[Differential diagnosis of diarrhea]

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Internal Medicine
• Clinical Diagnostics

Context:

• Diarrheal diseases present as acute or chronic conditions.
• Acute diarrhea is often infectious and self-limiting.
• Chronic diarrhea requires careful differentiation between functional and organic etiologies.

Purpose:

• To outline diagnostic strategies for acute and chronic diarrheal diseases.
• To emphasize the importance of patient history in chronic diarrhea evaluation.
• To define first-line and subsequent investigations for diagnosing chronic diarrhea.

Summary:

• Acute diarrhea is typically infectious and self-limiting, though diagnosis is vital for specific professions.
• Chronic diarrhea evaluation hinges on detailed patient history to distinguish functional from organic causes, with functional disorders common in primary care.
• Gastrointestinal endoscopy and small bowel function tests are primary diagnostic tools for chronic diarrhea, supplemented by further tests as needed.

Impact:

• Provides a framework for accurate diagnosis of diarrheal diseases.
• Improves patient management by guiding appropriate investigations.
• Highlights the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders.