Diarrhea

• Diarrhea


  3 more loose or watery stools in 24 hr period
• Classification

  1. Dehydration
  2. Persistent Diarrhea (14 days or more)
  3. Dysentery (blood on stool)
• Diarrhea (Dehydration)


  1. Yellow Row- Some dehydration
  2. Green Row- No dehydration
  3. Pink Row- Severe Dehydration
• Severe Dehydration


  • Abnormally Sleepy or difficult to awaken
  • Sunken Eyes
  • Not able to drink or drinking poorly
  • Skin pinch goes back very slowly
• Sunken Eyes


  Dehydrated
• Skin Turgor (Skin Pinching)


  1. Very Slowly- longer than 2 seconds
  2. Slowly- 2 seconds (some)
• Treatment (Severe Dehydration)


  • Give Fluid for severe dehydration
  • Plan C
  • Refer URGENTLY to hospital with mother giving frequent sips of ORS
  • Advise the mother to continue breastfeeding
  • for cholera: give antibiotic
• Dehydration


  • Restless, irritable
  • Sunken eyes
  • Drinks eagerly, thirsty
  • Skin pinch goes back slowly
• Diarrhea


  • not able to drink
  • drinking poorly
  • drinking eagerly, thirsty
• Treatment (Some Dehydration)


  • give fluid, zinc, and food
  • Plan B
  • Refer urgently to hospital with mother giving frequent sips of ORS
  • advise mother to return immediately
  • follow up 5 days if not improving
• Treatment (No dehydration )

  • give ORS, zinc supplements and food to treat diarrhea
  • follow up in 5 days if not improving
  • Plan A
• Homemade ORS


  8 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt

  taste: tears

  expiration: 24 hrs
• Diarrhea


  Pink row: severe persistent Diarrhea

  Yellow Row: Persistent Diarrhea
• Persistent diarrhea


  more than 14 days

  dehydration present
• Treatment (Severe persistent diarrhea)

  Treat dehydration beffore referral unless the child has another severe classification

  • give vitaminA
  • Refer to hospital
• Treatment (Persistent Diarrhea)


  • advise on feeding the child
  • Give vitamin A
  • follow up in 5 days
  • return immediately
• Dysentery


  • Yellow row: Dysentery (with blood)
• Treatment (Dysentery)


  • give ciprofloxacin for 3 days
  • follow up in 3 days
• Age


  less than 6 months- 1/2 (250 mg tablet)

  6 months up to 5 years- 1 (250 mg tablet)