Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology Vol. 43; no. 9; p. 1030
• Main Authors: Rana, S V, Bhardwaj, S B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 2008
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Blind Loop Syndrome - diagnosis; Blind Loop Syndrome - drug therapy; Breath Tests; Female; Gastrointestinal Motility - physiology; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa - microbiology; Intestine, Small - drug effects; Intestine, Small - microbiology; Intestine, Small - physiopathology; Male; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1502-7708
• DOI: 10.1080/00365520801947074

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) syndrome is characterized in its florid form by diarrhoea and weight loss. The most common underlying factors are dysmotility, small intestinal obstruction, blind or afferent loops. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth can be diagnosed by: 1) culture of jejunum aspirate for bacterial counts, 2) 14C-D-xylose breath testing, 3) non-invasive hydrogen breath testing using glucose or lactulose or 4) 14C-glycocholic acid breath testing. The treatment usually consists of the eradication of bacterial overgrowth with repeated course of antimicrobials, correction of associated nutritional deficiencies and, when possible, correction of the underlying predisposing conditions.