Definition

DefinitionAn increase in the frequency of bowel movements (3x per day or more) and a decrease in the form of stool (greater looseness of stool) with or without blood.

How is diarrhea defined?Frequency of bowel movementsAbsolute diarrhea having more bowel movements than normal.Healthy individuals the maximum number of daily bowel movements is approximately three, diarrhea can be defined as any number of stools greater than three.

Consistency of stoolsStools that are liquid or watery are always abnormal and considered diarrheal.Stool Characteristics and Determining Their SourceStool CharacteristicsSmall BowelLarge BowelAppearanceWateryMucoid and/or bloodyVolumeLargeSmallFrequencyIncreasedHighly increasedBloodPossibly positive but never gross bloodCommonly grossly bloodypHPossibly 5.5Reducing substancesPossibly positiveNegativeWBCs10/high power fieldSerum WBCsNormalPossible leukocytosis, bandemiaStool Characteristics and Determining Their SourceSmall BowelLarge BowelOrganismsViral RotavirusAdenovirusCalicivirusAstrovirusNorovirusInvasive bacteriaEscherichia Coli (enteroinvasive, enterohemorrhagic)Shigella speciesSalmonella speciesCampylobacter speciesYersinia speciesAeromonas speciesPlesiomonas speciesEnterotoxigenic bacteria E coliKlebsiellaClostridium perfringensCholera speciesVibrio speciesToxic bacteriaClostridium difficileStool Characteristics and Determining Their SourceSmall BowelLarge BowelOrganisms

ParasitesGiardia speciesCryptosporidium speciesParasites Entamoeba organisms

Types of DiarrheaAcute diarrhea lasts from a few days up to a week (