Campylobacter Enteritis and Post-Infective Bowel Dysfunction (PI-BD): Role of Antibiotics and Microbiota
Campylobacter Enteritis and Post-Infective Bowel Dysfunction (PI-BD): Role of Antibiotics and Microbiota
The principal research objective is to determine the impact of antibiotic use on the risk of
 developing long term bowel symptoms after infection with the germ Campylobacter.
The secondary research objectives are:

 -  To investigate how the particular strain of the Campylobacter germ that causes the
 infection, and the strength of the immune response that it stimulates in the bowel,
 affect the risk of long term bowel symptoms.

 -  To explore what changes occur after Campylobacter infection in the bacteria that usually
 live in the large bowel (microbiota) and the chemicals that they produce (short-chain
 fatty acids) when they digest nutrients. We will look for differences between people who
 recover fully and people who have long term bowel symptoms.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Age ≥ 18

 -  Clinical syndrome suggestive of intestinal infection, including symptoms such as new
 onset of abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, blood in stools, fever

 -  Submission of stool sample to Nottingham University Hospitals Microbiology Laboratory
 for investigation of these symptoms

 -  Campylobacter sp. cultured by selective media (standard clinical practice) from this
 stool sample

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Pregnancy declared by the candidate

 -  History declared by the candidate of pre-existing gastrointestinal disorder, including
 but not limited to:

 -  Inflammatory Bowel Disease

 -  Coeliac Disease

 -  Pancreatitis

 -  Gallstone disease (biliary colic, cholecystitis)

 -  Diverticulitis

 -  Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract

 -  Irritable Bowel Syndrome

 -  Reported history of previous resection of any part of the gastrointestinal tract other
 than appendix or gallbladder

 -  Intestinal stoma

 -  Habitual use of opiate analgesics likely to alter bowel function e.g. morphine

 -  Use of antibiotics in the preceding four weeks other than for treatment of index
 infection.

 -  Use of purgative products/ high dose laxatives for bowel preparation in the four weeks
 prior to index infection.

 -  Any condition where the candidate is likely to require a course of antibiotics in the
 next 3 months e.g. severe chronic respiratory disease, recurrent urinary tract
 infection, lower limb ulceration

 -  Inability to complete the symptom questionnaires e.g. cognitive dysfunction limiting
 memory and understanding

 -  Declared participation in any medical trials in the past 3 months

 -  Anyone who in the opinion of the investigator is unlikely to be able to comply with
 the protocol e.g. cognitive dysfunction, chaotic lifestyle related to substance abuse