Acute diarrhea is defined as the abrupt onset of abnormally high fluid content in the stool: more than the normal value of approximately 10 mL/kg/d in the infant and young child, and more than 200 g/d in the teenager and adult. This situation typically implies an increased frequency of bowel movements, which can range from 4-5 to more than 20 times per day. The augmented water content in the stools is due to an imbalance in the physiology of the small and large intestinal processes involved in the absorption of ions, organic substrates, and thus water. A common disorder in its acute form, diarrhea has many causes and may be mild to severe.
Childhood acute diarrhea is usually caused by infection; however, numerous disorders may cause this condition, including a malabsorption syndrome and various enteropathies. Acute-onset diarrhea is usually self-limited; however, an acute infection can have a protracted course. By far, the most common complication of acute diarrhea is dehydration.
Childhood acute diarrhea is usually caused by infection; however, numerous disorders may cause this condition, including a malabsorption syndrome and various enteropathies. Acute-onset diarrhea is usually self-limited; however, an acute infection can have a protracted course. By far, the most common complication of acute diarrhea is dehydration.
Although the term "acute gastroenteritis" is commonly used synonymously with "acute diarrhea," the former term is a misnomer. The term gastroenteritis implies inflammation of both the stomach and the small intestine, whereas, in reality, gastric involvement is rarely if ever seen in acute diarrhea (including diarrhea with an infectious origin); enteritis is also not consistently present. Examples of infectious acute diarrhea syndromes that do not cause enteritis include Vibrio cholerae– induced diarrhea and Shigella -induced diarrhea. Thus, the term acute diarrhea is preferable to acute gastroenteritis.
Diarrheal episodes are classically distinguished into acute and chronic (or persistent) based on their duration. Acute diarrhea is thus defined as an episode that has an acute onset and lasts no longer than 14 days; chronic or persistent diarrhea is defined as an episode that lasts longer than 14 days. The distinction, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), has implications not only for classification and epidemiological studies but also from a practical standpoint because protracted diarrhea often has a different set of causes, poses different problems of management, and has a different prognosis.
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