Ambulatory Series: Acute Diarrhea

Host/Editor: Dr. Alla Turshudzhyan, Chief Medical Resident at UCONN. Let’s talk about diarrhea, more specifically acute diarrhea. When approaching acute diarrhea, it is helpful to break down each case into infectious vs. non-infectious and inflammatory vs. non-inflammatory. Work up is usually escalated to match the severity of presentation. Stool studies are reserved for severe cases and should be collected prior to initiation of empiric antibiotics. For mild to moderate cases of acute diarrhea, oral rehydration remains the cornerstone therapy. Make sure to educate patients on free water consumption and on how to prepare oral rehydration therapy at home to avoid worsening of symptoms.  We hope you enjoy this episode! Thank you for listening.