Diarrhea in intensive care: diagnosis and treatment.
Diarrhea is a common complication in critically ill patients. The use of ready-to-use sterile formulas, disposable feeding lines, and flow regulated pumps should decrease the frequency of diarrhea due to enteral nutrition. Antimicrobial agents are an important cause of diarrhea, because they modify the digestive flora and may induce Clostridium difficile colitis. Occurrence of diarrhea is also correlated with several factors reflecting the severity of the underlying disease, such as shock and sepsis. Treatment of diarrhea includes rehydratation, agents that delay transit, restoration of a normal flora, treatment of a specific cause and of the underlying disease.
Bleichner
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G
Service de reánimation polyvalente, Centre hospitalier Victor Dupouy, Argenteuil, France.
Thomas
O
O
Sollet
J P
JP