What term describes chronic diarrhea that responds to antibiotic therapy?

• A. Antibiotic-responsive enteropathy
• B. Fecal microbiota transplantation
• C. Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• D. Acute gastroenteritis

Answer: (A)

The term describes a pattern where chronic diarrhea improves when antibiotics are used, pointing to a enteropathy with a bacterial or overgrowth component. This makes antibiotic-responsive enteropathy the best fit, because its defining feature is the clear, sustained response to antibiotic therapy, unlike other conditions listed.

Fecal microbiota transplantation is about restoring the gut microbiome, not about symptoms that improve specifically because antibiotics were given. Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic inflammatory condition driven by immune factors; while antibiotics may be used in some cases, they are not the defining feature, and many patients do not achieve lasting remission with antibiotics alone. Acute gastroenteritis is a short-term illness typically self-limited or treated with supportive care; its distinguishing factor is duration, not a consistent response to antibiotics.