Chronic diarrhea is caused by

RRB Staff Nurse Jaipur-6th June 2018

Medical & Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: RRB Staff Nurse Jaipur-6th June 2018

Explanation

Chronic diarrhea is defined as diarrhea that persists for four weeks or longer.
Enteric infections are a frequent cause of chronic diarrhea, with intestinal parasites being a primary etiology.
Parasites such as Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium, and Entamoeba histolytica disrupt intestinal function by causing inflammation and malabsorption, leading to prolonged diarrhea.
The clinical presentation often includes watery stools, abdominal discomfort, and potential weight loss due to malabsorption.

Option A: Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the bacterium that causes diphtheria, an acute infection primarily affecting the respiratory system (throat and tonsils), not the gastrointestinal tract.
Option C: Candida albicans is a fungus that typically causes opportunistic infections like oral thrush or vaginal candidiasis. While gastrointestinal overgrowth can occur, it is not a common primary cause of chronic diarrhea in immunocompetent individuals.
Option D: Mycobacterium tuberculosis primarily causes pulmonary tuberculosis. Although it can infect the gastrointestinal tract (GI TB) and cause chronic diarrhea, this is a much less common cause compared to intestinal parasites.

Visual 1: Microscopic Image - A microscopic view of Giardia lamblia cysts and trophozoites, highlighting the characteristic features used for identification in stool samples.
Visual 2: Flowchart - A flowchart illustrating the pathophysiology of parasitic diarrhea, starting from ingestion of cysts to mucosal invasion, inflammation, malabsorption, and resulting clinical symptoms.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Etiology of Chronic Diarrhea as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
A thorough patient history, including recent travel (especially to developing countries), is crucial as it raises suspicion for parasitic infections like Giardiasis or Amebiasis.
The primary diagnostic step for suspected parasitic infection is a stool examination for ova and parasites (O&P). Nurses are responsible for proper collection, handling, and timely transport of stool specimens.
Nurses play a key role in patient education regarding hygiene, food and water safety, and infection control measures to prevent the spread of enteric pathogens.

How to Approach the Question

First, understand the question's core concept: identifying the cause (etiology) of 'chronic diarrhea'.
Review each option and recall the primary disease associated with each microorganism.
Analyze Option A: Corynebacterium diphtheriae is known to cause diphtheria, a respiratory illness.
Analyze Option C: Candida albicans is a fungus associated with candidiasis (thrush, yeast infections).
Analyze Option D: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the agent for tuberculosis, primarily a lung disease.
Analyze Option B: Intestinal parasites are, by definition, organisms that live in the intestines and are well-known causes of gastrointestinal diseases, including diarrhea.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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