Postgraduate Course at DDW: Complete Clinical Updates for Today's Practice

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Daryl Pardee from the Mayo Clinic discussed chronic diarrhea, emphasizing a rational approach to diagnosis to manage patients cost-effectively. He highlighted the prevalence of chronic diarrhea, which affects a significant portion of the adult population and presents considerable diagnostic challenges due to a wide differential. The session focused on an interactive discussion, engaging the audience in examining cases and considering a variety of diagnostic approaches. Key points included understanding the volume and nature of diarrhea, the importance of a detailed history and physical examination, and recognizing alarm symptoms that necessitate further testing. Dr. Pardee outlined a basic lab test algorithm to rule out serious conditions before considering empirical treatment with antidiarrheal medications. Comprehensive stool testing, including chemistries and assessments of stool output, was recommended to classify diarrhea and guide further investigation. The discussion also addressed the roles of dietary factors, medication reviews, and specific diagnostic tests while highlighting common and rare causes of diarrhea and the importance of considering the patient's overall clinical presentation.

Keywords

chronic diarrhea

diagnosis approach

cost-effective management

Mayo Clinic

Dr. Daryl Pardee

diagnostic challenges

stool testing

alarm symptoms

empirical treatment