' diarrhea and its self-management are cornerstones of the consultation. This review focuses primarily on updating these 4 topics with recently published information relevant to adult travelers.

A Half Century of Oral Rehydration Therapy in Childhood Gastroenteritis: Toward Increasing Uptake and Improving Coverage.

Termed by the Lancet, as "potentially the most important medical advance of the twentieth century," therapy with oral rehydration solutions (ORSs) has been essential to reducing mortality in children less than 5 years (under five) with infectious gastroenteritis and diarrhea. The target of the diarrhea-control programs in the 1990s was to achieve ORS use in 80% of diarrhea cases by the year 2000. Nevertheless, nearly 20 years later, global uptake remains limited to only a third of the cases. Our analysis shows that from 1990 to 2017, mean ORS coverage in Countdown countries [the 81 Countdown-to-2030 priority countries, which together account for 95% of maternal deaths and 90% of under-five deaths] increased from ~ 30% to nearly 40%. Flawed government policies, inadequate supplies, and lack of awareness among health workers and communities all contributed to this shortfall in coverage. Moreover, imperfect measurement methodology is implicated in questionable coverage data. A multipronged approach focusing on the manufacture, supply, training, and behavioral change is essential to ensure that ORS is used in all epidemic diarrhea cases globally, especially in the under-five population.

Bovine colostrum and product intervention associated with relief of childhood infectious diarrhea.

This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the protective effects of bovine colostrum against childhood infectious diarrhea. A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library databases and clinicaltrial.gov. Among 166 research articles, only five RCTs were included into final analysis. Review manager (version 5.2) was used to pool the effect-size across studies. Sensitivity and risk of bias were estimated accordingly. Under a pooled analysis, bovine colostrum consumption correlated with a significant reduction in stool frequency of infectious diarrhea, by 1.42 times per day (95% CI: -2.70, -0.14). Bovine colostrum intervention also reduced occurrence of diarrhea by 71% (pooled OR = 0.29, 95%CI 0.16, 0.52). The OR of positive detection of pathogen in the stool was 0.29 (95%CI 0.08, 0.71) in bovine colostrum treated group, compared with placebo group. In the sensitivity analysis of studies with low risk of biases, bovine colostrum significantly reduced stool frequency, occurrence of diarrhea and pathogen detection. BC and related products have a significant benefit in reducing the frequency and relieving the symptoms of childhood infectious diarrhea.

[Dramatic achievements in infectious disease prevention and treatment in China during the past 70 years].

At the beginning of the founding of People's Republic of China, infectious diseases, such as smallpox, plague, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, measles, diphtheria, pertussis, meningitis, mumps, schistosomiasis, Kala Azar, hemorrhagic fever, leptospirosis, encephalitis B, typhus, malaria, Kala Azar, leprosy, scarlet fever and pinkeye, remained as epidemic in the country and endangered people's health. During the past 70 years, the Chinese government spent huge efforts in infectious disease prevention and treatment by promulgating and implementing series of relative policies, laws and strategies, and also encouraged all Chinese people to participate in. The achievements of these efforts in controlling infectious disease epidemic were extremely successful. Today, the outbreaks and epidemic of infectious diseases in China were rarely happened with the rapid decreases in incidence and mortality rates of all notifiable infectious diseases. Smallpox was eradicated, and polio, filariasis, leprosy and neonatal tetanus were nearly eradicated. In addition, the incidence rates of vaccine-preventable diseases, i.e. measles, diphtheria, pertussis, meningitis, encephalitis B, hepatitis A, mumps, rubella, tuberculosis, were dramatically decreased and remained at relatively low levels for years. The incidence and prevalence rates of hepatitis B infection in Children decreased significantly and reached the phase objectives. Moreover, incidence rates of natural iatrogenic infectious diseases, i.e. diarrhea, typhoid and other intestinal infectious diseases, leptospirosis and schistosomiasis, and vectorborne diseases, i.e. typhus, malaria, Kala Azar, reached the lowest and some even closed to be eliminated in China. In general, infectious diseases dropped to the tenth from the top one leading cause of all deaths, which means that the achievement of Chinese infectious disease prevention and treatment strategies contributed tremendously in improving Chinese people's health status and life expectancy.

