diarrhoea Flashcards
blood and pus in diarrhoea is a sign of?
inflammatory diarrhoea - crohn’s
Increased gas, offensive smell, floating stools is a sign of?
steatorrhoea (stools also pale)
What are the common causes of diarrhoea?
- gastroenteritis
- Parasites
- IBS
- Colorectal cancer
- crohns, UC, Coeliac
What are the causes of bloody diarrhoea?
- Campylobacter, Shigella, Salmonella, Ecoli, ameobiassis
- UC / crohns
- colorectal cancer
- colonic polyps
- pseudomembranous colitis
- ischaemic colitis
***Fresh PR bleed (blood on paper and stool)
When does mucus occur in diarrhoea?
- IBS
- colorectal cancer
- polyps
When does frank pus appear in the diarrhoea?
- IBD
- diverticulitis
- fistula / abscess
What can cause “explosive” diarrhoea?
- cholera
- giardia
- yersina
- rotavirus
Water stool +/- blood, mucus pelvic pain relieved by defeacation tenesmus urgency are all signs of?
Large bowel diarrhoea caused by shigella salmonella C.diff Entamoeba
Periumbical pain not relieved by defaecation is?
small bowel symtpoms
On examination of a patient with diarrhoea - what do you look for?
1) Dehydration (dry mucous membranes, decreased skin turgor, capillary refill time over 2s)
2) fever, weight loss, clubbing, anaemia, oral ulcers
3) rashes, or abdo scars
4) goitre / hyperthyroid signs
5) Rectal exam for masses / impacted faeces
What invx should you do for a pt with diarrhoea?
BLOOD
- FBC , U&E, CRP/ESR, thyroid function
STOOL (if systemic signs)
SIGMOIDOSCOPY
COLONOSCOPY + barium enema
A patient presents with diarrhoea. The FBC shows low MCV / iron deficiency what could be the cause of this?
- coeliac
- colon cancer
- crohns
A patient presents with diarrhoe. The FBC shows high MCV what could be the cause?
- high alcohol intake
- low B12 absorption (pernicious anaemia, coeliac, crohn’s
A patient presents with diarrhoea. The FBC shows raised eosinophil count - what does this indicate?
parasitic infection
A patient presents with diarrhoea. A raised CRP / ESR indicates /……
crohns
UC
cancer
