Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea is defined by an increased frequency of bowel motions or increased fluid content, or both. It is often multifactorial. It often has a significant impact on quality of life due to frequency of toilet visits, embarrassment and soreness which can develop due to increased wiping and irritation from the liquid stool.
Causes
Section titled “Causes”- Impacted faeces with overflow
- Bacterial and viral infections
- Medication side effects - especially chemotherapy and immunotherapy
- Radiotherapy side effect
- Bacterial overgrowth
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Bowel diseases - including bowel cancer, diverticulosis, inflammatory bowel disease and carcinoid
- Autonomic neuropathy
Management should generally be targeted at the specific cause (Creon for pancreatic insufficiency or octreotide for carcinoid) and supportive measures such as rehydration and electrolyte monitoring/replacement. Available symptomatic drug treatments include loperamide and codeine phosphate.