Diarrhea Care Plan Nursing Diagnosis: A Comprehensive Guide for Nurses

Table of Contents

What is Diarrhea?

Diarrhea is characterized by an increase in the frequency of bowel movements, accompanied by stools that are more liquid and voluminous than usual. This common condition can stem from a variety of underlying causes, including disruptions in nutrient absorption, heightened fluid secretion by the intestinal lining, and accelerated intestinal motility. Furthermore, diarrhea can be triggered by infections, inflammatory bowel diseases, medication side effects, increased osmotic loads, radiation exposure, or rapid intestinal transit.

Diarrhea can manifest as an acute, short-term issue or develop into a severe, persistent problem. While mild cases often resolve within a few days, severe diarrhea can precipitate significant dehydration and nutritional deficits. Key complications associated with diarrhea include fluid and electrolyte imbalances, compromised nutrition, and impaired skin integrity. It’s crucial for nurses and healthcare professionals to implement stringent infection control measures, especially when diarrhea is infectious in origin, to prevent further spread.

Close-up of a healthcare provider's hands holding a stool sample container, emphasizing the importance of stool analysis in diagnosing diarrhea.

Common Causes of Diarrhea

Identifying the underlying cause of diarrhea is crucial for effective management. Several factors and conditions can contribute to its development:

• Psychological Factors:
  • Anxiety and stress are known to disrupt normal bowel function.
• Substance Use:
  • Alcohol abuse can irritate the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Laxative abuse leads to dependence and chronic diarrhea.
• Medications:
  • Chemotherapy drugs often have diarrhea as a side effect.
  • Side effects of various medications including antibiotics, antiarrhythmics, antihypertensives, and magnesium-based antacids.
• Dietary Factors:
  • Disagreeable dietary intake or food intolerances.
• Infections:
  • Enteric infections caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites.
• Gastrointestinal Disorders:
  • Gastrointestinal disorders disrupting normal function.
  • Mucosal inflammation from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
  • Motor disorders like irritable bowel syndrome.
  • Short bowel syndrome.
• Physiological Factors:
  • Increased intestinal secretion.
  • Malabsorption (e.g., lactase deficiency).
  • Radiation therapy affecting the bowel.
• Surgical Procedures:
  • Surgical procedures such as bowel resection or gastrectomy.
• Nutritional Support:
  • Tube feedings can sometimes induce diarrhea.

Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Diarrhea

Patients experiencing diarrhea may present with a range of signs and symptoms, which are essential for nurses to assess:

• Abdominal Discomfort:
  • Abdominal pain that can range from mild to severe.
  • Cramping sensations in the abdomen.
• Changes in Bowel Habits:
  • Increased frequency of stools, typically more than 3 per day.
  • Loose or liquid stools, indicating reduced water absorption in the intestines.
  • Urgency to defecate, reflecting increased bowel motility.
• Audible Bowel Sounds:
  • Hyperactive bowel sounds (borborygmi) or abdominal sensations due to increased peristalsis.

Nursing Diagnosis for Diarrhea

Formulating accurate nursing diagnoses is a critical step in addressing diarrhea. Based on a comprehensive assessment, nurses leverage their clinical judgment to identify and prioritize patient needs. While specific nursing diagnoses can vary depending on the clinical setting and individual patient presentation, they serve as a framework for organizing and delivering patient-centered care. The expertise of the nurse is paramount in tailoring the care plan to meet each patient’s unique circumstances.

Common nursing diagnoses relevant to patients with diarrhea include:

• Deficient Fluid Volume related to increased fluid loss through diarrhea and potentially decreased oral intake.
• Impaired Skin Integrity related to frequent bowel movements and irritating nature of stool.
• Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements related to decreased nutrient absorption and increased nutrient loss through diarrhea.
• Risk for Electrolyte Imbalance related to excessive fluid loss.
• Pain related to abdominal cramping and frequent bowel movements.
• Fatigue related to fluid and electrolyte imbalance and increased bowel activity.
• Social Isolation related to fear of incontinence and embarrassing episodes.

