Why is diarrhea potentially life threatening

Diarrhoea is often accompanied by abdominal pain. Infants and young children with severe symptoms may quickly become dehydrated. Dehydration is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition.

The management of young children with gastroenteritis involves many considerations. Depending on the specific circumstances, care may be provided by parents or by a range of healthcare professionals. Children may be managed in a community or a hospital setting. Teaching Medical Students. Dialogue on Diarrhoea.. Subject Index.. Country Reference Index.. Author Index. How to treat dehydration.. Treatment Plans. Save 1 million a year.. How ORT works..

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Diagnosing diarrhea itself isn't always as simple as one might think, said Lustbader, who noted that people often experience changes in their bowel movements and think that they have diarrhea when, in fact, they do not. But if a patient is having three or more watery or soft bowel movements a day, then they likely do have diarrhea, Lustbader said. Most cases of diarrhea resolve spontaneously within a few days and all that is needed is to prevent dehydration by replacing lost fluids, according to the NIH.

In the meantime, various over-the-counter medications may help firm the stool and decrease the urgency for bowel movements. These include loperamide hydrochloride commonly known as the brand name Imodium AD , bismuth subsalicylate Pepto-Bismol and attapulgite Kaopectate. Avoid large doses of Imodium, though, as too much can be life-threatening. These medications, however, are not recommended for diarrhea caused by bacterial infection or parasites, according to the NIH, because organisms will be trapped in the intestines if the diarrhea ceases before they are completely excreted.

The Cleveland Clinic recommends drinking two to three quarts or liters of liquids daily while recovering from diarrhea. Step-Up To Medicine. Updated: November 11, Accessed: February 19, Wald A. Factitious diarrhea: Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management. In: Post TW, ed. Last updated: September 16, Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Heat-labile toxin Heat-stable toxin. Clostridioides difficile. Pseudomembranous colitis Rarely causes bloody diarrhea. Clostridium perfringens. Heat-labile enterotoxin Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin.

Gas gangrene. Vibrio cholerae. Norovirus most common cause. Fecal-oral or airborne transmission. Fecal-oral transmission Prevention: attenuated vaccine for children. Transmission via contaminated water or fecal-oral route. Giardia lamblia. Transmission via ingestion of contaminated water e. Fecal-oral transmission oocysts are typically excreted in stool and contaminate drinking water.