Acute diarrhoea in adults: a prospective study

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Acute diarrhea remains a significant cause of morbidity.
• Identifying causative agents is crucial for effective treatment and public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the spectrum of infective agents causing acute diarrhea in adults.
• To correlate identified pathogens with clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory findings.
• To assess the utility of clinical features in predicting specific etiologies.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study design involving 74 adult patients with acute diarrhea.
• Identification of 34 potential pathogens using microbiological techniques.
• Analysis of clinical presentation, epidemiological data, and laboratory results.

Main Results:

• Thirty-two (43.2%) patients had identified pathogens, with Campylobacter spp. being the most frequent.
• Other identified pathogens included rotavirus, Clostridium difficile, Salmonella enteritidis, and Giardia lamblia.
• A seasonal trend was observed for Campylobacter, predominantly in summer.
• Clostridium difficile infections presented distinctly with post-antibiotic onset and subacute symptoms.
• Clinical and epidemiological features were poor predictors of specific pathogens, except for Clostridium difficile.

Conclusions:

• Campylobacter spp. and rotavirus are common causes of acute infectious diarrhea in this population.
• Clinical presentation is not a reliable indicator for pathogen identification in most cases of acute diarrhea.
• Stool culture is essential for diagnosing severe or prolonged diarrhea to guide antimicrobial therapy.