By: Dr. Babar T. Shaikh
It Is the passing of excessive number of Loose Watery Stools.
- 40-50% of hospital admissions
- 50% Rota virus
- 25% E.Coli ( a bacteria)
- 10% Salmonella
- 5% Shigella
- 5-10% Vibrio Cholera
Excessive loss of water & electrolytes results in dehydration.
Loss of body water causes:
- Loss of skin turgor
- Weak/ absent pulse
- Tachycardia
- Sunken eyes
- Sunken fontanelle
- Husky voice
- Cyanosis of fingers
- Dry mucus membrane
- Cold skin
- Anuria/ uremia
Loss of electrolytes causes:
- Vomiting/ retching
- Deep sighing respiration
- Irritability
- Myocardial contractility is reduced
- Abdominal distention
- Sustained shock
Loss of nutrients causes:
- Hypoglycemia
- Convulsions/ coma
- Loss of weight
When Dehydration is:
- Mild then Weight Loss is less than 5%
- Moderate then Weight Loss is Between 5-10 %
- Severe then Weight Loss is more than 10%
Clinical Features
- Diarrhea/ Vomiting
- Stools are large in volume
- Watery in consistency
- Sudden loss of weight
- Dehydration
- Irritable/ Restless
- Thirst is marked
- Feeds are taken eagerly but often vomited
- Skin wrinkles when pinched
- Extremities cold/ cyanosed
Treatment of Diarrhea
- More fluids than normal
- Plain water
- Cereal gruel
- Fresh fruit juice
- Mashed banana
- ORS solution ( Na, K, Cl, Citrate, Glucose)
ORS
Less than 24 months
50-100 ml after each stool
500ml / day
2-10 Years
100-200 ml after each stool
1000 ml / day
More than 10 years
as much as needed
2000 ml / day
