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Previous Volume 332:725-729 March 16, 1995 Number 11 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Patients who report having diarrhea for more than four weeks should be evaluated for chronic diarrheal diseases, since most infectious enteritides and other causes of acute diarrhea generally resolve spontaneously within this period.^1,2,3 We suggest a two-stage outpatient evaluation, which relies initially on the history and physical examination to direct studies and then on a systematic outpatient evaluation, followed, if necessary, by a third-stage inpatient evaluation. This approach should lead to a diagnosis in approximately 90 percent of patients. Patients with diarrhea experience a change in the consistency or frequency of their bowel movements. Diarrheal diseases are almost always associated . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Outpatient Evaluation of Specific Diseases

Diarrhea of Undetermined Origin

Inpatient Evaluation

Source Information

From the Departments of Medicine and Physiology, Gastroenterology Division, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Donowitz at 918 Ross Research Bldg., Gastroenterology Division, Department of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., Baltimore, MD 21205–2195.

References

Related Letters:

Patients with Chronic Diarrhea
Ballinger A. B., Cevallos A. M., Clark M. L., Cottone M., Aiala R., Di Mitri R., Eisenberg L., Donowitz M., Kokke F., Saidi R.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1995; 333:257-258, Jul 27, 1995. Correspondence

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