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Biomedical subjects

Y M Trnka

Publications and source records attributed to Y M Trnka.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1984

Clostridium difficile colitis.

Clostridium difficile has become one of the commonest pathogens of the lower intestinal tract. This organism appears unique in that infection almost always occurs during or after antibiotic therapy, suggesting that some component of the normal microflora prevents colonization by C. difficile. Once it has overgrown in the colon, C. difficile releases several toxins which cause tissue damage and diarrhea. Infection can range from a simple self-limited diarrheal illness to fulminant colitis with perforation and megacolon. Assay of stool filtrates reveals the presence of cytotoxin in nearly all patients with antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis, and in approximately one third to one half of those with less severe infections. Effective therapy is available in the form of oral vancomycin, although the expense of this antibiotic has led to the use of oral metronidazole or bacitracin, which appear to be equally efficacious and considerably cheaper. Although we have learned a great deal about C. difficile in the past decade, a number of fascinating puzzles remain. We know very little about the immune response to this organism or its toxin, or whether a vaccine might someday be feasible. Similarly, we have very little insight into what effects antibodies exert on the normal colonic flora and how these effects allow C. difficile infection in a small percentage of patients. Studies of this pathogen will undoubtedly lead to a fuller understanding of the enormously complex and still mysterious microbial ferment which lives within our gastrointestinal tract.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

The long-term outcome of restorative operation in Crohn's disease: influence of location, prognostic factors and surgical guidelines.

The course of all 113 patients with Crohn's disease whose initial procedure involved an anastomosis operated upon from 1942 to 1972 was followed through 1980. The calculated cumulative 30-year total mortality was 23.4%, 16.7% disease-related. The cumulative recurrence rate was 29% at five years, 52% at ten years, 64% at 15 years and 84% at 25 years, with no important differences between disease locations and types of operation. Sex, age, duration, granulomas, enteral or perirectal fistulas and length of the resection, the disease, and the proximal resection margin had no significant influence on the rates of development of recurrent disease or on functional outcome. By far the most common site of recurrence was the neo-terminal ileum, but in ileocolitis compared with ileitis, recurrence was 5.2 times more likely (p = 0.0001) to involve the adjacent or remote colon as well. Moreover, only 1/63 ileitis patients eventually required ileostomy, whereas 15/47 patients with ileocolitis or colitis ultimately required this procedure (p less than 0.001). The current status of the patients was excellent or good in 64% and unwell or dead related in 24%. Urolithiasis developed in 19%.

Colectomy↗
PubMed1980

Therapeutic implications of Clostridium difficile toxin during relapse of chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

Clostridium difficile toxin was present in the stools of six patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease during symptomatic relapse. Only two of these individuals had received antibiotics known to cause pseudomembranous colitis, and on proctoscopy none had pseudomembranes. In all patients disappearance of toxin, either with vancomycin therapy (five patients) or spontaneously (one patient), was associated with symptomatic improvement. Cl. difficile toxin may complicate chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and contribute to relapse in some patients.

Adolescent↗