[Differentiation Study of Chinese Medical Syndrome Typing for Diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome Based on Information of Four Chinese Medical Diagnostic Methods and Brain-gut Peptides].

OBJECTIVE: To establish discriminant functions of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) by studying it from quantitative diagnosis angle, hoping to reduce interference of subjective factors in diagnosing and differentially diagnosing Chinese medical syndromes of IBS-D. METHODS: A Chinese medical clinical epidemiological survey was carried out in 439 IBS-D patients using Clinical Information Collection Table of IBS. Initial syndromes were obtained by cluster analysis. They were analyzed using step-by-step discrimination by taking information of four Chinese medical diagnostic methods and serum brain-gut peptides (BGP) as variables. RESULTS: Clustering results were Gan stagnation Pi deficiency syndrome (GSPDS), Pi-Wei weakness syndrome (PWWS), Gan stagnation qi stasis syndrome (GSQSS), Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome (PSYDS), Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome (PWDHS), cold-damp disturbing Pi syndrome (CDDPS). Of them, GSPDS was mostly often seen with effective percentage of 34. 2%, while CDDPS was the least often seen with effective percentage of 5.5%. A total of 5 discriminant functions for GSPDS, PWWS, GSQSS, PSYDS, and PWDHS were obtained by step-by-step dis- crimination method. The retrospective misjudgment rate was 4.1% (16/390), while the cross-validation misjudgment rate was 15.4% (60/390). CONCLUSION: The establishment of discriminant functions is of value in objectively diagnosing and differentially diagnosing Chinese medical syndromes of IBS-D.

Generalidades en diarrea aguda: [revisión] / General aspects in acute diarrhea: [review]

Existen dos avances en el manejo de la diarrea, que podrían reducir el número de muertes infantiles; el primero la formulación de Sales de Rehidratación Oral con menor concentración de glucosa y sodio; el segundo la suplementación con zinc para disminuir la duración, severidad y episodios futuros. La OMS/OPS define la diarrea aguda como la eliminación de tres o más evacuaciones intestinales líquidas o semilíquidas en 24 horas. El enterocito, como unidad funcional del intestino, posee una serie de transportadores donde ocurre el proceso de movilización de glucosa y de iones, para mantener el equilibrio eléctrico adecuado. En la evaluación del paciente la anamnesis se realiza con el fin de precisar la severidad de la diarrea y su posible causa. En el examen físico se tendrá en cuenta que esta enfermedad puede ser un signo o síntoma que se relaciona con trastornos extraintestinales. El examen de heces puede ser una herramienta útil en la investigación etiológica. Puede cuantificarse el gradiente osmótico (GAP fecal) y determinar si estamos en presencia de una diarrea osmótica o secretora. La presencia de 5 o más leucocitos fecales sugiere un proceso invasivo siendo de utilidad la realización de un recuento diferencial, si los polimorfonucleares se encuentran en 64% o más, puede ser posible recuperar bacterias en el coprocultivo. Este último tendrá indicación en algunos grupos que por edad o patología se consideran de riesgo elevados por ser no inmuno competentes. La serología para rotavirus permitiría el aislamiento rápido de pacientes infectados para limitar un brote.

Two recent advances in the management of diarrhea which could reduce child deaths are the formulation of Oral Rehydration Salts with a lower concentration of glucose and sodium, and zinc supplementation to decrease the duration and severity of future episodes. Acute diarrhea is defined by the WHO as the passage of three or more loose stools in 24 hours. The enterocyte, as the functional unit of the intestine, has a number of carriers which contribute to the mobilization process of glucose and ions to maintain the proper electrical balance. In the evaluation of the patient, the medical history will clarify the severity of diarrhea and its possible cause. During the physical examination, the fact that this disease may be a sign or symptom associated with extra intestinal disorders should be taken into account. Feces analysis may be a diagnostic tool. Osmotic gradient can be quantified (fecal GAP) to distinguish osmotic from secretory diarrhea. The presence of 5 or more fecal leukocytes suggests an invasive process and if PMNs are found in 64% or more in the differential cell count, it maybe possible to recover bacteria in a stool culture. The latter is indicated in some children considered of high risk for their low immune competence due to their age or to certain pathologies. Serology for rotavirus allows the rapid isolation of infected patients in order to limit an outbreak.

