Clinical Features

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Clinical Features

Stage Of Evacuation

The onset is abrupt with profuse, painless, watery diarrhea followed by vomiting. The patient may pass as many as 40 stools in a day. The stools may have a rice water appearance.

Related Issues

Oral Rehydration Therapy

Intravenous Rehydration Therapy

Maintenance Therapy

Stage Of Collapse

The patient soon passes into a stage of collapse due to dehydration. Death may occur due to it. The classical form of severe cholera occurs in only 5 to 10 per cent of cases. In the rest, the disease tends to be mild, characterized by diarrhea with or without vomiting or marked dehydration. As a rule, mild cases recover in about one to three days.

Laboratory Diagnosis Of Cholera

The organisms can also be isolated from contaminated water or food. Laboratory methods of diagnosis are required to confirm the diagnosis:

Collection Of Stools

A fresh sample should be collected before the person is treated with antibiotics.

Direct Examination

It may be possible to diagnose about 80 per cent of the cases within a few minutes.

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