Diarrhea and Constipation - Exam 3 Flashcards
What are the 7 different types of stool as described by the Bristol stool chart.
What is considered acute diarrhea? persistent? chronic?
acute: less than 2 weeks
persistent: 2-4 weeks
chronic: greater than 4 weeks
More than 90% of cases of acute diarrhea are caused by _________
infectious agents either viral or bacterial
How are the 2 most infectious agents of acute diarrhea acquired?
- fecal-oral transmission
- Disturbances of flora by antibiotics allowing overgrowth of
pathogens, such as Clostridium difficile
**What are the 5 high risk groups for acute diarrhea in the United States?
travelers
consumers of certain foods
immunodeficient persons
daycare attendees and their family members
institutionalized persons
** What are the 2 MC pathogens for traveler’s diarrhea?
E Coli & Giardia lamblia
** What 3 pathogens are associated with chicken?
Salmonella, Campylobacter, or Shigella
**What pathogen is associated with undercooked hamburger?
E. Coli
**What pathogen is associated with fried rice or other reheated foods?
Bacillus cereus
**What pathogen is associated with dairy, produce, meats, eggs, salads that have been left out at room temp for too long?
Staph aureus
** What pathogen is associated with eggs?
salmonella
**What pathogen is associated with undercooked shellfish?
vibrio
**What pathogen is associated with uncooked foods, lunch meat or soft cheeses?
Listeria
higher rates in preg women
** What pathogen is associated with improperly stored food/canned food?
Clostridium Botulinum
What do community outbreaks suggest?
viral etiology or a common food source
**What pathogens are associated with daycare attendees and their family members?
Shigella, Giardia, rotavirus, Hepatitis A
**What pathogen is associated with institutionalized persons?
C diff
What does bloody diarrhea indicate? non-bloody?
bloody= inflammatory if gross or occult blood
non-bloody= non-inflammatory
What are the s/s of acute non-inflammatory diarrhea? What type of cramps? What is included in the diagnostic evaluation?
watery and NON-bloody
periumbilical cramps
Diagnostic evaluation is limited to patients with diarrhea that is severe or persists beyond 7 days
What are the s/s of acute inflammatory diarrhea? What type of cramps? What is included in the diagnostic evaluation?
fever and bloody diarrhea
LLQ cramps
Diagnostic evaluation requires routine stool bacterial cultures (including E coliO157:H7) in all and testing as clinically indicated for Clostridium difficile toxin, and ova and parasites.
What is the function of the small bowel? What does dysregulation lead to? Is fever a significant symptom?
The small bowel functions as a fluid/enzyme secretory and nutrient-absorbing organ
Dysregulation of these d/t infections lead to a watery diarrhea in large volume with cramping, bloating, gas and weight loss
Fever is RARELY a significant symptom
** ______ are the MC cause of watery diarrheas
Enteric Viruses
What is the main function of the large bowel?How does large bowel s/s present? **Is fever typically associated? What 2 things are routinely seen on stool smear?
The main function of the large bowel is to absorb fluid and salt and to excrete potassium
present with frequent, regular, small-volume, often painful bowel movements
**Fever and bloody/mucoid stools are COMMON
Red blood cells and inflammatory cells can be routinely see on stool smear
** ______ are more common causes of inflammatory, large intestinal diarrhea
Bacterial pathogens
How will most foodborne infections present?
as a mixture of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort
Ingested preformed toxins (staph. aureus and bacillus cereus) cause illness within ________
hours of exposure (gen. 1-6hrs
Ingested pathogens which produce toxins (enterotoxigenic E. Coli) or directly damage or invade across epithelial cell wall (Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter) usually result in symptoms __________
approx. 24 hours or longer
Protozoal pathogens (cryptosporidium, Giardia) usually take ______ to start showing illness s/s
generally 7 days
norovirus and other enteric viruses, symptoms usually start _______ and resolve _______. How is it transmitted?
symptoms begin 24-48 hours after exposure and resolve in 48-72 hours
usually household/community spread
Giardia, cryptosporidium, entamoeba hystolytica s/s usually start _______ and last for _______. How are they usually transmitted?
7-14 days after exposure
can last for weeks and turn into chronic
parasite that is found in daycares and mountainous streams, endemic areas and community swimming pools
What setting does C. diff usually occur? What is the timeframe?
after abx
may take up to 1 month AFTER antibiotic therapy; most within 2 weeks
What abx are most frequently associated with C diff?
fluoroquinolones, clindamycin, cephalosporins, and penicillins
On the PE, what 3 things do you need to note? When would you want to hospitalize them?
- level of hydration
- mental status
- presence of abdominal tenderness or peritonitis
severe dehydration, organ failure, marked abdominal pain, and or altered mental status
_____ of acute noninflammatory diarrhea is self-limited. What is the tx?
90%
Typically does not require diagnostic investigation
What presenting s/s makes you think diarrhea is self- limiting?
present for less than 2 weeks
no fever
non-bloody
When would you want to consider working a pt up for diarrhea? What would you order?
If diarrhea persists more than 7 days, if dysentery present, or severe illness
fecal leukocytes
stool culture
stool O&P
stool for c. diff
What does a positive fecal leukocyte indicate? negative?
Positive = inflammatory
Negative = non-inflammatory