Enterovirulent E. Coli (EEC) (cont.)
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Jay W. Marks, MD
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
In this Article
- Enterovirulent E. coli (EEC) facts
- What are enterovirulent E. coli (EEC)?
- What are the symptoms caused by enterovirulent E. coli (EEC)?
- A new EEC group? (update on the E. coli 0104:H4 outbreak in Germany)
- How do enterovirulent E. coli groups cause disease?
- When should one seek medical care for enterovirulent E. coli infection?
- How are enterovirulent E. coli infections diagnosed?
- How are enterovirulent E. coli infections treated?
- How is self-care at home done for enterovirulent E. coli?
- What are the complications associated with enterovirulent E. coli (EEC)?
- How are enterovirulent E. coli (EEC) infections prevented?
- What are the prognoses (outcomes) of enterovirulent E. coli infections?
- Find a local Doctor in your town
What are the prognoses (outcomes) of enterovirulent E. coli infections?
Although individuals are frequently uncomfortable with EEC infections, most individuals that live in industrialized countries that get these infections have few if any serious complications. However, people that are immunocompromised and children in third world countries often have complications. Some countries report a death rate in children as high as 50%, with dehydration playing a central role in these deaths due to EEC bacteria.
People with EHEC group infections (E. coli 0157:H7 is the major serotype) usually (about 90%) have a self-limited disease and the outcome is excellent. However, the prognosis declines, depending on the development of complication(s). Good hydration decreases the chances of complications and improves the outcome. Individuals who develop hemorrhagic diarrhea and are treated promptly have better outcomes with reduced hospitalization. Complications such as HUS and TTP have a wide range of prognosis from good to poor, depending on the overall health of the individual and how quickly the complications are diagnosed and treated. For example, some individuals can recover completely, but others may require IV fluids, plasma exchange, plasma infusion, or dialysis and may have end-organ failure (usually kidney failure) and neurologic problems. A few (about 10%) of TTP patients will die.
Although infrequent, even relatively healthy children and adults have died from EEC infections due to dehydration.
REFERENCES:
CDC.gov. CDC Health Advisory: Notice to Health Care Providers — Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli O104 (STEC O104:H4) Infections in U.S. Travelers Returning from Germany. June 3, 2011.
Itskowitz , M., Bacterial Diarrhea, N. Engl. J. Med., 2010; 362:558-559, 2010
Sodha SV, Griffin PM, Hughes JM. Foodborne Disease. In: Mandell GL, Bennett
JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed.
Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone, Chapter 99, 2009
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