Guía de práctica clínica para el diagnóstico y tratamiento de la enfermedad diarreica aguda en niños menores de 5 años: versión extensa / Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of acute diarrheal disease in children under 5 years of age: long version

Este documento abarca temas de diagnóstico y tratamiento de la enfermedad diarreica aguda en niños menores de 5 años.

The Role of Probiotics in the Treatment of Dysentery: a Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial.

Diarrhea is considered as an important cause of morbidity and mortality, even though one of the main reasons of death following diarrhea is initiated by dysentery. In recent years, the consumption of probiotics has been proposed for the treatment of infectious diarrhea. Despite most of the studies on probiotics have focused on acute watery diarrhea, few studies in the field of dysentery have found beneficial effects of probiotics. This study is a randomized double-blind clinical trial. The patients were randomly placed into control and case groups. In the intervention group, the patients received probiotics in the form of Kidilact® sachet, which contained high amounts of 7-strain friendly bacteria strains of Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium breve, and Streptococcus thermophiles. On the other hand, the patients in the control group received placebo sachets on a daily basis for 5 days. It is notable that the treatment protocol of acute dysentery was done on both groups. The results of this study showed significant differences in the duration of blood in diarrhea between probiotic consumers (2.62 days) and the control group (3.16 days) (P value = 0.05). Additionally, significant differences in the average length of hospitalization in probiotic consumers (3.16 days) and control (3.66 days), (P value = 0.02) could be claimed that the consumption of probiotics is effective in reducing the duration of dysentery and diarrhea. The results of this study suggest that the use of probiotics can be effective in reducing the duration of blood in diarrhea. This study was also recorded in the Iran center of clinical trials registration database (IRCT2014060617985N1).

Diarréia aguda: diagnóstico clínico e tratamento / Acute diarrhea: clinical diagnosis and treatment

A diarreia aguda, cujas causas são predominantemente infecciosas, é uma doença geralmente autolimitada. Seu manejo é relativamente simples, porém capaz de evitar desfechos graves, como a desnutrição e até a morte. Este artigo objetiva orientar o diagnóstico clínico e o tratamento da diarreia aguda na criança.

Acute diarrhea, whose causes are mostly infectious, is an usually self-limiting disease. Its management is relatively simple, able to avoid serious outcomes such as death and malnutrition. This chapter aims to guide clinical diagnosis and treatment of acute diarrhea in children.

[Acute diarrhea]. / Akute Diarrhoe.

Diarrhea, defined as three or more loose or watery stools per day, represents a frequent problem in outpatients as well as inpatients. As most of the patients with acute diarrhea show a self-limiting disease course, the main challenge for the physician is to discriminate patients for whom symptomatic therapy is sufficient from those with severe disease course and threatening complications. This review aims to provide a practical guidance for such decisions.

[Bloody diarrhoea - causes, diagnostics and therapy]. / Blutige Diarrhoe - Ätiologie, Diagnostik und Therapie.

Bloody diarrhoea is always a warning sign and should prompt a more thorough history on duration and accompanying symptoms as well as current medications (antibiotics, NSAR) and diseases (HIV, IBD, transplant organ recipients). In this review the most common bacterial, viral and parasitical causes of bloody diarrhoea as well as radiation and ischemic colitis will be discussed. Additionally important diagnostic tools such as stool cultures and calprotectin for infectious causes auf diarrhoea and imaging tools (CT and endoscopy) for ischemic disease are presented. The causes of bloody diarroea in immunosuppressed patients and IBD are additionally addressed.

Feasibility and clinical outcomes when using practice guidelines for evaluation of fever in returning travelers and migrants: a validation study.

