Diarrhoea, Diarrhoeal diseases, diarrhea, acute watery diarrhoea Diarrhoea is defined as the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent passage than is normal for the individual). It is usually a symptom of an infection in the intestinal tract, which can be caused by a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms. Infection is spread through contaminated ...

Context Explanation

Diarrhoea, Diarrhoeal diseases, diarrhea, acute watery diarrhoea Diarrhoeal disease is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old, and was responsible for the deaths of 370,000 children in 2019. The most severe threat posed by diarrhoea is dehydration. During an episode of diarrhoea, water and electrolytes including sodium, chloride, potassium and bicarbonate are lost ... WHO fact sheet on diarrhoeal disease provides key facts and information on scope, causes, prevention and treatment, and WHO response.

Insight Material

Currently, zinc is not used to treat most cases of diarrhoea because the known benefits of zinc supplementation are still not widely appreciated by physicians and health-care workers in developing countries (33). During acute diarrhoea, absorption of macronutrients tends to be high, but when diarrhoea continues for 14 days or more, malabsorption can become severe. Repeated episodes of diarrhoea lead to great loss of nutrients and fluids, causing overall weakness and dehydration. Pneumonia and diarrhoea account for 23% of under-five mortality and were responsible for an estimated 1.17 million deaths in children under five globally. Furthermore, pneumonia and diarrhoea were responsible for 18% of mortality in children 5โ€“9 years of age, resulting in an estimated 86 000 preventable deaths globally in 2021.

Final Conclusion

Existing World Health Organization (WHO) guidance on the ... Guideline on management of pneumonia and diarrhoea in children up to 10 ... Diarrhoea remains a leading cause of death globally among children under five years of age. Diarrhoea contributes to nutritional deficiencies, reduced resistance to infections and impaired growth and development. Severe diarrhoea leads to fluid loss, and may be life-threatening, particularly in young children and people who are already malnourished or have impaired immunity.