From (acute) diarrhea – colloquially called diarrhea – (synonyms: Intestinal catarrh; diarrhea; diarrhea; gastroenteritis; ICD-10-GM A09.-: Other and unspecified gastroenteritis and colitis of infectious and unspecified origin) is said to occur when three or more stools are passed per day, the stool weight is more than 250 g per day, and there is a decreased stool consistency. The stool has a high water content (> 75%), so that the consistency is usually liquid or mushy. Chronic diarrhea is present when diarrhea persists for more than 4 weeks.
Seasonal accumulation of the disease: diarrhea occurs more frequently in the fall and winter.
Diarrhea is not a disease in the strict sense, but a symptom that can have many causes.
Diarrhea that lasts for a maximum of two weeks is called acute diarrhea. If the diarrhea lasts between two and four weeks, it is called persistent diarrhea. If the diarrhea persists for more than four weeks, it is called chronic diarrhea. Diarrhea is divided into the following subcategories according to its causes:
- Osmotic diarrhea – insufficient absorption of osmotically acting substances in the intestine.
- Secretory diarrhea – increased release and at the same time insufficient absorption of ions in digestive juices; common in intestinal inflammation caused by viruses or bacteria – e.g. Salmonella, Escherichia coli.
- Inflammatory diarrhea – excretion of blood and proteins (protein).
- Diarrhea with impaired motility – when the ability of the intestine to move is disturbed.
- Diarrhea in congenital or acquired short bowel syndrome.
Furthermore, there are the following special forms that must be considered:
- False diarrhea – one speaks of a false diarrhea when there is only an increased stool frequency, but the stool weight is normal; this occurs mainly in irritable bowel syndrome; this form is also called pseudo-diarrhea.
- Paradoxical diarrhea – this is a liquefaction of stool by bacteria due to prolonged passage time in immobility or before stenosis (narrowing) in the intestine.
- Nosocomial diarrhea – diarrhea is called nosocomial when it occurs in patients during hospitalization (later than 72 hours after admission)
Frequency peak: acute diarrhea occurs predominantly in younger people.
It is estimated that diarrhea affects approximately 4 billion people worldwide per year.
Course and prognosis: Acute diarrhea in most cases is mild and heals spontaneously (by itself) (in gastroenteritis / gastrointestinal inflammation usually within 5-7 days). If the diarrhea lasts longer (in rare cases up to two weeks), it can even become life-threatening for the ill person due to the loss of water and electrolytes, depending on the extent. In any case, if the diarrhea lasts longer than three days, a doctor should be consulted for further clarification.If high fever occurs during traveler’s diarrhea or diarrhea becomes bloody and there is no possibility of contacting a doctor, an antibiotic should be taken in any case.Special attention must be paid to courses that last longer than 14 days. In these cases, further diagnostic testing is required.
