Abstract
The gastrointestinal tract houses the largest and most complex community of microorganisms, and this bacterial colonization of the human intestine by environmental microbes begins immediately after the birth. The intestinal microbiota has several important and unique functions, including metabolic functions such as the biotransformation of drugs and the digestion of dietary compounds; a mucosal barrier function by inhibiting the invasion of pathogens and an immunomodulatory function. On the other hand, some commensal bacteria can be pathogenic, causing infections if the natural host is compromised and, in predisposed hosts, the intestinal microbiota can be involved in nosocomial infection. The translocation of bacteria through the intestinal wall is considered one of the main causes of nosocomial infections. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive view of the human gut microbiota, its main functions, its role in health and disease, addressing the correlation between intestinal microbial composition and nosocomial infections.
Highlights
The intestines form the largest organ of the body in length
Nosocomial infections designated as healthcare-associated infections are those acquired as a result of healthcare interventions
The intestinal microbiota is a complex community of microorganisms and one of the most important functions of the intestinal microbiota is the maintenance of the balance of bacteria and the control of susceptibility to infection with enteropathogenic organisms
Summary
The intestines form the largest organ of the body in length. Anatomically, they are divided into two zones with different functions, which are the small intestine and the large intestine. The large intestine is situated between the anus and small intestine, with a diameter three times longer than the anterior portion of the intestine, and its functions are related to the absorption of water, minerals, nutrients and vitamins, as well as the preparation and storage of feces before elimination. It is habited by rich bacterial flora that usually lives in symbiosis with the host, and is of great importance to human body (Udager et al, 2010). The exact number of bacterial cells present in the human gut and which species they all belong to is unknown but some studies suggest that it is a number of approximately 100 trillion bacteria that play an important role in the human body (Souza et al, 2021)
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