Zinc and vitamin A supplementation in Australian Indigenous children with acute diarrhoea: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of zinc and vitamin A supplementation in the recovery of Indigenous children hospitalised for acute diarrhoea. DESIGN: A randomised controlled 2 by 2 factorial trial of supplementation with zinc and vitamin A. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Aboriginal children (aged < 11 years) hospitalised for acute diarrhoea at Alice Springs Hospital, Northern Territory, April 2001-July 2002. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Duration of diarrhoeal illness; re-admission for diarrhoeal illness within 120 days. RESULTS: Our study involved 392 Aboriginal children with 436 episodes of diarrhoea. Supplementation with zinc, vitamin A, or combined zinc and vitamin A had no significant effect on duration of diarrhoea or rate of re-admission compared with placebo. Median diarrhoea duration after starting supplementation was 3.0 days for the vitamin A and zinc supplemented and placebo groups (P values 0.25 and 0.69, respectively). The number of re-admissions did not differ significantly between those receiving vitamin A or zinc and the relevant placebo groups (relative risk [95% CI], 1.2 [0.7-2.1] and 1.3 [0.8-2.1], respectively). CONCLUSION: Vitamin A and zinc supplementation may not be indicated for in-hospital management of acute diarrhoeal disease in Aboriginal children living in remote areas. This finding may not apply to children with malnutrition, for whom other studies suggest a benefit. Larger trials incorporating more comprehensive data on the vitamin A and zinc status as well as nutritional status of study populations might help to explain the different results in different populations.

Probiotics, soluble fiber, and L-Glutamine (GLN) reduce nelfinavir (NFV)- or lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r)-related diarrhea.

PURPOSE: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can be associated with diarrhea and other gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. Reducing these side effects may improve treatment durability and quality of life (QOL). This study assessed the impact of nutritional co-therapies known to reduce diarrhea in HIV-positive men treated with nelfinavir (NFV)- or lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r)-containing regimens. METHODS: Thirty-five HIV-positive men treated with NFV (n = 27) or LPV/r (n = 8) with diarrhea (> or = two liquid stools/day [d]) participated in a 12-week prospective study. Twenty-eight subjects were randomly assigned supplements (S), seven received standard of care (C). Group S received probiotics (1.2g/d) and soluble fiber (11g/d). If diarrhea persisted at week 4, 30g/d L-Glutamine (GLN) was added. Diarrhea incidence, as well as supplement and antidiarrheal use, was assessed monthly. RESULTS: Weight, CD4 count, and HIV RNA were unchanged in both groups. Diarrhea completely resolved in 10 of 28 (36 percent) S subjects. The mean (+/-SD) number of stools/d declined [3.40+/-1.25 to 2.54+/-1.34 (p < 0.01)]. Diarrhea (loose, watery stools/d) lessened in S from 2.84+/-1.42 to 0.74+/-1.03 (p < 0.0001). Fifteen S subjects did not obtain full relief with probiotics and fiber, but stools/d decreased from 4.08+/-1.35 to 3.06+/-1.68 (p < 0.05) after starting GLN. In C, stools/d, 4.14+/-4.86 to 3.44+/-1.68(p = 0.678) and incidence of diarrhea/d, 3.00+/-4.82 to 1.36+/-1.29 (p= 0.361) was unchanged. In S, loperamide use decreased from 1.69+/-2.34 to 0.31+/-0.69 mg/d (p < 0.01); 18 versus eight subjects used loperamide at 0 and 12 weeks, respectively. CONCLUSION: Probiotics, soluble fiber, and GLN significantly reduced diarrhea for subjects receiving NFV or LPV/r. Nutritional co-therapies show clinical benefit in HIV-positive men with diarrhea.

Effects of pectin on diarrhea in critically ill tube-fed patients receiving antibiotics.

BACKGROUND: Anaerobic colonic flora are necessary for the fermentation of fiber into short-chain fatty acids and constitute the bulk of fecal mass. Lack of dietary fiber in most enteral feedings, compounded by antibiotic therapy, suppresses normal colonic metabolism, resulting in diarrhea. Pectin, a water-soluble fiber, stimulates epithelial growth in the colon and thus reduces diarrhea. METHODS: Forty-four critically ill patients receiving enteral nutrition and antibiotic therapy were randomized to receive fiber-containing or fiber-free tube feedings and pectin or placebo. Data on frequency, consistency, and volume of fecal output; energy (caloric) intake; and administration of specific medications were collected for 9 days. Diarrhea was defined as 2 or more days with scores of 12 or higher on the Hart and Dobb diarrhea scale. RESULTS: Subjects in the 4 groups did not differ significantly in age, sex, severity of illness, or energy intake. Twelve subjects (27.3%) experienced diarrhea. Significantly fewer subjects in the fiber-free/placebo and fiber/pectin groups experienced diarrhea than did subjects in the fiber/placebo group (P = .02). On the basis of repeated-measures analysis of variance of daily mean scores, the severity of diarrhea did not differ significantly among the study groups over time (P = .16). CONCLUSIONS: The reduced rate of diarrhea found in this study may be related to the stringent definition of diarrhea used. The therapeutic dose of pectin for reducing diarrhea needs further exploration. The trend was toward less diarrhea in the fiber/pectin group, but the study needs to be replicated with a larger sample.

