Diarrhoea

Question 1

how many days do you have to have diarrhoea for it to change from acute to chronic?

Answer 1

14 days

>14 = chronic 
<14 = acute

Question 2

Acute Diarrhoea

• LLQ pain w/ fever

Answer 2

Diverticulitis

Question 3

Acute Diarrhoea

• abdo pain and vomiting

Answer 3

Gastroenteritis

Question 4

Chronic Diarrhoea (IBD)

• bloody diarrhoea more common in UC or crohns?
• diarrhoea w/ mouth ulcers and perianal disease?
• diarrhoea w/ faecal urgency and tenesmus?

Answer 4

• UC
• crohn’s
• UC

Question 5

Chronic Diarrhoea

• diarrhoea w/ rectal bleeding, anaemia and weight loss?

Answer 5

colon cancer

Question 6

Chronic Diarrhoea

• children: failure to thrive, distension
• adults: lethargy, anaemia, and weight loss

Answer 6

both coeliac’s disease

Question 7

Steatorrhoea

what causes are you thinking of?

Answer 7

pancreatic insufficiency or biliary obstruction

Question 8

Ix for Diarrhoea

• if low MCV?
• if low B12
• if high CRP/ESR?

Answer 8

• colon cancer
• crohn’s or coeliac’s
• IBD or cancer

Question 9

when would you do a faecal elastase?

Answer 9

if suspecting chronic pancreatitis

Question 10

if acutely unwell/suspecting malignancy - what Ix would you do?

Answer 10

Flexible sigmoidoscopy

Question 11

if suspecting proximal diseass?

Answer 11

colonoscopy

Question 12

oral rehydration is better than IV for Tx but when would you choose to do Iv rehydration?

Answer 12

D&V

Question 13

What medications can you give to reduce stool frequency in diarhoea?

Answer 13

Codeine phosphate
or
Loperamide after each loose stool