       Document 0515
 DOCN  M9610515
 TI    Validation of a new measure of diarrhea.
 DT    9601
 AU    Mertz HR; Beck CK; Dixon W; Esquivel MA; Hays RD; Shapiro MF; Vanderbilt
       University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; 37232, USA.
 SO    Dig Dis Sci. 1995 Sep;40(9):1873-82. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96029231
 AB    Adequate measures of diarrheal disease are important to assess severity
       for clinical use and outcomes research. We developed a questionnaire to
       assess diarrhea severity and complications, and administered it to 205
       HIV positive patients with diarrhea, fever, or weight loss. Noteworthy
       variations in stool form were reported by individuals and across
       subjects. Self-reported diarrhea correlated with the occurrence of any
       stool pictured without form. However, verbal descriptors loose and
       semiformed had little value in assessment of diarrheal disease. Both
       verbal and pictorial stool descriptors correlated well with diarrhea
       complications (pain, urgency, tenesmus, incontinence, and nocturnal
       diarrhea). By factor analysis, discomfort and nondiscomfort diarrhea
       complications loaded on different factors, consistent with clinical
       experience that discomfort is a distinct problem in diarrheal disease.
       In summary we have developed an instrument to precisely characterize
       diarrhea severity that correlates well with clinically important events
       such as incontinence and abdominal pain.
 DE    Abdominal Pain/DIAGNOSIS/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Adult
       Diarrhea/*DIAGNOSIS/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Fecal
       Incontinence/DIAGNOSIS/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Female  Human  HIV
       Enteropathy/*DIAGNOSIS/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Male  Prevalence  Questionnaires
       Severity of Illness Index  Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

