Chronic Diarrhoea

In this session, Dr. Gerada discusses the definition and prevalence of chronic diarrhoea in the general population. He highlights the various causes of chronic diarrhoea, from the most common to the rarer conditions, and the key points during a patient’s assessment to suggest a sinister cause. He gives an overview of the investigations required to elicit the cause, from the ones that can be performed at primary care level to other advanced investigations that are carried out at secondary care level. He also emphasizes on the criteria to refer a patient with chronic diarrhoea to secondary care.

Learning Objectives

• To understand the key features pertaining to a sinister cause
• To highlight the investigations required at primary care and secondary care level
• To understand the criteria for referring such cases to secondary care level