Goals and Expected Outcomes for Diarrhea Care

The overarching goals in managing diarrhea are to alleviate symptoms, address the underlying cause, and prevent complications. Expected outcomes for patients with diarrhea include:

• Restoration of Normal Bowel Function: Patient will return to their typical bowel elimination pattern and stool consistency.
• Maintenance of Fluid and Electrolyte Balance: Patient will exhibit balanced electrolytes, adequate hydration evidenced by moist mucous membranes, good skin turgor, and stable vital signs.
• Improved Nutritional Status: Patient will maintain adequate nutritional intake and demonstrate signs of improved nutrient absorption.
• Intact Perianal Skin Integrity: Patient will maintain intact skin in the perianal area, free from breakdown and irritation.
• Pain Management: Patient will report a reduction in abdominal pain and cramping.
• Increased Comfort and Confidence: Patient will express increased comfort and confidence in managing their bowel function.

Comprehensive Nursing Assessment and Rationales

A thorough assessment is foundational to developing an effective [Diarrhea Care Plan Nursing Diagnosis]. It allows nurses to identify the specific factors contributing to the diarrhea and anticipate potential complications.

1. Assess Abdominal Symptoms: Evaluate for abdominal discomfort, pain, cramping, frequency, urgency, loose or liquid stools, and hyperactive bowel sounds.

• Rationale: These are hallmark signs of diarrhea. Patient descriptions of their symptoms, including stool consistency, frequency, and urgency, are crucial for diagnosis and monitoring. Individual definitions of diarrhea can vary, highlighting the importance of detailed symptom assessment. Normal bowel frequency varies widely (three times a week to three times a day); changes from the individual’s baseline are significant. Acute diarrhea often presents with associated symptoms like gas, bloating, nausea, and vomiting. Accelerated intestinal transit, caused by rapid chyme entry, contributes to these symptoms (Spiller, 2006).

2. Evaluate Defecation Pattern: Determine the patient’s usual bowel habits and any recent changes.

• Rationale: Establishing the patient’s baseline bowel pattern is essential. A change from their normal pattern, even if it falls within the broad range of “normal,” can indicate diarrhea. This assessment helps tailor treatment strategies to the individual.

3. Stool Culture and Examination: Obtain a stool sample for culture and examination as indicated.

• Rationale: Stool analysis can identify infectious agents (bacteria, parasites), toxins, blood, fat, electrolytes, white blood cells, and other indicators to pinpoint the cause of diarrhea. This guides targeted treatment, especially in cases of suspected infection.

4. Assess Lactose Tolerance: Inquire about tolerance to milk and dairy products.

• Rationale: Lactose intolerance is a common cause of diarrhea. Insufficient lactase enzyme leads to undigested lactose in the intestine, increasing osmotic pressure and drawing water into the lumen, resulting in diarrhea. Lactose intolerance can be assessed through tests like the lactose breath hydrogen test (Jankowiak & Ludwig, 2008).

5. Identify Food Intolerances: Determine if the patient has any known food intolerances.

• Rationale: Food intolerances can trigger diarrhea. Certain foods can stimulate intestinal nerve fibers, increasing peristalsis, or increase intestinal osmotic pressure. Common culprits include spicy, fatty, high-carbohydrate foods, caffeine, sugar-free foods with sorbitol, and contaminated tube feedings. A food and symptom diary can help identify patterns. Differentiate food intolerance from food allergy; allergies involve immune responses and can cause broader symptoms.

6. Review Food Preparation Methods: Investigate food preparation practices.

• Rationale: Improperly cooked or handled food, food contamination, and inadequate temperature control can lead to bacterial-induced diarrhea. Food safety education is crucial in preventing diarrhea, as demonstrated by a study showing a 52% reduction in diarrhea incidence after food safety education for mothers (Sheth & Obrah, 2004).

7. Medication History Review: Obtain a detailed medication history.

• Rationale: Many medications can cause diarrhea as a side effect. Common culprits include thyroid hormones, stool softeners, laxatives, prokinetic agents, antibiotics, chemotherapy, antiarrhythmics, antihypertensives, and magnesium-based antacids. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is prevalent, affecting about 20% of patients on broad-spectrum antibiotics (Semrad, 2012).

