dysentery
Sign in to saveDysentery (, ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications may include dehydration.
AI overview
Dysentery is a severe digestive illness that causes bloody diarrhea, along with symptoms like fever and abdominal pain. It matters because it can lead to serious complications such as dehydration, which is why it historically earned the name "bloody flux" and remains a health concern today.
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Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Dysentery
- Medical condition (new).synonyms
- Bloody diarrhea
- Medical condition (new).image
- Dysentery Patient, Burma Hospital, Siam Art.IWMART1541787.jpg
- Medical condition (new).caption
- A depiction of a soldier with dysentery in the 'F' & 'H' Force Hospital, Canchanburi, Siam. Artist: Charles Thrale, 1943
- Medical condition (new).field
- Infectious disease
- Medical condition (new).symptoms
- Bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever
- Medical condition (new).complications
- Dehydration
- Medical condition (new).duration
- Less than a week
- Medical condition (new).causes
- Usually Shigella or Entamoeba histolytica
- Medical condition (new).risks
- Contamination of food and water with feces due to poor sanitation
- Medical condition (new).diagnosis
Article
18 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- Cause
- Amoebic dysentery
- Bacillary dysentery
- Other bacteria
- Diagnosis
- Physical exam
- Stool and blood tests
- Prevention
- Vaccine
- Treatment
- Prognosis
- Epidemiology
- History
- Notable cases
- See also
- References
- Works cited
Dysentery (, ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications may include dehydration.
The cause of dysentery is usually the bacteria from genus Shigella, in which case it is known as shigellosis, or the amoeba Entamoeba histolytica; then it is called amoebiasis. Other causes may include certain chemicals, other bacteria, other protozoa, or parasitic worms. It may spread between people. Risk factors include contamination of food and water with feces due to poor sanitation. The underlying mechanism involves inflammation of the intestine, especially of the colon.