Link between stomach acid medications and gastrointestinal infections

London: A type of medication widely used to treat indigestion is associated with an increased risk of bacterial gastroenteritis, as according to new research published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. The research, led by University College London found that people taking acid suppression medications, such as protein pump inhibitors (PPIs), were nearly four times at risk of suffering infection from Campylobacter jejuni, one of the most common causes of food poisoning. The study found a higher associated risk of severe intestinal infection from other pathogens including C. difficile and E. coli. PPIs are drugs that act on the cells that line the stomach to reduce the production of acid.

Gastroenteritis Hospitalization Rates for Children Drop Following Implementation of Rotavirus Vaccine

JAMA: Following implementation of rotavirus vaccination in 2006, all-cause acute gastroenteritis hospitalization rates among U.S. children younger than 5 years of age declined by 31 percent – 55 percent in each of the post-vaccine years from 2008 through 2012, according to a study in the June 9 issue of JAMA.