Diarrhea

[carol]

Are fecalysis, urinalysis, cbc, and serum electrolyte levels enough work-up for acute diarrhea?

 

I've had watery diarrhea (no fever, no abdominal pain) last year and had these labs taken which showed unremarkable results. Gave me metronidazole because amoebic dysentery is pretty common in the locality. Stool returned to normal in consistency after about a five days. Same thing happened to me recently and the labs were also normal. Prescription also consisted of metronidazole even though there was no cyst or trophozoite in my feces. I also could not believe that I would get amoebiasis twice since I'm very careful with what I eat and my housemates which are also eating the same thing didn't get loose stools.

 

Should I have been put into further work-up because the labs were inconclusive?

[IanH]

Has the diarrhea resolved?

You did say it was "acute" but then said it has been for a year, which would be chronic.

 

Are fecalysis, urinalysis, cbc, and serum electrolyte levels enough work-up for acute diarrhea?

 

I've had watery diarrhea (no fever, no abdominal pain) last year and had these labs taken which showed unremarkable results. Gave me metronidazole because amoebic dysentery is pretty common in the locality. Stool returned to normal in consistency after about a five days. Same thing happened to me recently and the labs were also normal. Prescription also consisted of metronidazole even though there was no cyst or trophozoite in my feces. I also could not believe that I would get amoebiasis twice since I'm very careful with what I eat and my housemates which are also eating the same thing didn't get loose stools.

 

Should I have been put into further work-up because the labs were inconclusive?