It can be caused by bacterial infections, viral infections, parasitic infections, or autoimmune problems such as inflammatory bowel diseases. It can also be caused by tuberculosis, colon cancer, and enteritis. Dysentery
If there is blood visible in the stools, it is also known as dysentery. The blood is a trace of an invasion of bowel tissue. Dysentery is a symptom of, among others, Shigella, Entamoeba histolytica, and Salmonella. Health effects
Diarrheal disease may have a negative impact on both physical fitness and mental development. "Early childhood malnutrition resulting from any cause reduces physical fitness and work productivity in adults," and diarrhea is a primary cause of childhood malnutrition. Further, evidence suggests that diarrheal disease has significant impacts on mental development and health; it has been shown that, even when controlling for helminth infection and early breastfeeding, children who had experienced severe diarrhea had significantly lower scores on a series of tests of intelligence.Diarrhea can cause electrolyte imbalances, kidney impairment, dehydration, and defective immune system responses. When oral drugs are administered, the efficiency of the drug is to produce a therapeutic effect and the lack of this effect may be due to the medication travelling too quickly through the digestive system, limiting the time that it can be absorbed. Clinicians try to treat the diarrheas by reducing the dosage of medication, changing the dosing schedule, discontinuation of the drug, and rehydration. The interventions to control the diarrhea are not often effective.
Sodium calcium edetate (sodium calcium EDTA), also known as edetate calcium disodium among other names, is a medication primarily used to treat lead poisoning, including both short-term and long-term lead poisoning. Sodium calcium edetate came into medical use in the United States in 1953. Chelation agent
Sodium calcium edetate is in the chelating agent family of medication. It is a salt of edetate with two sodium and one calcium atoms. It works by binding to a number of heavy metals, which renders them almost inert and allows them to leave the body in the urine.Edetate disodium is a different formulation which does not have the same effects. Medical use
Sodium calcium edetates primary use is to treat lead poisoning,
for which it is an alternative to succimer. It is given by slow injection into a vein or into a muscle.For lead encephalopathy sodium calcium edetate is typically used together with dimercaprol. It may also be used to treat plutonium poisoning. It does not appear to be useful for poisoning by tetra-ethyl lead. Side effects
Common side effects include pain at the site of injection. Other side effects may include kidney problems, diarrhea, fever, muscle pains, and low blood pressure. Benefits when needed in pregnancy are likely greater than the risks. History
Sodium calcium edetate came into medical use in the United States in 1953. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. References
External links
"Sodium calcium edetate". U.S. National Library of Medicine. Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Institutes of Health.