What department should a child with diarrhea visit?

Written by Yan Xin Liang

Pediatrics

Updated on November 07, 2024

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Childhood diarrhea is a disease of the digestive system. If treated at a general hospital, the child should definitely see a pediatrician. If the diarrhea is severe, accompanied by moderate to severe dehydration, it is advisable to visit emergency pediatrics for urgent treatment. If going to a children's specialty hospital, it is recommended to see a gastroenterologist; severe cases can also go to emergency pediatrics. Additionally, if there is mucus, pus, or bloody stool, consider bacterial dysentery or other infectious diarrhea, and it is advised to see an infectious disease specialist. Generally, for ordinary diarrhea, it is advisable to visit a smaller hospital for treatment.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang

Pediatrics

44sec

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How should pediatric diarrhea be treated?

For childhood diarrhea, initially probiotics can be administered to adjust the intestinal flora, commonly used probiotics include Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus acidophilus. Next, it's important to protect the gastrointestinal mucosa, for which oral smectite powder can be given. Additionally, diarrhea can easily damage the gastrointestinal mucosa, so it's appropriate to supplement with zinc or folic acid to promote the repair of the gastrointestinal mucosa. It is also important to ensure fluid replenishment to maintain hydroelectrolytic balance, commonly using oral rehydration salts which can replenish both fluids and electrolytes. Attention should also be paid to the child’s mental response and urinary output.

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Written by Yao Li Qin

Pediatrics

1min 11sec

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Pediatric diarrhea is divided into two main categories.

Childhood diarrhea can be divided into two major categories based on its causes: infectious and non-infectious. Infectious factors primarily include viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, among which viral and bacterial infections are most common. Viral infections are mainly seen in rotavirus infections, while bacterial infections are predominantly associated with pathogenic, invasive, toxigenic, and hemorrhagic strains of Escherichia coli. Additionally, infections from other bacteria such as Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella also occur. Intestinal infections can also cause diarrhea, such as those accompanying upper respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, etc., because the toxins released by the infecting agents during fevers or diarrhea associated with antibiotic treatments can induce diarrhea. Non-infectious causes mainly include dietary and climatic factors.

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Written by Yao Li Qin

Pediatrics

1min 13sec

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Clinical manifestations of childhood diarrhea

Childhood diarrhea is caused by various factors that increase the frequency of bowel movements in children and also change the characteristics of the stool. The common clinical manifestations of childhood diarrhea are primarily gastrointestinal symptoms. The child may experience poor appetite, spitting up milk and vomiting, and an increased frequency of bowel movements. However, the volume of stool in mild cases is not too large, appearing thin or watery, and is yellow or yellow-green in color with a sour smell. Most cases of diarrhea without dehydration or systemic poisoning recover within a few days. In more severe cases of diarrhea, where the child experiences an increased frequency of bowel movements and the stools are watery, there can also be significant dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and symptoms of systemic infection. These mainly manifest as either fever or lack of fever increase, irritability or lethargy and drowsiness, pale complexion, confused consciousness, and even fainting, shock symptoms.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang

Pediatrics

48sec

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Children's diarrhea is divided into two major categories.

Childhood diarrhea is categorized into infectious and non-infectious diarrhea. Common infectious diarrhea is caused by infections from bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Non-infectious diarrhea often includes allergic diarrhea, diarrhea caused by food intolerance, and diarrhea due to lactose intolerance. Less commonly, some malignant diseases can cause gastrointestinal dysfunction leading to diarrhea. Among children, infectious diarrhea is more prevalent, especially viral diarrhea caused by rotavirus during the summer and autumn seasons. Additionally, bacterial infections such as those caused by Escherichia coli and Shigella (bacterial dysentery), often related to poor hand hygiene, are examples of infectious diarrhea.

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Written by Yao Li Qin

Pediatrics

1min 27sec

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There are several types of childhood diarrhea.

If there is a change in frequency and characteristics of a child’s stool compared to usual, it could indicate the occurrence of diarrhea. Diarrhea can be classified into: 1. Acute diarrhea, which lasts for up to two weeks. 2. Persistent diarrhea, lasting between two weeks and two months. 3. Chronic diarrhea, lasting for more than two months. Based on the severity, it can be divided into: 1. Mild, generally without dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, or acid-base imbalances. 2. Moderate, accompanied by mild to moderate dehydration, or mild electrolyte disturbance. More severe cases involve severe dehydration and obvious symptoms of acid-base imbalance. Symptoms in children include lethargy, irritability, drowsiness, pale complexion, no fever, and a significant increase in white blood cell count. Causes of diarrhea can be divided into: infectious diarrhea, caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc., and non-infectious diarrhea, including foodborne diarrhea, symptomatic diarrhea, allergic diarrhea, and other types of diarrhea.