The following is an excerpt....
BASICS
Description
- One of the most common pediatric complaints; 2nd only to respiratory infections in overall disease frequency fo ED visits
- Leading cause of illness and death in children worldwide
- Acute infectious enteritis (AIE):
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Children <5 yr in the U.S. typically have 2 episodes annually.
- Responsible for ∼10% of all pediatric ED visits and hospital admissions
- Acute change in the “normal” bowel pattern that leads to increased number or volume of stools and lasts <7 days; World Health Organization (WHO) defines case as 3 or more loose or watery stools per day.
- Chronic if the diarrhea persists for >2 wk
Etiology