SUMMARYAntibiotics have an important place in the management of gastrointestinal disease. Recent studies have demonstrated efficacy in acute bacterial gastroenteritis caused by salmonellae and campylobacteriaceae, shigellae and enterotoxigenic strains ofE coli(ETEC). Tetracycline remains effective in cholera.Antibiotic resistance is widespread amongst the enteric pathogens and can quickly spread during epidemics of infective diarrhoeas. It is important that antibiotics are reserved for the treatment of serious infections lest their effectiveness in these conditions be lost.Campylobacter pyloriappears to be an important cause of chronic active gastritis and is amenable to treatment with antibiotics and bismuth salts. The role ofC. pyloriin the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer disease is not yet established but there is mounting evidence that antibiotic treatment will have a place in the treatment of this common condition. The effect of antibiotics on the normal intestinal microflora can have serious consequences. It is a major cause of resistance in urinary tract pathogens, can result in outbreaks of hospital infection with resistant organisms and frequently results inC. difficileassociated diarrhoea.
展开▼
