title: Protective effect of anticholinergic drugs and psyllium in a nosocomial outbreak of Norwalk gastroenteritis.
abstract: An outbreak of Norwalk agent gastroenteritis occurred in a chronic-care hospital in Tennessee in April 1981. Fifty-five per cent of the elderly psychiatric patients and 61 per cent of the nursing employees on one floor became ill. Infection was most likely to have spread from patient-to-patient by nursing employees. Certain chronic medications seemed to protect patients from symptomatic infection. Anticholinergic drugs appeared to mask the symptoms of this disease; psyllium ('Metamucil') may have prevented infection in some patients. We suggest that prospective studies be undertaken to confirm the possible value of psyllium in averting infection with Norwalk agent.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009663:Norwalk virus; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011620:Psyllium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D010276:Parasympatholytics; D011620:Psyllium