Diarrhea

• Bacterial
• Viral like rotavirus
• Protozoal like amoebiasis, giardiasis

• Chronic ethanol ingestion
• Ischaemic bowel disease, etc.

Person having diarrhea should have plenty of fluids orally, like:

• Lemonade
• Coconut water
• Buttermilk / lassi / matha
• ORS (oral rehydration solution)
• Plain water
• Intravenous fluids, if required. See Danger Signs below.

The patient should be provided a meal which is easily digested and assimilated like:

• Rice / khichri
• Potatoes
• Over-ripe banana
• Curd

Fruits and fruit juices should be avoided as they can increase the frequency of motion

In most of the cases where the diarrhea is generally non-specific in nature no medicine is suggested.

Medicines, if required, are prescribed according to the cause of diarrhea. They fall in the following classes:

• No antibiotics are given for viral diarrhea
• Antibiotics if the diarrhea is bacterial in origin
• Metronidazole for amoebiasis and giardiasis
• Probiotics like lactobacillus to modify the intestinal flora
• Binding agents like bismuth salt
• Any other medicine depending on the specific cause

It is important to ensure that hygiene is well maintained by the food handlers and for the patient. This involve

• Proper hand washing after defecation
• Proper hand washing before handling food
• Keeping nails trim and clean
• Utensils are clean
• Feeding bottles and nipples for babies are boiled for at least 15-20 minutes before feeds and are not washed after boiling (which is a very common practice).

• Drowsy
• Irritable
• Running high fever