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Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in older people

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 June 2015

Syed Amer  and
Huma S Manzar
Syed Amer*
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Huma S Manzar
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Shadan Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Syed Amer, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USA. Email: drsyedamer1@gmail.com
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Summary

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition in which non-native bacteria and/or native bacteria are present in increased numbers in the small bowel, resulting in excessive fermentation, inflammation or malabsorption. Patients with SIBO vary in presentation, from being only mildly symptomatic to suffering from chronic diarrhoea, weight loss and malabsorption. A number of diagnostic tests are currently available, with aspiration of the small intestinal fluid being the gold standard. Treatment encompasses a multimodal approach including treatment of the underlying disease, nutritional support and antibiotic therapy. In this review, we discuss the risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of SIBO in older people.

Keywords

small intestinal bacterial overgrowthdiarrhoeabloatingaspiratebreath testantibiotics
Type
Review Article
Information
Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , May 2015 , pp. 81 - 85
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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