Friday, February, 10, 2012

Cryptosporidium enteritis

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Cryptosporidiosis


Treatment

There are several treatments for cryptosporidium enteritis.

Drugs such as nitazoxanide have been used in children and adults. Other drugs that are sometimes used include:

  • Atovaquone
  • Azithromycin
  • Metronidazole
  • Paromomycin
  • Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole

However, these drugs often only help for a little while. It is common for the infection to return.

The best approach is to improve the immune status in people who have a weakened immune system. This can be done by using highly active antiviral therapy in people with AIDS. It can lead to a complete remission of cryptosporidium enteritis.


Support Groups


Expectations (prognosis)

In healthy people, the infection will clear up, but it can last up to a month. In people who are immunosuppressed, long-term diarrhea may cause weight loss and malnutrition.


Complications
  • Cholangitis (inflammation of a bile duct)
  • Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder)
  • Hepatitis
  • Malabsorption (not enough nutrients being absorbed from the intestinal tract)
  • Pancreatitis
  • Wasting syndrome (loss of body mass where the person becomes very thin and weak)

Calling your health care provider

Notify your health care provider if you develop watery diarrhea that does not go away within a few days, especially if you are immunosuppressed.


Review Date: 05/25/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)