Pediatria pre prax 6/2011

Diarrhoeal diseases and their treatment

In the Czech Republic, diarrhoeal diseases are among the most common infectious diseases and their aetiology may be bacterial, viral, parasitic or mycotic. The most frequent bacterial pathogens currently include campylobacters and salmonellas and there is an increasing rate of viral diarrhoea, particularly that caused by rotavirus and norovirus. The treatment of diarrhoeal diseases primarily involves rehydration; also essential is a low-fat diet. Symptomatic treatment may include, depending on the causative agent, adsorbents, probiotics, antimotility drugs and/or bowel disinfectants. Antibiotic treatment is necessary only in approximately 10 % of cases, particularly in those with a severe course, in extraintestinal disease and in immunodeficient patients.

Keywords: diarrhoea, rehydration, adsorbents, probiotics, antimotility drugs, bowel disinfectants, antibiotics