Medical Condition Diarrhea

Source:

2009 icd-9-cm diagnosis 787.91 - diarrhea

Active Ingredients used for Diarrhea:

Bilberry, Chamomile, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Psyllium, Soy, Vitamin A, Zinc

Active Ingredient	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
bilberry (vaccinium myrtillus)	bilberry is used traditionally to treat diarrhea, but there is a lack of reliable research in this area.	c
chamomile (matricaria recutita, chamaemelum nobile)	preliminary study reports that chamomile with apple pectin may reduce the length of time that children experience diarrhea. further research is needed before a strong recommendation can be made.	c
lactobacillus acidophilus	a small amount of human research suggests that lactobacillus acidophilus may not be effective when used to prevent diarrhea in travelers or in people taking antibiotics, but results are mixed. several studies report that the related species, lactobacillus gg, may be helpful for the prevention of diarrhea in children and travelers. additional study is needed in these areas before a firm conclusion can be drawn.	c
lactobacillus acidophilus	a small amount of research in children, using different forms of acidophilus, reports no improvement in diarrhea. future studies should use a viable lactobacillus acidophilus culture to assess effects on diarrhea. lactobacillus gg, a different species, is suggested by multiple human studies to be a safe and effective treatment for diarrhea in otherwise healthy infants and children. lactobacillus acidophilus may aid in the management of chronic or persistent diarrhea,	c
psyllium (plantago ovata, plantago isphagula)	psyllium has been studied for the treatment of diarrhea, particularly in patients undergoing tube feeding. it has also been studied in addition to orlistat therapy in hopes of decreasing gastrointestinal effects (diarrhea and oily discharge) of this weight loss agent. an effective stool bulking effect has generally been found in scientific studies.	b
soy (glycine max [l. merr.)]	numerous studies report that infants and young children (2-36 months old) with diarrhea who are fed soy formulas experience fewer daily bowel movements and fewer days of diarrhea. this research suggests that soy has benefits over other types of formula, including cow milk-based solutions. the addition of soy fiber to soy formula may increase the effectiveness. better quality research is needed before a strong recommendation can be made.parents are advised to speak with qualified healthcare	b
soy (glycine max [l. merr.)]	due to limited human study, there is not enough evidence to recommend for or against the use of soy-polysaccharide/fiber in the treatment of diarrhea. further research is needed before a recommendation can be made.	c
vitamin a (retinol)	vitamin a may reduce the severity and duration of diarrheal episodes in malnourished children but not in well-nourished children. since diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, vitamin a supplementation may be considered in undernourished children with diarrhea.	c
zinc	multiple studies in developing countries found that zinc supplementation in malnourished children with acute diarrhea may reduce the severity and duration of diarrhea, especially in children with low zinc levels.	a

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.