Office-based management of diarrhea

Diarrhea of unknown cause is a particularly challenging diagnostic problem as it may be trivial and self-limiting or the presenting symptom of a life-threatening disorder. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is a frequent complication of antimicrobial therapy, especially in the elderly. The more severe form, pseudomembranous colitis, is now known to be caused by a toxin produced in the colon by Clostridium difficile.