Acute diarrhea in developed countries

摘要: Acute diarrhea is a common, nonlethal condition that causes frequent inconvenience and economic loss. People rarely consult physicians for this problem. Epidemiologic studies among adults, hospitalized children attending day care centers, homosexual men, travelers indicate wide spectrum of etiologic agents. The clinical presentation acute may lead clinicians to consider certain causative agents, but it not diagnostic any specific cause. Clinical laboratory can detect or isolate pathogens in only minority cases. By the time information available, patients have usually recovered. For these reasons, early self-treatment aimed at reducing symptoms recommended.