Acute Diarrhea: Causes, Diagnosis, and Management Explained

Acute Diarrhea: Causes, Diagnosis, and Management Explained

Question. Describe the management of Acute Diarrhea.

Answer.

General Management of Acute Diarrhea

• Rest, maintenance of fluid, and electrolyte balance.
• ORS should be given to all children as early as possible.
• Patients with constant vomiting or moderate to severe dehydration require IV fluids.
• Ringer lactate is ideal, normal saline may be given.

Acute Diarrhea: Causes, Diagnosis, and Management Explained

Treatment of Antimicrobial/ antidiarrheal 

• Ciprofloxacin 500 mg BD for three days or nalidixic acid 1 gm 6 hourly for 5 to 7 days.
• It may be combined with the tinidazole 300 mg BD for 6 days

General Medicine BDS 3rd Year Question and Answers

Antimotility Agent of Diarrhea

This should be used in children before 5 years of age.

• Loperamide or diphenoxylate atropine.
• Codeine could be used.
• Sodium and water-conserving agent, i.e. racecadotril is the newer drug safely given in children and adults.
  It reduces the loss of sodium and water in the stool.

Causes Of Acute Diarrhea.

1. Acute Diarrhea
   
   • infective diarrhoea
     • Bacterial: The bacteria which cause acute diarrhea are
     • Shigella, Salmonella, E.coli, etc.
     • Viral: The viruses which result in diarrhea are
     • parvovirus, Hawaii, etc.
     • Protozoal: The protozoans are Ehistolytica, giardia, etc.
     • Toxic and systemic causes
     • Some drugs result in acute diarrhea, i.e. broad-spectrum antibiotics.
   • Non­infective diarrhoea
     • Crohn’s disease
     • Irritable bowel syndrome
     • Acute psychological stress
     • Drugs such as amoxicillin, antacids, cholinergic, etc.

Causes of Acute Diarrhea and its Management

1. Chronic diarrhea
   • Ulcerative colitis
   • HIV associated enteritis
   • Whipple’s disease
   • Pancreatic insufficiency
   • Zollinger­Ellison syndrome
   • Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid
   • Irritable bowel syndrome.