Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Systems
- 1 Infective Endocarditis
- 2 Myocarditis and Pericarditis
- 3 Dental and Odontogenic Infections
- 4 Systemic Diseases Causing Fever and Rash
- 5 Otitis Media
- 6 Otitis Externa
- 7 Sinusitis
- 8 Supraglottitis
- 9 Pharyngitis and Tonsillitis
- 10 Deep Neck Space Infections
- 11 Mumps
- 12 Peritonitis
- 13 Viral Hepatitis
- 14 Infectious Biliary Diseases: Cholecystitis and Cholangitis
- 15 Acute Infectious Diarrhea
- 16 Diarrhea in HIV-Infected Patients
- 17 Ulcerative Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- 18 Nonulcerative Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- 19 Vulvovaginitis
- 20 Male Genitourinary Infections
- 21 Adult Septic Arthritis
- 22 Hand Infections: Fight Bite, Purulent Tenosynovitis, Felon, and Paronychia
- 23 Osteomyelitis
- 24 Open Fractures
- 25 Spinal Infections
- 26 Prosthetic Joint Infections
- 27 Diabetic Foot Infections
- 28 Plantar Puncture Wounds
- 29 Periocular Infections
- 30 Conjunctival and Corneal Infections
- 31 Uvea, Vitreous, and Retina Infections
- 32 Community-Acquired Pneumonia
- 33 Tuberculosis
- 34 Influenza
- 35 HIV-Associated Respiratory Infections
- 36 Arthritis in the Acute Care Setting
- 37 Lower Urinary Tract Infection in Adults
- 38 Pyelonephritis in Adults
- 39 Fever and Headache: Meningitis and Encephalitis
- 40 Fever and Focal Cerebral Dysfunction
- 41 Fever and Acute Weakness Localizing to the Spinal Cord
- 42 Altered Mental Status in HIV-Infected Patients
- 43 Bacterial Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections
- Part II Pediatrics
- Part III Special Populations
- Part IV Current Topics
- Part V Overview of Antibiotics
- Part VI Microbiology/Laboratory Tests
- Part VII Infection Control Precautions
- Index
- References
15 - Acute Infectious Diarrhea
from Part I - Systems
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 December 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Systems
- 1 Infective Endocarditis
- 2 Myocarditis and Pericarditis
- 3 Dental and Odontogenic Infections
- 4 Systemic Diseases Causing Fever and Rash
- 5 Otitis Media
- 6 Otitis Externa
- 7 Sinusitis
- 8 Supraglottitis
- 9 Pharyngitis and Tonsillitis
- 10 Deep Neck Space Infections
- 11 Mumps
- 12 Peritonitis
- 13 Viral Hepatitis
- 14 Infectious Biliary Diseases: Cholecystitis and Cholangitis
- 15 Acute Infectious Diarrhea
- 16 Diarrhea in HIV-Infected Patients
- 17 Ulcerative Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- 18 Nonulcerative Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- 19 Vulvovaginitis
- 20 Male Genitourinary Infections
- 21 Adult Septic Arthritis
- 22 Hand Infections: Fight Bite, Purulent Tenosynovitis, Felon, and Paronychia
- 23 Osteomyelitis
- 24 Open Fractures
- 25 Spinal Infections
- 26 Prosthetic Joint Infections
- 27 Diabetic Foot Infections
- 28 Plantar Puncture Wounds
- 29 Periocular Infections
- 30 Conjunctival and Corneal Infections
- 31 Uvea, Vitreous, and Retina Infections
- 32 Community-Acquired Pneumonia
- 33 Tuberculosis
- 34 Influenza
- 35 HIV-Associated Respiratory Infections
- 36 Arthritis in the Acute Care Setting
- 37 Lower Urinary Tract Infection in Adults
- 38 Pyelonephritis in Adults
- 39 Fever and Headache: Meningitis and Encephalitis
- 40 Fever and Focal Cerebral Dysfunction
- 41 Fever and Acute Weakness Localizing to the Spinal Cord
- 42 Altered Mental Status in HIV-Infected Patients
- 43 Bacterial Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections
- Part II Pediatrics
- Part III Special Populations
- Part IV Current Topics
- Part V Overview of Antibiotics
- Part VI Microbiology/Laboratory Tests
- Part VII Infection Control Precautions
- Index
- References
Summary
INTRODUCTION
Acute diarrhea, defined as the presence of three or more loose stools per day for less than 2 weeks, is usually self-limited and infectious in etiology. In contrast, chronic diarrhea has a duration of more than 3–4 weeks, is less likely to resolve spontaneously, and is more likely to be mechanical in origin. In general, the pathophysiology of diarrhea is osmotic, secretory, inflammatory, or mechanical. Osmotic diarrhea is the result of poorly absorbed molecules, such as lactulose, that draw water into the intestinal lumen. Inflammatory diarrhea occurs when inflammation of the bowel mucosa causes decreased fluid resorption. Secretory diarrhea occurs when there is an increased amount of fluid secreted into the bowel lumen, usually secondary to the effects of bacterial enterotoxin or other secretagogues on the mucosa. Mechanical diarrhea occurs with increased gut motility and is often seen in irritable bowel disease or following surgery. Acute infectious diarrhea is generally inflammatory, secretory, or a combination of both.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Infectious diarrhea is among the leading causes of adult mortality worldwide and is the single leading cause of childhood mortality, resulting in the deaths of 1.6 to 2.5 million children every year. In the United States, as many as 375 million episodes of diarrheal illness are estimated to occur annually. Diarrheal illness is responsible for approximately 5% of U.S. emergency department (ED) visits, as well as 900,000 hospitalizations and 6000 deaths each year.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Emergency Management of Infectious Diseases , pp. 73 - 82Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008
References
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