Treatment of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infections.

Abstract

The management of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections is reviewed. Certain management practices optimize the likelihood of good outcomes, such as avoidance of antibiotics during the pre-hemolytic uremic syndrome phase, admission to hospital, and vigorous intravenous volume expansion using isotonic fluids. The successful management of STEC infections is based on recognition that a patient might have an STEC infection, and appropriate use of the microbiology laboratory. The timeliness of STEC identification cannot be overemphasized, because it avoids therapies prompted by inappropriate additional testing and directs the clinician to focus on effective management strategies. The opportunities during STEC infections to avert the worst outcomes are brief, and this article emphasizes practical matters relevant to making a diagnosis, anticipating the trajectory of illness, and optimizing care.

• Authors: T Keefe Davis, Ryan McKee, David Schnadower, Phillip I Tarr
• Journal: Infectious disease clinics of North America (Infect Dis Clin North Am) Vol. 27 Issue 3 Pg. 577-97 (Sep 2013) ISSN: 1557-9824 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24011831 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Crystalloid Solutions
• Isotonic Solutions

Topics

• Anti-Bacterial Agents (therapeutic use)
• Crystalloid Solutions
• Escherichia coli Infections (complications, diagnosis, therapy)
• Fluid Therapy (methods)
• Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome (physiopathology, prevention & control)
• Humans
• Isotonic Solutions (administration & dosage)
• Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli (isolation & purification)