Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug 26;16(8):e67788.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.67788. eCollection 2024 Aug.

A Multidisciplinary Approach in the Management of Infectious Diarrhea in the Emergency Department

Muhammad Kalim Ullah  1 , Fahad Dayam  2 , Aamir Ahmed  3 , Sohail Ahmad  4 , Mehrub Munawar  5 , Sidra Jahangir  6 , Muhammad Humayun Daftani  4 , Zeeshan Ali  7 , Bakhtawar Kakar  8 , Ammara Farooq  9 , Naqeeb Ullah  4
Affiliations

A Multidisciplinary Approach in the Management of Infectious Diarrhea in the Emergency Department

Muhammad Kalim Ullah et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background Globally, infectious diarrhea poses a serious threat to public health, especially in emergency department (ED) settings where timely and efficient treatment is essential. The primary objective of this study was to explore and evaluate the efficacy of a multidisciplinary approach (MDA) in the management of infectious diarrhea within the ED setting. Methodology This prospective cohort study was conducted from January to December 2023 at the Lady Reading Hospital ED in Peshawar, Pakistan. Individuals 18 years of age or older with a confirmed diagnosis of infectious diarrhea were included in the study. Those who refused to participate or had non-infectious reasons were excluded from the study. Through successive sampling, 650 patients comprised the study sample. Using a standardized form, demographic information, clinical presentations, test results, treatment methods, and patient outcomes were collected. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used in statistical studies to assess treatment outcomes and complications. Results Of the 650 patients, the majority (203 patients, 31.23%) were between the ages of 30 and 39 years. The gender distribution was about equal (332 men, 51.08%; 318 females, 48.92%). Abdominal pain (383 patients, 58.92%) was the most common presenting complaint. In 310 instances, bacterial pathogens were found, 160 had viral infections, and 110 had parasitic infections. There were notable complications, such as sepsis (37 patients, 5.69%), although the response to treatment effectiveness was notably high (593 patients, 91.08%). Upon follow-up, 590 (90.77%) patients had symptom and sign resolution, while 80 (12.31%) patients had a low recurrence rate. Longer symptom duration (odds ratio (OR) = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.88, p = 0.005) and specific antibiotics (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.25-2.25, p = 0.001) were found to improve treatment success using logistic regression, whereas the risks of complications increased with age (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.01-1.09, p = 0.012) and severe dehydration (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.32-2.31, p < 0.001). Conclusions The MDA to manage infectious diarrhea in the ED significantly improved patient outcomes and reduced complications.

Keywords: emergency department; infection control; infectious diarrhea; multidisciplinary approaches; patient outcomes.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Review Board of Lady Reading Hospital issued approval NA. The Institutional Review Board of Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, granted ethical clearance for this research before data collection started. Prior to their involvement in the study, all participants or their legal guardians provided informed permission, guaranteeing that the ethical standards of patient autonomy, beneficence, and confidentiality were upheld throughout the investigation. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Clinical management of infectious diarrhea. Siciliano V, Nista EC, Rosà T, Brigida M, Franceschi F. Rev Recent Clin Trials. 2020;15:298–308. - PubMed
    1. Infectious disease control and management in Ethiopia: a case study of cholera. Park SE, Jeon Y, Kang S, et al. Front Public Health. 2022;10:870276. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Immune-related diarrhea and colitis in non-small cell lung cancers: impact of multidisciplinary management in a real-world setting. Bonanno L, Lorenzi M, Massa D, et al. Oncologist. 2024;29:0–30. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Epidemiology and control: principles, practice and programs. Kaslow RA. Viral Infections of Humans. 2014:3–38.
    1. The role of teamwork and communication in the emergency department: a systematic review. Kilner E, Sheppard LA. Int Emerg Nurs. 2010;18:127–137. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources