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Enteric Infections

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Infectious Complications in Cancer Patients

Part of the book series: Cancer Treatment and Research ((CTAR,volume 161))

Abstract

Cancer patients, particularly those with neutropenia, are at risk for enteric and intra-abdominal infections. Specific infections and infectious syndromes in this setting include neutropenic enterocolitis, bacterial infections such as Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), viral infections such as CMV colitis, and parasitic infections such as strongyloidiasis. Diagnosing and gauging the severity of CDI presents challenges, as chemotherapy may produce symptoms that mimic CDI and laboratory findings such as leukocytosis are not reliable in this population. Treatment for enteric infections should be pathogen specific, although broad-spectrum antibiotics are often required as initial empiric therapy in patients with neutropenia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infectious Diseases, Lakeland Regional Medical Center, 1234 Napier Avenue, St. Joseph, MI, 49085, USA

    Michael Wang

  2. Research Service, Hines VA Hospital, Building 1, Room C-344, Hines, IL, 60141, USA

    Stuart Johnson

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  1. Michael Wang
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Correspondence to Stuart Johnson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Div. Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Valentina Stosor

  2. Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Teresa R. Zembower

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Wang, M., Johnson, S. (2014). Enteric Infections. In: Stosor, V., Zembower, T. (eds) Infectious Complications in Cancer Patients. Cancer Treatment and Research, vol 161. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04220-6_8

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