title: Small bowel bacterial overgrowth in patients after total gastrectomy.
abstract: The aim of this study was to elucidate the consequences of small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SBBO) after total gastrectomy. A total of 127 patients, evaluated for SBBO with a radiographically controlled H2-breath test (subgroup I, without SBBO, n = 80; subgroup II, with SBBO, n = 47) after potentially curative total gastrectomy for gastric malignancy, were uniformly evaluated. Mean time since operation was significantly shorter in subgroup II than in subgroup I [370 days, confidence interval (CI) 96-645 days, vs. 687 days, CI 397-976 days; P < 0.01]. Controlling for this difference, there were no other significant differences in symptoms and signs between the subgroups except for the medico-social functioning measured with the Edinburgh Rehabilitation Status Scale (ERSS). The mean ERSS showed significantly better medicosocial functioning in subgroup I than in subgroup II [3.7 (CI 2.2-5.2) vs. 5.1 (CI 3.0-7.0); P < 0.05]. After total gastrectomy, patients without SBBO did not differ significantly from patients with SBBO in most parameters. Medicosocial functioning was significantly poorer in the latter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brägelmann
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Armbrecht
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosemeyer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zilly
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Stockbrügger
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D001944:Breath Tests; D005243:Feces; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009780:Occult Blood; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen