Diarrhoea Flashcards
Site
Perhaps site of assocaited abdominal pain
Qaulity
Could you describe the stool? How watery is the diarrhoea?
What colour is your diarrhoea? Is there any blood?
Is the blood with the stool or separate from?
Is there any mucus in the diarrhoea?
Severity
How often do you need to go to the toilet?
How much diarrhoea are you passing?
Time course
Did it start suddenly?
How long have you had diarrhoea for?
Has it been getting worse?
Has this ever happened before?
Context
What were you doing before the diarrhoea started?
Have you travelled overseas recently?
Did you eat any food that may have caused the diarrhoea?
Have there been any changes to your diet or medication?
Do you know of anybody else who has diarrhoea?
Are you taking any medications?
If chronic – do you find yourself getting diarrhoea after eating a particular food/drink?
Relieving Factors
Normal
Aggravating Factors
Normal
Associated Features
Do you have a fever?
Do you notice anything else with the diarrhoea?
Is there any associated pain?
Have you been thirsty or tired (Dehydration)?
Have you noticed any change to your urine colour?
(Dehydration)
Do you have a rash?
Have you lost weight/Appetite?
Do you have any joint pain?
Any symptoms in the eye?
Differential diagnosis?
Infection/ Food Poisoning – Fever, Vomiting, context, other contacts
Cancer – past history, family history, weight loss, blood in stools (but diarrhoea itself will cause weight loss), fever
Inflammatory Bowel Disease – time course, blood in stools, loss of appetite, weight loss
Changes in Diet or Medication
Hyperthyroidism - Weight loss, enlarged neck, insomnia, anxiety, insensitivity to heat, (popping eyes), family history, light periods
Coeliac Disease/ Intolerance – bloating, only with certain foods, nausea
What are we looking for in associated features?
Nausea Fever Vomiting Dehydration Abdominal pain Weight loss Insensitivity to cold
All
All