BACKGROUND: Practice guidelines for examining febrile patients presenting upon returning from the tropics were developed to assist primary care physicians in decision making. Because of the low level of evidence available in this field, there was a need to validate them and assess their feasibility in the context they have been designed for. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were to (1) evaluate physicians' adherence to recommendations; (2) investigate reasons for non-adherence; and (3) ensure good clinical outcome of patients, the ultimate goal being to improve the quality of the guidelines, in particular to tailor them for the needs of the target audience and population. METHODS: Physicians consulting the guidelines on the Internet (www.fevertravel.ch) were invited to participate in the study. Navigation through the decision chart was automatically recorded, including diagnostic tests performed, initial and final diagnoses, and clinical outcomes. The reasons for non-adherence were investigated and qualitative feedback was collected. RESULTS: A total of 539 physician/patient pairs were included in this study. Full adherence to guidelines was observed in 29% of the cases. Figure-specific adherence rate was 54.8%. The main reasons for non-adherence were as follows: no repetition of malaria tests (111/352) and no presumptive antibiotic treatment for febrile diarrhea (64/153) or abdominal pain without leukocytosis (46/101). Overall, 20% of diversions from guidelines were considered reasonable because there was an alternative presumptive diagnosis or the symptoms were mild, which means that the corrected adherence rate per case was 40.6% and corrected adherence per figure was 61.7%. No death was recorded and all complications could be attributed to the underlying illness rather than to adherence to guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: These guidelines proved to be feasible, useful, and leading to good clinical outcomes. Almost one third of physicians strictly adhered to the guidelines. Other physicians used the guidelines not to forget specific diagnoses but finally diverged from the proposed attitudes. These diversions should be scrutinized for further refinement of the guidelines to better fit to physician and patient needs.

Swine dysentery: aetiology, pathogenicity, determinants of transmission and the fight against the disease.

Swine Dysentery (SD) is a severe mucohaemorhagic enteric disease of pigs caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, which has a large impact on pig production and causes important losses due to mortality and sub-optimal performance. Although B. hyodysenteriae has been traditionally considered a pathogen mainly transmitted by direct contact, through the introduction of subclinically infected animals into a previously uninfected herd, recent findings position B. hyodysenteriae as a potential threat for indirect transmission between farms. This article summarizes the knowledge available on the etiological agent of SD and its virulence traits, and reviews the determinants of SD transmission. The between-herds and within-herd transmission routes are addressed. The factors affecting disease transmission are thoroughly discussed, i.e., environmental survival of the pathogen, husbandry factors (production system, production stage, farm management), role of vectors, diet influence and interaction of the microorganism with gut microbiota. Finally, prophylactic and therapeutic approaches to fight against the disease are briefly described.

[Infectious diarrhea - key reflections for approaching this problem]. / Infektiöser Durchfall.

Diarrhea is a frequent and complex entity which is caused by a large number of infectious and non-infectious reasons. A detailed clinical and epidemiological history will define whether an additional laboratory work-up and treatment is indicated. Acute diarrhea is predominantly caused by viral or bacterial pathogens and is usually of short duration without any therapeutic intervention. A parasitic or non-infectious cause must be primarily considered if the diarrhea persists over two weeks. Work-up of stool specimens must target the most likely pathogens or other causes considered. The key element of treatment of acute diarrhea is rehydration. An empirical anti-infective therapy may be considered in critically ill patients, persistent or chronic diarrhea as well as in selected epidemiological or risk situations.

La diarrhée est une maladie fréquente et complexe qui est causée par de nombreuses raisons infectieuses ou non-infectieuses. Une anamnèse détaillée qui focalise sur la clinique et les circonstances épidémiologiques va définir si des examens du laboratoire supplémentaires et si un traitement sont indiqués. La diarrhée aiguë est surtout dûe à des origines virales ou bactériennes et est normalement de courte durée même sans traitement. Si la diarrhée dure plus que deux semaines, il faut considérer des parasites ou des raisons non-infectieuses à l'origine de la diarrhée. Un diagnostic des selles ciblé s'impose. Le traitement clé de la diarrhée aiguë est la réhydratation. Un traitement empirique est indiqué chez les patients très malades, chez des patients avec une diarrhée persistante ou chronique ainsi que dans des situations spéciales épidémiologiques ou à risque.

Infections in pediatrics: old and new diseases.

Paediatric infectious diseases have been reported since Hippocrates, and were always closely linked with the evolution of medicine. Current insights and recommendations by the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Group of Switzerland for the management of common paediatric diseases, such as acute otitis media, pharyngitis, and acute viral gastroenteritis are reviewed. The emergence of "old" vaccine-preventable diseases - pertussis and measles - is also discussed. Furthermore, the impact of the appearance of new hosts in paediatric - very low birthweight infants, immunosuppressed patients - is evaluated. Finally, new emerging paediatric infectious diseases caused by newly discovered viruses, such as human metapneumovirus, human bocavirus, or human coronavirus NL63 are explored. This overview gives a general idea on some topics that are currently significant and specific to paediatric infectious diseases.