8. Assess Eating Habits and Behaviors: Evaluate the patient’s eating habits.

• Rationale: Poor eating habits can disrupt digestion and contribute to diarrhea. Rapid eating, gulping food, large meals, and late-night eating can strain the digestive system and lead to diarrhea. Eating too quickly can lead to overeating as satiety signals take time to reach the brain. Gulping air while eating can cause indigestion. Large meals and late-night eating can overwhelm the digestive system, which is less efficient later in the day.

9. Osmolality of Tube Feedings: For patients receiving tube feedings, review the osmolality of the feeding formula.

• Rationale: Hyperosmolar feedings can draw excessive fluid into the gut, stimulating peristalsis and causing diarrhea. Formula composition, administration method, and bacterial contamination are also potential factors. Rule out other causes of diarrhea before altering or discontinuing tube feedings. Conditions like diabetes, malabsorption, infections, gastrointestinal complications, and certain medications can also contribute to diarrhea in enterally fed patients (Chang & Huang, 2013).

10. Stress Level Assessment: Assess the patient’s stress levels.

• Rationale: Stress can trigger gastrointestinal hyperactivity in susceptible individuals. The body’s stress response (fight-or-flight) can stimulate bowel movement in the large intestine, leading to diarrhea.

11. Fecal Impaction Assessment: Rule out fecal impaction as a cause of apparent diarrhea.

• Rationale: Liquid stool can bypass a fecal impaction, mimicking diarrhea. It’s crucial to differentiate between true diarrhea and liquid stool overflow due to impaction.

12. Hydration Status Evaluation: Assess hydration status by monitoring input and output.

• Rationale: Diarrhea can rapidly lead to dehydration. Monitoring fluid balance through accurate I&O measurement is essential to detect and manage dehydration. Prolonged diarrhea or vomiting can quickly deplete body fluids.

13. Mucous Membrane Moisture Assessment: Assess the moisture of mucous membranes.

• Rationale: Dry mucous membranes are a key indicator of dehydration. Other signs include dry mouth and tongue, absence of tears, listlessness, sunken eyes/fontanels (in infants), fever, and poor skin turgor.

14. Skin Turgor Assessment: Evaluate skin turgor.

• Rationale: Decreased skin turgor, where pinched skin remains tented instead of quickly returning to normal, is a sign of dehydration. Assess skin turgor on the back of the hand in adults and the abdomen in children.

15. Other Dehydration Signs: Assess for additional signs of dehydration.

• Rationale: Early recognition of dehydration is crucial. Other signs include thirst, decreased urination, dark urine, dry mouth/tongue, fatigue, sunken eyes/cheeks, lightheadedness, and decreased skin turgor. In children, also look for lethargy, lack of wet diapers for 3 hours, irritability, and absence of tears.

16. Gastrointestinal Disease History: Obtain a history of gastrointestinal diseases.

• Rationale: Conditions like gastroenteritis and Crohn’s disease can cause malabsorption and chronic diarrhea. Stool characteristics can provide clues: watery stools suggest small bowel issues, loose/semisolid stools are more common with large bowel disorders, greasy stools indicate malabsorption, and blood/mucus/pus suggest inflammation. Nocturnal diarrhea may indicate diabetic neuropathy.

17. Abdominal Radiation Therapy History: Assess for a history of abdominal radiation therapy.

• Rationale: Radiation can damage the intestinal mucosa, reducing absorption and causing diarrhea. Radiation-induced diarrhea (exudative diarrhea) results from mucosal damage and epithelial loss (Sabol & Carlson, 2007).

18. Chemotherapy-Related Diarrhea Grading: Use the Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) to grade chemotherapy-related diarrhea.

• Rationale: The CTC provides a standardized grading system for chemotherapy-induced diarrhea, guiding management. Grades range from 0 (none) to 4 (life-threatening complications).

19. Gastrointestinal Surgery History: Assess for prior gastrointestinal surgery.

• Rationale: Diarrhea is common post-bowel resection (1-3 weeks). Patients after gastric partitioning surgery may experience diarrhea during refeeding. Dumping syndrome, common after gastric surgery, can also cause diarrhea due to rapid gastric emptying and fluid shifts.

20. Travel and Exposure History: Assess for history of foreign travel, unpasteurized dairy, or untreated water ingestion.

• Rationale: These factors increase risk of infectious diarrhea. Traveler’s diarrhea is often caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli.

