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Frequently Asked Questions
 What is diarrhoea?
Diarrhoea is an intestinal disorder characterized by abnormal fluidity
and frequency of faecal evacuations, generally the result of increased motility in the
colon; may be an important symptom of such underlying disorders as dysenteric diseases,
lactose intolerance, GI tumors, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Diarrhoea is the passage of watery stools, usually at least three times
in a 24hour period. However, it is the consistency of the stools rather than the number
that is most important. Frequent passing of formed stools is not diarrhoea. Babies fed
only breastmilk often pass loose, "pasty" stools; this also is not diarrhoea.
Mothers usually know when their children have diarrhoea and may provide useful working
definitions in local situations.
Clinical types of diarrhoeal diseases
It is most practical to base treatment of diarrhoea on the clinical
type of the illness, which can easily be determined when a child is first examined.
Laboratory studies are not needed. Four clinical types of diarrhoea can be recognized,
each reflecting the basic underlying pathology and altered physiology:
· acute watery diarrhoea (including cholera) which lasts
several hours or days:
the main danger is dehydration; weight loss also occurs if feeding
is not continued;
· acute bloody diarrhoea (also called dysentery):
the main dangers are intestinal damage, sepsis and malnutrition; other complications,
including dehydration, may also occur;
· persistent diarrhoea (which lasts 14 days or longer):
the main
danger is malnutrition and serious non-intestinal infection; dehydration may also occur;
· diarrhoea with severe malnutrition (marasmus or kwashiorkor);
the main dangers are: severe systemic infection, dehydration, heart failure and vitamin
and mineral deficiency.
The management of each type of diarrhoea should prevent or treat the
main danger(s) that each presents.
When a child has diarrhoea the body fluids and salts can be quickly lost
from the body. The child becomes dry (dehydrated) and this is very dangerous and may kill
the child. |
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