Owens F J
Prim Care. 1981 Jun;8(2):285-307.
Diarrhea may present as an acute transient condition that is hardly more than an inconvenience or as an acute devastating condition that decimates whole armies and cities. In places in which it is endemic, chronic diarrhea may be equally devastating; however, chronic diarrhea is usually the problem of an individual patient. A clinician may require the most extensive analysis for proper appraisal of chronic diarrhea. A thoughtful, thorough history and physical examination will often serve to narrow the number of tests required to reach a satisfactory diagnosis. Rational therapy may then be quickly determined from many existing references.
腹泻可能表现为一种急性短暂性疾病，带来的不便几乎微不足道，也可能是一种急性毁灭性疾病，能使大批军队和城市人口锐减。在腹泻为地方病的地区，慢性腹泻可能同样具有毁灭性；然而，慢性腹泻通常是个别患者的问题。临床医生可能需要进行最广泛的分析，才能对慢性腹泻做出恰当评估。一份经过深思熟虑、全面的病史和体格检查往往有助于减少为做出满意诊断所需的检查数量。然后可以从许多现有参考文献中迅速确定合理的治疗方法。
