Management of Diarrhea in children part 01 C

Diarrhea refers to the passage of loose or watery stools. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a case as the passage of three or more loose or watery stools per day. Nevertheless, absolute limits of normalcy are difficult to define; any deviation from the child's usual pattern should arouse some concern (particularly with ill appearance, the passage of blood or mucus, or dehydration) regardless of the actual number of stools or their water content.The patient who requires volume resuscitation must be quickly identified. Clinical evidence of dehydration such as decreased urine output, tachycardia, and dry mucus membranes are already apparent at a deficit of 5 percent of body weight. The most useful signs for predicting a volume deficit of 5 percent or more include delayed capillary refill time greater than two seconds, reduced skin turgor, and deep respirations with or without an increase in respiratory rate, particularly if a combination of these findings is present.Diarrhea usually results in isotonic volume depletion. Although clinically significant electrolyte disturbances do not occur frequently, children who are ill-appearing or who have significant dehydration requiring intravenous rehydration should have serum electrolytes measured.In addition to identifying volume depletion, a thorough examination must be performed because systemic, non-enteric infections, particularly otitis media, may cause acute diarrhea. A palpable mass or peritonitis suggests appendicitis, intussusception or, less commonly, toxic megacolon. Generalized toxicity and/or shock may occur with hemolytic uremic syndrome or with sepsis, such as from Salmonella or staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Life-threatening
• conditions
• Intussusception
• Hemolytic
• uremic
• syndrome
• Microangiopathic
• hemolytic
• anemia
• Thrombocytopenia
• Acute
• renal
• failure
• Pseudomembranous
• colitis
• Appendicitis
• Toxic
• megacolon
• Congenital
• secretory
• diarrheas