21. Bristol Stool Chart Use: Utilize the Bristol Stool Chart to classify stool type.

• Rationale: The Bristol Stool Chart is a visual and descriptive tool for classifying stool consistency, ranging from type 1 (constipated) to type 7 (diarrhea). It provides a standardized way to document and monitor stool consistency. Types 5, 6, and 7 indicate diarrhea.

22. Perianal Skin Condition Assessment: Examine the perianal skin.

• Rationale: Diarrheal stools can be irritating and corrosive due to enzyme content, leading to perianal skin breakdown, especially in children. Frequent, loose, acidic stools exacerbate this risk.

23. Emotional Impact Assessment: Evaluate the emotional impact of diarrhea, illness, and potential incontinence.

• Rationale: Diarrhea, especially with loss of bowel control, can cause embarrassment, decreased self-esteem, fear, and social anxiety. The unpredictability of diarrhea can significantly impact quality of life and emotional well-being (Siegel et al., 2010).

Effective Nursing Interventions and Rationales

Therapeutic nursing interventions are essential to manage diarrhea effectively and promote patient comfort and recovery.

1. Daily Weight Monitoring: Weigh the patient daily and document any weight decrease.

• Rationale: Diarrhea causes significant fluid loss, leading to weight reduction. Daily weight monitoring is a sensitive indicator of fluid balance. While short-term weight loss is expected with diarrhea, consistent monitoring is crucial to assess the extent of fluid depletion and guide rehydration strategies (Richard et al., 2013).

2. Bowel Movement Diary: Encourage the patient to maintain a diary of their bowel movements.

• Rationale: Tracking stool consistency, frequency, timing, and associated factors (food intake, medications, etc.) helps in evaluating the diarrhea pattern and treatment effectiveness. For cancer-related diarrhea, a detailed diary is particularly valuable. Key diary components include defecation time, stimuli, stool characteristics, food and fluid intake, bowel history, diet, exercise, medications, perianal sensations, and current bowel regimen (O’Brien et al., 2005).

3. Judicious Use of Anti-peristaltic Medications: Avoid medications that slow peristalsis, especially in infectious diarrhea (e.g., C. difficile, food poisoning), unless specifically ordered and carefully monitored.

• Rationale: In infectious diarrhea, increased gut motility helps expel pathogens. Anti-peristaltic agents can worsen conditions like toxic megacolon, colitis, and systemic infection in C. difficile infection (CDI). These agents can exacerbate toxic megacolon by slowing down intestinal transit and potentially trapping toxins. Medications that can worsen toxic megacolon include opioids, antidepressants, NSAIDs, and anticholinergics (Koo et al., 2009).

4. Antidiarrheal Medications as Prescribed: Administer antidiarrheal medications as prescribed by the physician.

• Rationale: Antidiarrheal drugs reduce gastrointestinal motility, increasing fluid absorption time in the intestines. Probiotics or yogurt may help restore normal gut flora. Antidiarrheals are categorized for mild/moderate and severe diarrhea. Opiates, common antidiarrheals, primarily reduce motility but lack antisecretory effects. Racecadotril, an enkephalinase inhibitor, reduces fluid secretion without affecting motility. Agents for severe diarrhea often have more significant side effects (Semrad, 2012).

5. Dietary Fiber Supplementation: Incorporate bulk fiber (e.g., cereal, grains, psyllium) into the diet.

• Rationale: Bulk-forming agents and dietary fiber absorb excess fluid in the stool, increasing stool consistency. Psyllium, found in cereals, supplements, and bulk laxatives (Metamucil), is recommended for constipation and can also aid in diarrhea management by bulking up watery stool and binding some toxins. Avoid combining psyllium with stimulant laxatives. Psyllium husk has gut-stimulatory and gut-inhibitory effects, potentially explaining its use in both constipation and diarrhea (Mehmood et al., 2010).

6. “Natural” Bulking Agents in Diet: Include “natural” bulking agents (e.g., rice, apples, matzos, cheese) in the diet.

• Rationale: Soluble fiber, found in foods like apples, oranges, pears, berries, peas, avocados, sweet potatoes, carrots, and turnips, absorbs excess fluid in the digestive tract, helping to reduce diarrhea. Soluble fiber slows digestion, while insoluble fiber speeds it up, aiding in constipation relief.

