Diarrhoea

Question 1

What is diarrhoea?

Answer 1

a presenting Sx with many DDx
3+ watery stools daily - which are levels 5-7 on Bristol stool chart

Question 2

Time for each?
Acute
Subacute
Chronic

Answer 2

Acute <14 days
Subacute 14-28 days
Chronic >28 days

Question 3

Causes of diarrhoea?

Answer 3

IBD (Crohns, UC)
Coeliacs
hyperthyroidism
inflammation or malignancy

Question 4

4 Infective causes of diarrhoea?

Answer 4

viral (mc)
bacterial
worms
Abx
Giardisis

Question 5

Viral causes of diarrhoea?

Answer 5

rotavirus (kids <3 years)
Norovirus (adults)

Question 6

Bacterial causes of diarrhoea?

Answer 6

C.Diff
campylobacter (MC bacterial cause of diarrhoea)
E.coli
Salmonella
Shigella
Cholera (rice water)

Question 7

How does Abx increase risk of diarrhoea?

Answer 7

increased risk of C.diff infection; clarythromycin, coamoxiclav, ciprofloxacin, cephalosporins (4 Cs)

Question 8

How does giardiasis cause diarrhoea?

Answer 8

(parasites)
MC parasitic diarrhoea + amoeba-entamoeba histolytica

Question 9

Sx depend on cause?
Under 3 think?
Abx think?
Guillain barre think?
rice water think?
Infective think?
Non infective think?

Answer 9

rotovirus
C.diff
Campylobacter
cholera
infective = acute = often travellers
non infective = longer Hx

Question 10

Types of diarrhoea?

Answer 10

Watery
secretory
osmotic
functional (IBS)
Steatorrhoea
inflammatory
Bloody = dysentery eg. Amoebic dysentary, E.coli, salmonella, shigella

Question 11

Tx of diarrhoea?

Answer 11

Depends on underlying cause
Viral (mc) - self limiting

Main comp to be wary of is DEHYDRATION + ELECTROLYTE LOSS = fluid + diuralite