Antibiotic or bacterial therapy in post-giardiasis irritable bowel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE. Intestinal infection with Giardia lamblia may lead to therapy-resistant, long-lasting post-giardiasis irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We report two open pilot studies aiming to treat this condition, using either antibiotics or bacterio-therapy.

Lactulose breath test results in patients with persistent abdominal symptoms following Giardia lamblia infection.

Objective: Bacterial overgrowth has been implicated in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The objective of this study was to investigate whether post-infectious IBS following Giardia lamblia infection is related to intestinal bacterial overgrowth, as diagnosed by the lactulose breath test (LBT).

Material And Methods: Seventy-seven patients with persistent gastrointestinal complaints related to a recent outbreak of G.

Intestinal gas in plain abdominal radiographs does not correlate with symptoms after lactulose challenge.

Observation: Intestinal gas production and abdominal discomfort can be triggered by the ingestion of carbohydrates such as lactulose. Using plain abdominal radiographs, we studied whether subjective complaints after a lactulose breath test would be quantitatively related to intestinal gas volumes.

Methods: Abdominal symptoms after the breath test were quantified by a written questionnaire and gas volumes were scored in plain abdominal radiographs, in 50 consecutive patients with unexplained, irritable bowel syndrome-like symptoms.

Sucralfate protects blood clots from peptic digestion by gastric juice in vitro.

Objective: To test in vitro the ability of sucralfate to protect a blood clot from peptic digestion by gastric juice.

Material And Methods: Blood clots adhering to the bottom of plastic tubes were exposed to native acidic gastric juice or gastric juice to which Al-Mg antacids, sucralfate or alkali had been added. The tubes were tilted regularly at room temperature and clot digestion monitored by measuring the diameters of the clots.

Oral ferrous fumarate or intravenous iron sucrose for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Objective: Iron therapy may reinforce intestinal inflammation by catalysing production of reactive oxygen species. The effects of oral ferrous fumarate and intravenous iron sucrose on clinical disease activity and plasma redox status were investigated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Material And Methods: Nineteen patients with iron deficiency anaemia and Crohn's disease (11) or ulcerative colitis (8) were included in a crossover study.