[Chronic bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine]

The small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is defined by the presence in the proximal part of the intestine of a bacterial population and qualitatively abnormal. It is necessary to distinguish the "non-symptomatic" SIBO and the "symptomatic" SIBO responsible for a chronic diarrhoea and/or of a malabsorption syndrome. The main factor encouraging the intervening of a SIBO is the stasis of the intestinal juice. The gold standard test to confirm the diagnosis of SIBO is the jejunal bacteriological intubation, but it is about a trying and expensive method. It is currently supplanted by the respiratory test to hydrogen after ingestion of glucose that is simple, no invasive and little expensive. The treatment usually consists on the repeated administration of antibiotics and nutritional support.