Chronic Diarrhoea Flashcards
What is chronic diarrhoea defined as?
Diarrhoea that lasts more than 3 weeks
Is chronic diarrhoea secretory or osmotic?
Can be either, or a combination of two
What are the categories of causes of chronic diarrhoea?
- Infective causes
- Non-infective causes
What are the infective causes of chronic diarrhoea?
- Gardia lamblia
- Cryptosporidium parvum
- Viruses
What condition does the pathogen Giardia lamblia produce?
Giardiasis
What kind of pathogen is Giardia lamblia?
A flagellate protozoan
How does giardiasis present?
- Acute watery diarrhoea
- Abdominal pain
- Intermittent diarrhoea
- Abdominal distention
- Weight loss
- Chronic diarrhoea
How is giardiasis diagnosed?
Stool smear
What is the sensitivity of stool smear in giardiasis?
75-95%
What treatment is often of benefit in giardiasis?
Empirical trial of metronidazole for 3-5 days
What condition is produced by the pathogen cryptosporidium parvum?
Cryptosporidosis
What kind of pathogen is cryptosporidium parvum?
A protozoan organism
What does cryptosporidiosis present with?
Chronic diarrhoea
How is a diagnosis of cryptosporidium parvum made?
Specific antigen testing
How is cryptosporidiosis treated?
Usually self-limiting
May be treated with nitazoxanide for 3 days
