Acute diarrhea
Diarrhea is the habitual increase in bowel movements, generally of decreased consistency; formally, it is defined as more than three bowel movements in a 24-hour period with a duration of less than 14 days in a persistent manner.
Diarrhea is considered mild if it does not interfere with daily activities, moderate when it limits daily life, and severe when it is debilitating or has any serious side effects. Diarrhea is generally infectious, and among these, the most frequent causes are certain viruses. It is important to know if the patient has been exposed to unsafe, untreated water in the days prior to the onset of diarrhea, where they live, their hygienic conditions, the types of food they have consumed, if other people close to them or living with them are also affected, the volume of their stools, what other symptoms they are experiencing, if they have any underlying medical conditions, or if they have recently received antibiotics.
Acute diarrhea is usually self-limiting and antibiotics are not indicated; only supportive treatment with appropriate oral hydration is needed. Unless the patient presents with hypovolemia, parenteral fluids are indicated. If the patient has systemic symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, or is immunocompromised, then before starting antibiotics, it is recommended to wait for culture results for diagnosis and consider other supportive measures.
Dr. Lucia M. Gonçalves JardimInternal Medicine Physician.
Specialist in Endocrinology and Metabolism
Email: luciamgoncalvesj@gmail.com
Telephone: +351 939 056 458