Diarrhoea

PATIENT: Sir, my child is having Loose Motions. I don’t understand how did it happen?

DOCTOR: Loose motions happen either because of some infection of microorganism (majority of the times) or allergy or inability to digest some eatery (few cases). Child acquire the infection either by drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food or not following proper hand hygiene throughout daily routine.

PATIENT: Sir, my friend suggested to give my child antibiotics as he did research on Search engine and came across similar condition labelled as diarrhoea dysentery. How save is it to give antibiotics?

DOCTOR: Since most common cause of loose motions (Diarrhoea) is infection, we keep it as our first differential diagnosis. There are multiple microorganisms which can lead to diarrhoea, broadly classified as Viruses, Bacteria, and Parasites. Most of the times the infection is caused by different types of viruses we usually call it diarrhoea simply, when infection is caused by bacteria or parasites we specifically call it dysentery (specific type of diarrhoea). Majority of the times infection is because of viruses where antibiotics are of no use. Inadvertent and irrational use of antibiotics can be detrimental for society at long run by the threat of antibiotic resistance by organisms. Don’t use search engine to replace professionals infect use professionals to find out what to search on search engine, ask your doctor, what kind of information you can search on search engine ( #Drmaulikshah, #vatsalyachildsclinic, would help you to check out what to search on search engine in context to illness).

PATIENT: I got your point sir, now what should I do?

DOCTOR: You need to provide medical history to your #pediatrician like whether child is having fever, how is oral intake, child’s activeness, presence of other symptoms like pain in stomach (abdominal pain), vomiting, etc., watch and report, type quantity and quality of stools, urine output, get child evaluated with pediatrician to judge the severity of disease so that he can make a proper diagnosis.

PATIENT: Sir so many things to look out, seems so complicated, how do you treat such complicated illness?

DOCTOR: Dear, it is complicated and that’s why people like us have spent our precious time to simplify it for you. Simple treatment to this complicated illness is HYDRATION, ORS (WHO, World Health Organisation formulated) and Probiotics, the good bacteria which normally stays in intestine. Consider ROOT of TREE as DIARRHOEA, STEM of TREE is DEHYDRATION then further TREE growth will lead to COMPLICATIONS. If you don’t let STEM grow by keeping child HYDRATED no further complication will happen. There is no role of antibiotics in viral diarrhoea. In case it’s bacterial or parasitic in nature history will give hint to your pediatrician and he will do the further needful

PATIENT: You have really made it so simple, my stress and worry has almost disappeared. Last question, in case my child doesn’t take ORS, what shall I do?

DOCTOR: WHO ORS is ideal. Many children do not take it, in that case something is better than nothing, give lemon juice/coconut water/ homemade fruit juice with less sugar/vegetable soup/ if nothing works at least plain water. To understand homemade ORS further, you can get in touch with #Drmaulikshah by commenting here below.

Thanks for patiently reading. Treat your child’s diarrhoea wisely.

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