Diarrhoea_in_Children_Flashcards (1)
What is the main risk associated with gastroenteritis in children?
The main risk associated with gastroenteritis in children is severe dehydration.
What is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children and its symptoms?
The most common cause of gastroenteritis in children is rotavirus, typically accompanied by fever and vomiting for the first 2 days, with diarrhoea lasting up to a week.
How is gastroenteritis in children treated?
The primary treatment for gastroenteritis in children is rehydration.
What is the most common cause of chronic diarrhoea in infants in the developed world?
The most common cause of chronic diarrhoea in infants in the developed world is cows’ milk intolerance.
What is toddler diarrhoea and its characteristics?
Toddler diarrhoea is characterized by stools that vary in consistency and often contain undigested food.
What are some other causes of chronic diarrhoea in children?
Other causes of chronic diarrhoea in children include coeliac disease and post-gastroenteritis lactose intolerance.
summarise
Diarrhoea in children
Gastroenteritis
main risk is severe dehydration
most common cause is rotavirus - typically accompanied by fever and vomiting for the first 2 days. The diarrhoea may last up to a week
treatment is rehydration
Chronic diarrhoea
Infants
most common cause in the developed world is cows’ milk intolerance
toddler diarrhoea: stools vary in consistency, often contain undigested food
coeliac disease
post-gastroenteritis lactose intolerance
A 2-year-old child comes in to see you with his mother at the GP surgery. The mother tells you that for the past few months the child has been suffering from diarrhoea. On further questioning, she denies that it is foul smelling but does confirm it sometimes contains undigested food. There are no other symptoms such as abdominal pain or bloating. You plot their height and weight, and it is appropriate for their age.
What’s the most likely diagnosis?
Toddler’s diarrhoea
Giardiasis
Coeliac disease
Gastroenteritis
Lactose intolerance
Toddler’s diarrhoea
Toddler’s diarrhoea is a benign condition that causes the child no problems. It is due to the fast transit through their digestive system and often contains undigested food. It requires no treatment. It is prudent to plot their height and weight to ensure no severe underlying diagnosis is present such as coeliac, which would present with the child falling centiles on the growth chart.
Gastroenteritis wouldn’t last for months and it is likely that others in the household would be suffering from it too.
Lactose intolerance would also have abdominal pain and bloating as symptoms and the diarrhoea would be linked to eating dairy.
Giardiasis is a parasitic infection, and the child typically has watery stools, nausea and fever.