The beneficial effects of weekly low-dose vitamin A supplementation on acute lower respiratory infections and diarrhea in Ecuadorian children.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of large-dose vitamin A supplementation on respiratory morbidity have produced conflicting results in a variety of populations. The influence of malnutrition has not been examined in the majority of these trials. We hypothesized that weekly low-dose vitamin A supplementation would prevent respiratory and diarrheal disease morbidity and that malnutrition might influence the efficacy of vitamin A supplementation. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled field trial of 400 children, 6 to 36 months of age in a high Andean urban slum, half of the children received 10 000 IU of vitamin A weekly and half received placebo for 40 weeks. Children were visited weekly at home by physicians and assessed for acute diarrheal disease and acute respiratory infections. RESULTS: Acute diarrheal disease and acute respiratory infection did not differ globally or by severity between supplement-treated and placebo groups. However, the incidence of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) was significantly lower in underweight (weight-for-age z score [WAZ] <-2 SD) supplement-treated children than in underweight children on placebo (8.5 vs 22.3 per 10(3) child-weeks; rate ratio: 0.38 [95% CI: 0.17-0.85]). ALRI incidence was significantly higher in normal-weight (WAZ >-2 SD) supplement-treated children than in normal-weight children on placebo (9.8 vs 4.4 per 10(3) child-weeks; rate ratio: 2.21 [95% CI: 1.24-3.93]). By logistic regression analysis the risk of ALRI was lower in underweight supplement-treated children than in underweight children on placebo (point estimate 0.148 [95% CI: 0.034-0.634]). In contrast, risk of ALRI was higher in normal-weight supplement-treated children (WAZ >-1 SD to mean) than in normal-weight children on placebo in the same WAZ stratum (point estimate: 2.51 [95% CI: 1.24-5.05]). The risk of severe diarrhea was lower in supplement-treated children 18 to 23 months of age than in children on placebo in this age group (point estimate: 0.26 [95% CI: 0.06-1.00]). CONCLUSIONS: Weekly low-dose (10 000 IU) vitamin A supplementation in a region of subclinical deficiency protected underweight children from ALRI and paradoxically increased ALRI in normal children with body weight over -1 SD. Protection from severe diarrhea was consistent with previous trials. Additional research is warranted to delineate potential beneficial and detrimental interactions between nutritional status and vitamin A supplementation regarding ALRI.

Local understandings of adult diarrhoeal disease and its treatment in an area of high HIV-seroprevalence in Zambia.

We set out to investigate the extent to which cultural constructs might determine treatment-seeking for diarrhoea in the poorer populations of Lusaka, Zambia. This paper describes these concepts and perceptions and outlines a classification of such illnesses, together with an analysis of its implications for understanding treatment choice. Data were derived from focus group discussions, a household survey, a survey of practitioners of traditional medicine and interviews with local residents attending an urban health centre with persistent diarrhoea. The classification is based on symptoms and perceptions of aetiology. While resulting categories convey imperatives for treatment choice, it is clear that individuals with diarrhoeal illnesses seek treatment from multiple sources. This may be because any single illness may fit more than once category, or because unrelenting ill-health engenders desperate behaviour. The cultural constructs do not fully explain treatment choice and attitudes to prevention, but could be used to improve communication regarding public health and treatment strategies.

Severity signs of childhood diarrhoea in north eastern Nigeria.

Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) use in Nigeria is currently far short of the national Control of Diarrhoeal Diseases (CDD) programme goals. Towards designing health education strategies to improve this, maternal lay health concerns during diarrhoea in under-fives were examined among two large ethnic groups, the Kanuris and Buras, in northeastern Nigeria. Over half of the respondents judged the severity of diarrhoea by more than one sign and expected ORT to stop diarrhoea. Severity signs frequently described (averaging from a quarter to a half of respondents) included weakness and refusal of food; frequent stooling and fever were more frequently used by the Kanuris (p < 0.001) compared to Buras and weight loss and dehydration by the Buras (p < 0.01) compared to Kanuris. Generally, rural residents were less concerned with dehydration and weight loss (p < 0.0001 and 0.003 respectively, compared to urban residents) and more concerned with restlessness, including excessive crying (p < 0.07 to 0.0001). Stool characteristics and vomiting were rarely used as severity signs although the Kanuris in focus group discussions related severity to diarrhoea typology. Concerns with persistent diarrhoea, and diarrhoea associated with measles, were rarely expressed by participants, irrespective of ethnic group and domicile, suggesting that health education aimed at increasing awareness in relation to these two serious illnesses is urgently needed in Nigeria. Several of the lay health concerns expressed by participants in the study could form a useful basis for promoting ORT use in Nigeria and elsewhere.

PIP: To strengthen the oral rehydration therapy (ORT) program in northeastern Nigeria, cultural variations in perceptions of the severity of diarrhea were investigated in a 1993-94 study involving Kanuris and Buras mothers. Diarrhea may not be identified as an illness by mothers unless it is accompanied by symptoms that serve as prompts for help-seeking. Study methods included 17 focus group discussions and a cross-sectional survey of 518 rural and urban women from both ethnic groups. Half the respondents judged the severity of diarrhea by more than one sign and expected ORT to stop diarrhea. Kanuris were most likely to identify frequent stools and fever as signs of severity, while Buras mothers more often identified weight loss and dehydration. In general, rural residents were less concerned with dehydration and weight loss than urban mothers and more concerned with excessive crying. Rural Kanuris--and, to a lesser extent, Buras--tended to seek medical care at a late stage of diarrhea, after a series of home remedies had failed. Participants from both ethnic groups rarely expressed concerns about persistent diarrhea or diarrhea associated with measles--two conditions in need of serious attention.

Diarrea / Diarrhea

La Diarrea es un problema de salud en nuestro país que requiere una permanente evaluación y control. Sus mecanismos fisiopatológicos son conocidos y, uno de ellos, el relacionado a la diarrea secretoria, ha ganado prioridad en el momento actual por la epidemia del cólera en el Perú. La Diarrea Aguda ( DA ) puede asociarse a factores infecciosos, como virus y bacterias, y no infecciosos por otras toxinas de diversos orígenes. Su manejo terapeútico está basado en el enfoque etiológico y clínico, y de acuerdo a cada caso requiere el uso de loa rehidratación y/o antibioticoterapia. El empleo de antiperistálticos y absorbentes, no ha demostrado una real eficacia. Los factores socio-económicos, culturales y de saneamientos ambientales, influyen definidamente en esta enfermedad. Estudios nacionales de DA en adultos, han confirmado en el 50 por ciento de casos la detección de gérmenes enteropatógenos; mientras que en países desarrollados los han encontrado en el 28 por ciento. Por todo ello, el control e higiene de centros de venta de alimentos, medidas de saneamiento y educación comunitaria, son básicos para la prevención de la DA. La Diarrea Crónica ( DC ), es un síndrome con una variedad de causas, que cambian de acuerdo también a cada tipo de población o país. En el Perú, las parasitosis e infecciones son causas más frecuentes, siendo la sobrepoblación bacteriana intestinal, también una causa importante, estudios realizados. Muchos casos de DC son de etiología multifactorial y se asocian o son parte de enfermedades sistémicas, metabólicas, por inmunodeficiencia y neoplásicas. Cada caso requiere un enfoque diagnóstico integral, con técnicas simples, a veces concluyentes; y/o más complejas, pero orientadas por las patologías más frecuentes en cada entorno poblacional

Diarrhea and the social marketing of oral rehydration salts in Bangladesh.

An anthropological study of knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to child diarrhea and specifically to ORS was carried out in Bangladesh. The purpose of the study was to help design a culturally-sensitive social marketing program. Information was gathered on indigenous classification of diarrheas, patterns of therapy recourse and diarrhea management, and understanding of dehydration symptoms as well as use and attitudes regarding ORS. Among the findings were that 58% of households sampled had tried ORS at least once; ORS was perceived as a medicine with several positive attributes; literacy was positively related to ORS use; and there were no significant cultural barriers to ORS adoption.