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Review article: metronidazole and the anaerobic gut flora
Author(s) -
ELLIOTT T. S. J.,
STONE J. W.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2036.1990.tb00467.x
Subject(s) - metronidazole , medicine , flora (microbiology) , anaerobic exercise , microbiology and biotechnology , anaerobic bacteria , gastroenterology , antibiotics , physiology , bacteria , biology , genetics
SUMMARY Metronidazole is a nitro‐imidazole drug which was discovered nearly 30 years ago. Metronidazole has remained the mainstay of anti‐anaerobic therapy following a chance observation that its activity included anaerobic organisms. The predominant human reservoir of these anaerobic organisms is the gastrointestinal tract. In this review, the anaerobic flora and their pathogenic potential are described. The main characteristics of metronidazole and the role of selective decontamination of the gastrointestinal tract are also discussed.