Diagnosis of toddler's diarrhea involves the evaluation of history of present illness, any relevant past medical history, and physical examination to determine any causative factors to inform treatment regimens and further recommendations. Evaluation of history of present illness includes: * Stool characterization (i.e. appearance, consistency, frequency, etc.) * Time frame and duration (important for differentiation between acute and<unk>  diarrhea) * Food/drink allergies or restrictions (e.g. lactose intolerance) * Medications, especially antibiotics * Infection exposure (e.g. travel) Evaluation of past medical history includes: * Family history * Conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, cystic fibrosis, and celiac disease Physical examination involves: * Abdominal examination (tenderness, distention, and/or bowel sounds) * Genital examination (rashes, anal fissures, and/or ulcerative lesions) * General assessment and vital signs (any signs of dehydration such as tachycardia and low blood pressure) * Examination of extremities and head (any signs of dehydration such as dry mucous membranes and skin turgor) Diagnostic Tests The following tests can also be performed to assist in the diagnosis of toddler's diarrhea and evaluation of any associated complications/underlying conditions: * Stool tests provide further information about bleeding, infectious agents, and/or anatomical problems. * Blood tests allow assessment of inflammatory markers and/or other criterion for causative diseases. * X-rays provide evaluations of any problems that may originate in the gastrointestinal tract/liver/etc. * Upper endoscopy or colonoscopy allows visualization of the gastrointestinal tract to assess location of inflammation. * Breath hydrogen tests are utilized to determine lactose, fructose, and/or sucrose intolerance. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may also be indicated by this test. Genetic Testing Most commonly,<unk>  diarrhea in infants and children are classified as acquired diarrhea, identified with the general diagnostic tests mentioned above. The other classification of<unk>  diarrhea, congenital diarrheas and enteropathies (CODEs), are rare diagnoses of exclusion. With recent advances in genome sequencing, the addition of targeted genetic testing to diagnostic algorithms has been proposed to allow faster diagnoses and earlier treatment of CODEs. While certain genes and mutations have been associated with various CODEs, further research and studies are necessary to support the role of diagnostic genetic testing.
Chronic diarrhea of infancy
Milk allergy
Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome
Wilderness-acquired diarrhea
Brainerd diarrhea
Neutropenic enterocolitis
Congenital tufting enteropathy
Necrotizing enterocolitis