Acute Diarrhoea with Blood, with or without Mucus (Dysentery)

CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL

Dysentery is a form of acute diarrhoea characterised by the presence of blood and sometimes mucus in the stools. This condition is usually caused by bacterial, parasitic, or viral infections affecting the large intestine.

Dysentery can be severe and, if not treated appropriately, may lead to serious complications such as dehydration, sepsis, and intestinal damage. Early diagnosis and proper treatment are essential to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with this condition.

Pathology	Symptoms and Clinical Signs	Suspected Diagnosis	Confirmatory Diagnosis
Campylobacter enteritis	Watery or bloody diarrhoea, cramping abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting	History of consuming contaminated food, physical examination	Stool culture, PCR tests
Shigella dysentery	Bloody diarrhoea, high fever, abdominal pain, tenesmus, vomiting	History of exposure to contaminated water or food, physical examination	Stool culture, PCR tests
Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC)	Bloody diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, tenesmus	History of consuming contaminated food, physical examination	Stool culture, PCR tests, serotyping
Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC)	Bloody diarrhoea, severe abdominal pain, low or absent fever, vomiting, haemolytic uraemic syndrome symptoms	History of consuming contaminated food, physical examination	Stool culture, PCR tests, Shiga toxin detection
Entamoeba histolytica dysentery	Bloody diarrhoea with mucus, abdominal pain, fever, hepatomegaly, liver abscess	History of travel to endemic areas, physical examination	Microscopic stool examination, antigen tests, serology