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Stool chemistries in patients with unexplained diarrhea.

D A Johnson, E L Cattau

American Family Physician

|May 1, 1986

Summary

Differentiating osmotic and secretory diarrhea is key for diagnosis. The stool osmotic gap effectively distinguishes between these two types, aiding in identifying causes like disaccharidase deficiency or cholera.

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Area of Science:

Gastroenterology
Internal Medicine
Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

Unexplained diarrheal disorders require accurate differential diagnosis.
Distinguishing between osmotic and secretory diarrhea is clinically significant.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the importance of differentiating osmotic and secretory diarrhea.
To explain the utility of the stool osmotic gap in this differentiation.

Main Methods:

Calculation of the stool osmotic gap using measured stool osmolality and osmolality derived from stool sodium and potassium concentrations.

Main Results:

A low stool osmotic gap indicates secretory diarrhea.
A high stool osmotic gap indicates osmotic diarrhea.

Conclusions:

The stool osmotic gap is a valuable diagnostic tool for unexplained diarrhea.
Identifying the type of diarrhea aids in pinpointing specific causes.

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