Group 8

Victiyana
1414401D086
 DEFINITION
• In medicine, diarrhea is frequent loose or liquid bowel movements.
 Acute diarrhea is a common cause of death in developing
countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths
worldwide
• Diarrhoea is the passage of 3 or more loose or liquid stools per day,
or more frequently than is normal for the individual. It is usually a
symptom of gastrointestinal infection, which can be caused by a
variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms. Infection is spread
through contaminated food or drinking-water, or from person to
person as a result of poor hygiene.
 Severe diarrhoea leads to fluid loss, and may be life-threatening,
particularly in young children and people who are malnourished
or have impaired immunity.
 Causes Of Diarrhea
Causes Diarrhea commonly results from
gastroenteritis caused by viral infections, parasites
or bacterial toxins.
In sanitary living conditions where there is ample
food and a supply of clean water, an otherwise
healthy patient usually recovers from viral infections
in a few days. However, for ill or malnourished
individuals diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration
and can become life-threatening without treatment.
Diarrhea can also be a symptom of more
serious diseases, such as dysentery , cholera ,
or botulism , and can also be indicative of a
chronic syndrome such as Cohn's disease or
severe mushroom poisoning syndromes.
Though appendicitis patients do not generally
have violent diarrhea, it is a common
symptom of a ruptured appendix . It is also an
effect of severe radiation sickness .
 Types of diarrhea
There are at least four types of diarrhea:
• secretory diarrhea
• osmotic diarrhea
• motility-related diarrhea
• inflammatory diarrhea
 Infectious diarrhea
Infectious diarrhea is diarrhea caused by a
microbe such as a bacterium , parasite , or
virus
 Treatment
In many cases of diarrhea, replacing lost fluid
and salts is the only treatment needed, either
ORS (if tolerated) or intravenously . Medicines
that are available without a doctor's
prescription include loperamide (Imodium)
and bismuth subsalicylate (as found in Pepto
Bismol and Kaopectate ).