7. Avoid Gastrointestinal Stimulants: Advise the patient to avoid stimulants like caffeine, carbonated beverages, and artificial sweeteners.

• Rationale: Caffeine stimulates intestinal motility. Sugary sodas with high-fructose corn syrup can cause fructose malabsorption, leading to diarrhea. Artificial sweeteners can have a laxative effect by drawing water into the colon. Carbonation in sodas can also cause bloating and gas, exacerbating diarrhea.

8. Stool Documentation and Measurement: Record the number and consistency of stools daily. Use a fecal incontinence collector if needed for accurate output measurement.

• Rationale: Accurate documentation provides a baseline for monitoring and guides fluid replacement therapy. Fecal collection systems can aid in precise measurement of liquid stool output, especially in incontinent patients. These systems also help prevent skin breakdown and cross-infection by diverting feces away from wounds.

9. Dehydration Monitoring: Assess for dehydration by evaluating skin turgor over the sternum, checking for tongue furrows, and monitoring for thirst, fever, dizziness, lightheadedness, palpitations, cramping, bloody stools, hypotension, and shock symptoms.

• Rationale: Severe diarrhea can lead to life-threatening deficient fluid volume, particularly in vulnerable populations (young, elderly, chronically ill). Dehydration can cause extreme weakness and death. Malnutrition, acute diarrhea, and alcohol withdrawal can synergistically increase the risk of shock (Zhao et al., 2021).

10. Fluid Intake Encouragement: Encourage fluid intake of 1.5 to 2 L/24 hours, plus 200 mL for each loose stool in adults, unless contraindicated. Consider nutritional support.

• Rationale: Adequate fluid intake is crucial to replace fluid losses from diarrhea and prevent dehydration. Increased fluid intake and liquid meal replacements help replenish lost fluids.

11. Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS): Encourage the use of oral rehydration solutions.

• Rationale: Water alone is often insufficient for rehydration in diarrhea. ORS provides essential electrolytes and minerals lost in diarrheal fluids.

  • For adults: Recommend ORS, diluted juices, diluted sports drinks, clear broth, or decaffeinated tea. Avoid sugary, carbonated, caffeinated, or alcoholic drinks as they can worsen diarrhea.
  • For children: Use pediatric ORS as directed by healthcare provider.

12. Intake and Output Monitoring: Monitor and record intake and output; note oliguria and dark, concentrated urine. Measure urine specific gravity if possible.

• Rationale: Dark, concentrated urine and high urine specific gravity indicate deficient fluid volume. Accurate I&O monitoring is vital for assessing fluid balance and guiding fluid replacement. Meticulous recording in an I/O chart is essential. Encourage patient participation in recording if possible.

13. Bowel Preparation Protocols: Evaluate the appropriateness of bowel preparation protocols, considering age, weight, condition, disease, and other therapies.

• Rationale: Frail or depleted patients may need modified bowel prep or IV fluids during preparation to prevent dehydration.

14. Perianal Care: Provide thorough perianal care after each bowel movement.

• Rationale: Perianal care prevents skin breakdown and promotes comfort. Use mild cleansers, protective ointments or barrier creams, and hydrogel dressings for excoriated skin.

15. Avoid Rectal Foley Catheters: Avoid routine use of rectal Foley catheters for diarrhea management.

• Rationale: While rectal tubes can manage soiling in critically ill patients, rectal Foley catheters pose risks of rectal necrosis, sphincter damage, and rupture. Proper care and monitoring are time-intensive and may be challenging to consistently provide.

16. Medications for Cancer-Related Diarrhea: For diarrhea associated with cancer or treatment, administer medications as ordered to control diarrhea, once infectious causes are ruled out.

• Rationale: Cancer treatment increases infection susceptibility, which can cause diarrhea. Cancer and treatment-related diarrhea can lead to rapid protein, electrolyte, and fluid loss, potentially causing fatal dehydration.

17. Enteral Tube Feeding Management: For patients with enteral tube feeding-associated diarrhea:

• Review formula type, rate, and administration method.
• Ensure proper hygiene and prevent contamination.
• Consider adjusting formula osmolality or composition in consultation with a dietitian or physician.

18. Dietary Consult and Hydrolyzed Formula: For chronic diarrhea with malnutrition, consult with a dietitian and consider a hydrolyzed formula.

