Diarrhoea in adults

The following causes of diarrhoea should be considered include:

• infective, e.g.:
  • Campylobacter food poisoning
  • Salmonella gastroenteritis
  • HIV-associated diarrhoea
  • dysentery, either bacterial or amoebic
  • cholera
• inflammatory, e.g.:
  • ulcerative colitis
  • Crohn's disease
  • diverticular disease
• loss of absorptive area, e.g.:
  • coeliac disease
  • resection of the small bowel or blind-loop syndrome
  • tropical sprue
• pancreatic disease:
  • chronic pancreatitis
  • carcinoma of the head of the pancreas
• drug reactions, e.g.:
  • antibiotics
  • purgatives
  • magnesium-containing indigestion medication
  • digoxin
• colon cancer
• post-gastrectomy
• irritable bowel syndrome
• systemic disease, e.g.:
  • thyrotoxicosis
  • uraemia
  • carcinoid syndrome