diarrhoea Flashcards
causes of diarrhoea
viral/bacterial infection
drugs
IBS/IBD
4 types of diarrhoea
osmotic
secretory
chronic and inflammatory
dysfunctional
What is osmotic diarrhoea caused by?
decreased absorption or increased secretion of water and electrolytes by intestinal epithelium
too much water into bowel
main causes of osmotic diarrhoea
bacterial enterotoxins (cholera, E. Coli)
luminal secreting agents (bile acids, laxatives)
circulating secreting agents (hormones, drugs, poisons)
medical problems (Addison’s disease, carcinoid tumour, vipoma)
What malabsorption syndromes is osmotic diarrhoea common in?
lactose intolerance
Celiac disease
How to distinguish between osmotic and secretory diarrhoea?
calculating the fecal osmotic gap
What is the stool osmotic gap?
difference between Na and K ions in the stool
What is normal osmolarity?
50 - 100 mOsm/kg
What osmolarity indicated secretory diarrhoea?
< 50 mOsm/kg
osmolarity for osmotic diarrhoea?
> 100 mOsm/kg
secretory/osmotic affected by fasting?
osmotic decreases in severity with fasting
osmotic load removed
What causes chronic/inflammatory diarrhoea?
inflammation in the bowel mucosa causes decreased fluid resorption
inflammatory diarrhoea in what diseases?
CD
UC
intestinal infections - clostridiodies difficile or shigella
What’s in stool in inflammatory diarrhoea?
blood
WBCs
mucous
What is functional diarrhoea?
chronic or recurrent diarrhoea not explained by structural or biochemical abnormalaties
most common functional diarrhoea
IBS
What could be a cause of functional diarrhoea?
alterations in microbiome of intestine and rapid transit time of contents through GIT
cause of diarrhoea due to impaired intestinal motility
abnormal intestinal motility where transit time is accelerated and absorption is decreased
exudative diarrhoea?
caused by drugs that cause imflammation and ulceration in the intestine
microscopic colitis cause of diarrhoea
drugs cause thick submucosal band of collagen in intestine
results in watery diarrhoea
Most common cause in adults?
campylobacter
most common cause in children?
rotavirus