• Rationale: Hydrolyzed formulas contain partially broken-down proteins, aiding digestion and nutrient absorption in patients with gastrointestinal issues. This supports nutrition while the GI system recovers.

19. Small, Frequent, Easily Digestible Meals: Encourage small, frequent meals of easily digestible foods that are typically constipating.

• Rationale: Bland, starchy foods are initially recommended during dietary reintroduction.

20. Balanced Diet Education: Educate patients to progress beyond a bland diet (BRAT diet) quickly.

• Rationale: The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) is suitable for initial management but lacks essential fat and protein for prolonged use, potentially slowing recovery. Advise patients to return to a normal, balanced diet as tolerated.

21. Dietary Measures Education: Educate patients and caregivers on dietary modifications to control diarrhea.

• Rationale: Dietary changes are key to managing diarrhea. Advise avoiding spicy, fatty foods, alcohol, and caffeine. Recommend broiling, baking, or boiling foods instead of frying. Identify and avoid individual trigger foods. These modifications can slow stool transit time and reduce diarrhea. Remind patients to avoid carbonated drinks and dairy if they exacerbate symptoms.

22. Diet Modification Importance: Reinforce the importance of diet modification in diarrhea management.

• Rationale: Diet modification is a crucial self-management strategy. Advise increasing intake of potassium-rich foods (potatoes, bananas, fruit juices), salty foods (pretzels, soup), and yogurt with active cultures. Even small amounts of fat can slow digestion and reduce diarrhea.

23. Medication-Related Diarrhea Communication: Instruct patients to report diarrhea onset with new prescription drugs to their healthcare provider.

• Rationale: Many medications can cause diarrhea. Prompt reporting allows for timely assessment and management. Over 700 medications are known to cause diarrhea, including antibiotics, diuretics, antidiabetic agents, and more (Semrad, 2012).

24. Antidiarrheal Medication Education: Educate patients or caregivers on the correct use of prescribed or over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications.

• Rationale: Proper medication use is essential to maximize effectiveness and minimize side effects. Discuss dosage, frequency, and potential adverse effects.

25. Fluid Replacement Education: Emphasize the importance of fluid replacement during diarrheal episodes.

• Rationale: Fluid replacement is a cornerstone of diarrhea treatment. Severely dehydrated patients need IV fluids (Ringer’s lactate or saline) with electrolyte repletion. Oral rehydration solutions are effective for mild to moderate dehydration, providing sodium, sugars, and amino acids that enhance fluid and electrolyte absorption (Semrad, 2012).

26. Perianal Hygiene Education: Teach patients the importance of good perianal hygiene.

• Rationale: Proper hygiene reduces perianal excoriation risk and promotes comfort. Neglected diarrhea and poor hygiene can lead to serious complications like Fournier’s gangrene (Neogi et al., 2013).

27. Food Safety and Handwashing Education: Educate patients and significant others (SOs) on proper food preparation, sanitation, and handwashing.

• Rationale: These practices prevent the spread of infectious diarrhea via the fecal-oral route.

28. Stress Management Techniques: Provide tips on stress management.

• Rationale: Stress can exacerbate diarrhea in susceptible individuals. Discuss stress triggers and coping mechanisms. Deep breathing exercises are effective for stress reduction.

29. Relaxation and Diversion Activities: Encourage relaxation activities like reading, meditation, and listening to music.

• Rationale: Relaxation techniques and enjoyable activities can reduce stress and promote overall well-being. Music and reading can effectively soothe the mind and body.

30. Emotional Support: Provide emotional support for patients struggling with unpredictable diarrhea.

• Rationale: Diarrhea can be emotionally distressing, causing embarrassment and social isolation, especially in the elderly. Emotional support and understanding are vital components of holistic nursing care.

Recommended Resources

Explore these recommended nursing diagnosis and care plan books for further information and guidance.

Disclosure: The following are affiliate links from Amazon. We may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. For more details, please see our privacy policy.

• Ackley and Ladwig’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care – An excellent resource for evidence-based nursing interventions and care planning, utilizing a three-step system for client assessment, nursing diagnosis, and care plan development.

