Patient's question:
My son is five and a half months old. He has been having three to four loose bowel movements a day for nearly half a month. He has taken probiotics, but it hasn't helped. Recently, his stools have been green and foamy. What should the doctor do?Doctor's answer:
Green, watery, or pasty stools with a sour odor and excessive foam are commonly seen in conditions such as indigestion and intestinal dysfunction. If the green stools contain pus, it may indicate acute enteritis or bacillary dysentery. In patients who have undergone major abdominal surgery or are receiving broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment, the sudden appearance of green, watery stools with a fishy odor, along with grayish-white, translucent, egg-white-like pseudomembranes, suggests possible Staphylococcus aureus enteritis. Additionally, consuming large amounts of chlorophyll-rich foods or having excessively high acidity in the intestines can also turn the stool green.