BIOC33H3 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Water–Electrolyte Imbalance, Gastrointestinal Physiology, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
25 Mar 2013
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Document Summary
Diarrhea is most commonly defined as an increase in stool frequency or volume, and an increase in the looseness of stool. Diarrhea can result from alterations in gastrointestinal motility, increased secretion, and decreased absorption. All cases of acute diarrhea should be considered infectious until the cause is known. Patients receiving antibiotics (e. g. , clindamycin [cleocin], ampicillin, amoxicillin, cephalosporin) are susceptible to clostridium difficile (c. difficile), which is a serious bacterial infection. Fecal incontinence, the involuntary passage of stool, occurs when the normal structures that maintain continence are disrupted. Risk factors include constipation, diarrhea, obstetric trauma, and fecal impaction. Prevention and treatment of fecal incontinence may be managed by implementing a bowel training program. Constipation can be defined as a decrease in the frequency of bowel movements from what is normal for the individual; hard, difficult-to-pass stools; a decrease in stool volume; and/or retention of feces in the rectum.
