nystatin-a1 and Nutrition-Disorders

Ten hospitalized patients with severe diarrhea associated with intestinal Candida overgrowth are reported. Candida-associated diarrhea is predominantly of the secretory type, characterized by frequent watery stools, usually without blood, mucus, tenesmus, or abdominal pain. The patients were elderly, malnourished, and critically ill, or suffered from chronic debilitating illness. Their hospital stays were prolonged, and the majority were being treated with multiple antibiotics or chemotherapeutic agents. Diarrhea often led to dehydration, prerenal azotemia, hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis, and electrolyte imbalance. Stool culture most frequently isolated Cand. albicans in association with decreased normal flora. Colonoscopy showed no evidence of colitis. Diagnosis was made based on the absence of diarrhea-producing medications, the continuation of diarrhea despite fasting, the exclusion of other infections, inflammatory conditions and other causes of secretory diarrhea, and a dramatic response to a short course of nystatin.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Candida; Candidiasis; Chronic Disease; Cross Infection; Diarrhea; Drug Therapy, Combination; Feces; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition Disorders; Nystatin

Infections of children with malignant disease, especially of the lympho-reticular system, are characterized by their severity, with a high mortality, as a consequence of defective immunocompetence. According to the immunosurveillance theory, temporary immune defects could have even facilitated the malignant growth. The neoplastic disease itself contributes to the immunodeficiency by multiple mechanisms. The powerful cytostatic-cytocidal drugs reduce the immune response also, especially in the phases of bone marrow depression. Granulocytopenia shows the most significant correlation with the incidence of serious infections. The different forms of hospital infections have been reviewed and classified as 1. bacterial, fungal and, rarely, (but most dangerous) protozoal infections, 2. endogenous infections with the patient's own anaerobic intestinal flora and 3. viral infections. The perspectives of up-to-date chemotherapy and management of the immunodeficiency e.g. with leucocyte transfusions, and attempts to prevent infection are discussed.

Topics: Amphotericin B; Antineoplastic Agents; Bacterial Infections; Blood Transfusion; Child; Communicable Diseases; Cross Infection; Humans; Immunologic Surveillance; Immunosuppression Therapy; Leukocytes; Leukopenia; Miconazole; Mycoplasma Infections; Mycoses; Neoplasms; Nutrition Disorders; Nystatin; Patient Isolation; Protozoan Infections; Tetracyclines; Virus Diseases

Topics: Amphotericin B; Biopsy; Candida albicans; Candidiasis, Oral; Cheilitis; Diabetes Complications; Endocrine System Diseases; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes; Leukoplakia, Oral; Metabolic Diseases; Nutrition Disorders; Nystatin; Sjogren's Syndrome; Stomatitis, Denture