DANGER SIGNS IN A CHILD WITH DIARHOEA

 Diarrhoea is usually defined as the passage of three or more loose stools in a 24 hour period.  Note that a loose stool is one that will take the shape of a container. In diarrhoea, stools contain more water than normal. 

Infants who are exclusively breastfed normally pass several soft or semi-solid stools each day. Therefore, for them it is practical to define diarrhoea as an increase in stool frequency or liquidity that is considered abnormal by the mother.

TYPES OF DIARRHOEA

 

§  Acute Watery diarrhoea: This refers to diarrhoea that begins acutely and lasts less than 14 days. There is passage of frequent loose or watery stool without visible blood. Vomiting may occur and fever may be present.

§  Persistent diarrhoea: We can define persistent diarrhoea as diarrhoea that begins acutely but lasts for more than 14 days.

§  Dysentery: This is diarrhoea with visible blood in the stool. Important effects of dysentery include anorexia (loss of appetite), rapid weight loss, and damage of the intestinal mucosa by the invasive bacteria. The most important cause of children is shigella.

The most important are death and malnutrition. Death from acute diarrhoea is most often caused by the loss of a large amount of water and electrolytes (salts) from the body. And it is this loss that we call DEHYDRATION. Another important cause of death is dysentery.

Malnutrition is the other danger.  Diarrhoea is worse in persons with malnutrition. Diarrhoea can also cause malnutrition and can make malnutrition worse because when a child has diarrhoea:

·        Nutrients are lost from the body during diarrhoea;

·        Nutrients are used to repair damaged tissue rather than for growth;

·        A person with diarrhoea may not be hungry;

·        Mothers might not feed children normally while they have diarrhoea, or even for some days after the diarrhoea is better.

To prevent malnutrition, encourage children with diarrhoea to eat small amounts of food at least six times a day.

CAUSES OF DIARRHOEA

The most common of these are:

·        Rota virus

·        Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

·        Shigella

·        Camphylobacter jejuni

·        Cryptosporidium

DANGER SIGNS TO LOOK FOR IN A CHILD WITH DIARHOEA

·

If a child has the  underlisted signs and symptoms,it is dangerous and it is a warning sign that problem is around the corner,The Child should be taken to the hospital immediately :

Restless 

Irritable

Lethargic 

Unconscious 

      Unusually sleepy 
     Difficult to wake up.   

    Sunken eyes

     Thirrsty