Management of Acute Infectious Diarrhea

Lee, Jin Soo

doi:2007.50.7.600

J Korean Med Assoc > Volume 50(7); 2007 > Article

Focused Issue of This Month

Journal of the Korean Medical Association 2007;50(7):600-605.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2007.50.7.600

Management of Acute Infectious Diarrhea

Jin Soo Lee

Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Korea. ljinsoo@medimail.co.kr

Abstract

Acute infectious diarrhea is a mostly self-limiting disease, but in some clinical situations such as infants, elderly, and immunocompromised patients, diarrheal illnesses might cause ominous results. Appropriate therapy could ameliorate symptoms and improve the prognosis. The mainstay of therapy consists of fluids and electrolytes, diet, symptomatic drugs, and antimicrobial agents. Rehydration is always the first goal of therapy by using oral rehydration solutions or intravenous fluids according to the patient's clinical condition. Antimicrobial therapy could be effective in the treatment of infectious diarrhea such as shigellosis, traveler's diarrhea, and C. difficile-associated colitis but also cause some adverse reactions such as worsening Shiga-toxin producing E. coli infection and increasing cost. So it is advisable to use antimicrobial agents properly and, first of all, preventive measures should be underscored.

Key Words: Acute infectious diarrhea, Oral rehydration therapy, Antibiotics, Management