The Etiology of Persistent Diarrhea in Hospitalized Patients at Children's Medical Center in Tehran

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the causes of persistent diarrhea in hospitalized patients at Children's Medical Center in Tehran.
Material & Methods: Primarily we determined the 41 different etiologies of persistent diarrhea which were recognizable in Iran at the time of study. then we studied all hospitalized patients with these diagnoses between the years 1992 till 1998.
Findings: During the period of study there were 1300 patients who had been hospitalized in children's hospital. Among these patients 215 had persistent diarrhea. 10 most common etiologies of persistent diarrhea were celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, ulcerative colitis, malnutrition, immune deficiencies, urinary tract infections, giardiasis, gastroenteritis, cow milk allergy, and intestinal lymphangiectasia.
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, in approaching patients with persistent diarrhea, it is better to consider more common and probable etiologies primarily to avoid unnecessary costs and then perform suitable diagnostic studies.