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Cholera

Frederick W Nielson, Medical Doctorate Reviewed 06/2022
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • An acute infectious disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae

  • Characterized by severe secretory, watery diarrhea with extreme fluid and electrolyte depletion, vomi...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • History of travel to endemic area and exposure to contaminated food/water source

  • Abrupt onset of explosive, painless watery diarrhea (“rice-water stools”) without tenesmus

  • Abdominal dis...

TREATMENT

  • Primary goal is to replenish fluid losses. With proper treatment, fatality rates are <1%.

  • Two phases of rehydration: initial and maintenance (4)[C]

    • Evaluate initial level of dehydration (c...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Bed rest until symptoms resolve and strength returns 

Patient Monitoring

Observe patient until symptoms are resolved. 

DIET

Small, frequent meals when vomiting stops ...

REFERENCES

1
Clemens JD, Nair GB, Ahmed T, et al. Cholera. Lancet. 2017;390(10101):1539–1549.
2
Nickonchuk  T, Lindblad  AJ, Kolber  MR. Oral cholera vaccine for traveler's diarrh...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • CDC. Cholera—vibrio cholerae infection—vaccines. https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/vaccines.html. Accessed September 28, 2021.

  • Hsueh BY, Waters CM. Combatin...

SEE ALSO

Diarrhea, Acute; Oral Rehydration 

CODES

ICD10

  • A00.9 Cholera, unspecified

  • A00.0 Cholera due to Vibrio cholerae 01, biovar cholerae

  • A00.1 Cholera due to Vibrio cholerae 01, biovar eltor

SNOMED

  • 63650001 Cholera (disorder)

  • 240349003 Cholera due...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Personal (food and water selection/preparation; hand hygiene) and public sanitation are the keys to cholera prevention.

  • The current cholera vaccine is not indicated to prevent routine t...

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