• Nursing Care Plans – Nursing Diagnosis & Intervention (10th Edition) – Features over 200 care plans with the latest evidence-based guidelines, including ICNP diagnoses and new content on LGBTQ health and electrolyte balance.

• Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales – A quick-reference guide for accurate diagnoses and efficient care planning, updated with the most recent nursing diagnoses and interventions for over 400 disorders.

• Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care – A comprehensive manual for planning, individualizing, and documenting care for over 800 diseases and disorders, with detailed information on subjective/objective data, interventions, rationales, and documentation.

• All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource – E-Book: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Maternity, and Psychiatric-Mental Health – Includes over 100 care plans covering medical-surgical, maternity, pediatrics, and psychiatric-mental health nursing, emphasizing interprofessional patient problem approaches.

See also

Consider these additional resources for related nursing care information:

References

• Chang, S. J., & Huang, H. H. (2013). Diarrhea in enterally fed patients: blame the diet?. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 16(5), 588-594.
• Dehydration and diarrhea. (2003). Paediatrics & Child Health, 8(7), 459–460.
• Eisenberg, P. (1993). Causes of diarrhea in tube-fed patients: a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and management. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 8(3), 119–123.
• Jankowiak, C., & Ludwig, D. (2008). Frequent causes of diarrhea: celiac disease and lactose intolerance. Medizinische Klinik (Munich, Germany: 1983), 103(6), 413-22.
• Koo, H. L., Koo, D. C., Musher, D. M., & DuPont, H. L. (2009). Antimotility agents for the treatment of Clostridium difficile diarrhea and colitis. Clinical infectious diseases, 48(5), 598-605.
• Ma, C., Wu, S., Yang, P., Li, H., Tang, S., & Wang, Q. (2014). Behavioral factors associated with diarrhea among adults over 18 years of age in Beijing, China. BMC public health, 14(1), 1-7.
• Mehmood, M.H.; Aziz, N.; Ghayur, M.N.; Gilani, A. (2011). Pharmacological Basis for the Medicinal Use of Psyllium Husk (Ispaghula) in Constipation and Diarrhea. Dig Dis Sci 56, 1460–1471
• Neogi, S., Kariholu, P. L., Chatterjee, D., Singh, B. K., & Kumar, R. (2013). Fournier’s gangrene in a pediatric patient after prolonged neglected diarrhea: A case report. IJCRI, 4(2), 135-137.
• O’Brien, Bridget E.; Kaklamani Virginia G.; Benson, Al B., III. (2005). The Assessment and Management of Cancer Treatment-Related Diarrhea. , 4(6), 375–381.
• Richard, S. A.; Black, R. E.; Gilman, R. H.; Guerrant, R. L.; Kang, G.; Lanata, C. F.; Molbak, K.; Rasmussen, Z. A.; Sack, R. B.; Valentiner-Branth, P.; Checkley, W. (2013). Diarrhea in Early Childhood: Short-term Association With Weight and Long-term Association With Length. American Journal of Epidemiology, 178(7), 1129–1138.
• Schiller, L. R., Pardi, D. S., & Sellin, J. H. (2017). Chronic diarrhea: diagnosis and management. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 15(2), 182-193.
• Schiller, Lawrence R.; Pardi, Darrell S.; Sellin, Joseph H. (2016). Chronic Diarrhea: Diagnosis and Management. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, (), S1542356516305018–.
• Semrad, C. E. (2012). Approach to the patient with diarrhea and malabsorption. Goldman’s cecil medicine, 895.
• Sheth, M., & Obrah, M. (2004). Diarrhea prevention through food safety education. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 71(10), 879-882.
• Siegel, K., Schrimshaw, E., Brown-Bradley, C., & Lekas, H. (2010). Sources of Emotional Distress Associated with Diarrhea Among Late Middle-Age and Older HIV-Infected Adults. , 40(3), 353–369.
• Spiller, R. (2006). Role of motility in chronic diarrhea. Neurogastroenterology & Motility, 18(12), 1045-1055.
• Thompson, W. G. (2005). Dietary Fiber: What is it?. Digestive Health Matters, 14, 10-11.
• Zhao, T., Gao, X., & Huang, G. (2021). Acute diarrhea-induced shock during alcohol withdrawal: a case study. Journal of International Medical Research, 49(2), 0300060521990464.