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What Is Diarrhoea?1

Diarrhoea is a fairly common problem that involves loose, watery stools and more frequent bowel movements.

 

Symptoms1

The signs and symptoms associated with diarrhoea include:

Abdominal pain or cramps

Bloatedness

Nausea

Vomiting

Fever

Blood in stool

Mucus in stool

Feeling of urgency in having a bowel movement

 

Diarrhoea in Singapore

In Singapore, diarrhoea is among the leading causes of patient consultations at primary care clinics.2 The incidence of polyclinic consultations due to acute diarrhoea in Singapore was 2.2% of the population in 2009 and 2.5% in 2013.3 In August 2020, the average daily number of polyclinic consultations caused by acute diarrhoea was 336.4

Diarrhoea is often due to consumption of raw or poorly cooked food or food that has been left outside for many hours; in infants, it may be caused by unsterilised feeding bottles.5 One study revealed that norovirus was the most common pathogen isolated from faecal samples of adult patients admitted for diarrhoea.

 

 

References

  1. Diarrhea: Symptoms & Causes. Accessed on 18 Jul 2022 at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diarrhea/symptoms-causes/syc-
    20352241#:~:text=Diarrhea%20%E2%80%94%20loose%2C%20watery%20and%20possibly,more%20than%20a%20few%20days.
  2. Diarrhea. Accessed on 25 Jul 2022 at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4108-diarrhea.
  3. Chau ML, Hartantyo SH, Yap M, et. al. Diarrheagenic pathogens in adults attending a hospital in Singapore. BMC Infect Dis 2016;16:32.
  4. Weekly Infectious Disease Bulletin (2 – 8 Aug 2020). Ministry of Health, Singapore. Accessed on 25 Jul 2022 at:
    https://www.moh.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider5/diseases-updates/2020_week_32.pdf.
  5. Diarrhoea: Hydration is Key to Treatment. Accessed on 25 Jul 2022 at: https://www.healthxchange.sg/digestive-system/stomach/diarrhoea-hydration-
    key-treatment#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIn%20Singapore%2C%20diarrhoea%20is%20often,factor%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Dr%20Tan