Assessment of the Relationship between Gastric Secretory Capacity and Jejunal Bacteriology

Abstract

Frederiksen, W., Bruusgaard, A. & Hess Thaysen, E. 1973. Assessment of the Relationship between Gastric Secretory Capacity and Jejunal Bacteriology. Scand. J. Gastroent. 8, 353-359.

The effect of gastric acid secretion on the bacterial population of the proximal small gut was studied in 282 patients without evidence of intestinal stasis. Significant bacterial counts (> 10⁴ microorganisms per ml) were obtained in fasting jejunal aspirates from 35 of 46 patients with gastric peak acid outputs between 0 and 5 mEq H^T per hour (PAO: 0-5), from 18 of 66 patients with PAO: 6-15, and from 16 of 170 patients with PAO equal to or above 16. Of 55 patients with intestinal sta is 48 had significant bacterial counts in their jejunal aspirates. In these patients the contamination of the proximal small gut was apparently independent of the gastric secretory capacity. The bacterial species recovered from the jejunal aspirates in both materials were in part identical with those commonly isolated from saliva and also represented a narrow selection of the bacterial population of the colon. Among the latter E. coli and other species of Enterobacteriaceae prevailed whereas the anaerobes were infrequent.

Key-words::

• Bacterial overgrowth
• gastric acid secretion
• intestinal stasis
• jejunum