Severe
One or more of:
- > 6 diarrheal episodes/day
- bloody diarrhea
- fever
- Culture recommended.
- Wait for culture results to start antibiotics in children with severe diarrhea unless there is a reason to suspect a specific pathogen. See Severe-Culture-directed for recommendations.
- Persistent diarrhea suggests protozoal cause: Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Entamoeba histolytica, Microsporidia. See Recommended Empiric Therapy of Enteric Parasitic Infections.
Usual Pathogens
Viral:
Noroviruses
Rotavirus
Enteric adenovirus
Bacterial:
Campylobacter spp
Diarrheagenic E. coli
Shigella spp
Salmonella spp
Parasitic:
Entamoeba spp
Giardia