Patient's question:
Children's diarrhea is caused by several situations, and how to treat them respectively.Doctor's answer:
Hello:1. Duration of the illness
Acute diarrhea is characterized by an abrupt onset and a duration of less than two weeks; prolonged diarrhea lasts from two weeks to two months; chronic diarrhea persists for more than two months.
2. Characteristics of stool
(1) Sudden diarrhea with yellow or yellow-green stools is often an early sign of enteritis or infection.
(2) Watery or egg-soup-like stools occurring in autumn or early winter are usually caused by viral infections and are referred to as "autumnal diarrhea" (or viral gastroenteritis).
(3) Dark green, watery stools should prompt consideration of Staphylococcus aureus enteritis or Salmonella typhimurium infection.
(4) Bright red, bloody watery stools are typically indicative of lower gastrointestinal bleeding; black, tarry, watery stools suggest upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
(5) Foamy stools with a strong sour odor may indicate indigestion.
(6) Abundant mucus in the stool is a hallmark of intestinal infection.
(7) A mixture of pus and blood indicates inflammation, possibly dysentery or Campylobacter jejuni enteritis.
(8) Stools resembling rice water require exclusion of cholera.
(9) Foul-smelling or fishy stools should raise suspicion of enteritis caused by pathogenic Escherichia coli.
(10) Acute diarrhea accompanied by fever and abdominal pain is often due to acute intestinal infection (e.g., acute gastroenteritis, dysentery).
(12) Vomiting accompanies the symptoms.