Carbohydrate malabsorption in acute diarrhea

Abstract EN

Background : lactose, a disaccharide that comprises the monosaccharaides glucose and galactose, is the primary carbohydrate found exclusively in mammalian milk.

Lactose intolerance can occur among infants and young children with acute diarrheal disease, although the clinical significance of this is limited except in more severely affected children.

Aim : to assess the frequency of carbohydrate malabsorption in a group of patients presenting with acute diarrhea.

Patients and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study, included 100 patients between 2-36 months of age who were randomly selected from patients presenting with acute diarrhea to the Babylon Gynecology and Children Teaching Hospital.

All those patients were screened for carbohydrate malabsorption by determination of stool pH and reducing substance.

Further investigation by microscopy for fat, parasites, leukocytes and screening for rotavirus were performed in their stools.

Results : the study included 100 children 2- 36 months of age with acute diarrhea.

Fifty six of them were males.

The frequency of carbohydrate malabsorption was 41 % and was highest among infants below one year, Mean ± SD (10.25 ± 13.78) months.

There was no significant difference regarding baseline and diarrhea characteristics of the study population and carbohydrate malabsorption apart from vomiting.

Conclusion : the frequency of carbohydrate malabsorption is common in infants and children with acute diarrhea.