Diarrhea (cont.)
What tests are useful in the evaluation of diarrhea?
Acute diarrhea. Acute
diarrhea usually requires few tests.
- Measurement of blood pressure in the
upright and supine (lying) positions can demonstrate orthostatic hypotension and
confirm the presence of dehydration. If moderate or severe dehydration or
electrolyte deficiencies are likely, blood electrolytes can be measured.
- Examination of a small amount of stool under the microscope may reveal white blood cells indicating that intestinal inflammation is present and prompting further testing, particularly bacterial cultures of stool and examination of stool for parasites.
- If antibiotics have been taken within the previous two weeks, stool should be tested for the toxin of
C. difficile.
- Testing stool or blood for viruses is performed only rarely, since there is no specific treatment for the viruses that cause gastroenteritis.
- If there has been recent travel to undeveloped countries or the mountains, stool may be examined under the microscope for Giardia and other parasites.
- There are also immunologic tests that can be done on samples of stool to diagnose infection with Giardia.
Chronic diarrhea. With chronic diarrhea, the focus usually shifts from
dehydration and infection (with the exception of Giardia, which occasionally
causes chronic infections) to the diagnosis of
non-infectious causes of diarrhea. (See the prior discussion of common causes of
chronic diarrhea.)
- This may require X-rays of the intestines (upper
gastrointestinal series or barium enema), or endoscopy
(esophagogastroduodenoscopy or EGD, or
colonoscopy) with biopsies.
- Fat
malabsorption can be diagnosed by measuring the fat in a 72 hour collection of
stool.
- Sugar malabsorption can be diagnosed by eliminating the offending sugar
from the diet or by performing a hydrogen breath test.
Hydrogen breath testing also can be used to diagnose bacterial overgrowth of the
small intestine.
- An under-active pituitary
or adrenal gland and an overactive thyroid gland can be diagnosed by measuring
blood levels of cortisol and thyroid hormone, respectively.
- Celiac disease can be
diagnosed with blood tests and a biopsy of the small
intestine.
Next: How can dehydration be prevented and treated? »
- ciprofloxacin, Cipro, Cipro XR, Proquin XR - Clarifies the medication ciprofloxacin (Cipro, Cipro XR) a drug used to treat infections of the skin, lungs, airways, bones, and joints caused by susceptible bacteria. Article includes descriptions, uses, drug interactions, and side effects.
- Colonoscopy - Learn about the colonscopy procedure, what it is, why it is performed, preparation, complications, alternatives and the after effects of the screening exam on MedicineNet.com
- Swine Flu - Get the facts on swine flu (swine influenza A H1N1 virus) history, symptoms, how this contagious infection is transmitted, prevention with a vaccine, diagnosis, treatment, news and research.
Latest Medical News
|
|
 |
From WebMD
Digestive Disorders Resources
Featured Centers
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
|
Digestion RSS