Last reviewed
2026-02-07
Workflow pack
Acute diarrhea triage workflow
Outpatient diarrhea workflow focused on dehydration prevention, severity stratification, and escalation boundaries.
Trust and governance
Use only within this workflow's defined scope and exclusions.
Clinical owner
Family Medicine Editorial Team
Risk tier
Medium
Review cadence
Every 6 months
Next due 2026-08-07
Review status
Current
Scope limits
Initial outpatient triage and management of acute diarrhea when severe instability is absent.
Exclusions (escalate/redirect)
- Severe dehydration or shock requiring emergency IV resuscitation pathway.
- Complex inpatient infectious-disease management scenarios.
References
Escalate-now emphasis (medium-risk workflow)
Treat red-flag findings as urgent. Escalate the care pathway early if concern persists or follow-up reliability is uncertain.
At a glance
Rapid decision framing for in-visit use. Educational only; always apply clinical judgment.
Immediate actions
- Quantify stool losses, hydration status, and systemic symptoms.
- Screen for high-risk exposures and host vulnerabilities.
- Separate supportive outpatient candidates from urgent escalation candidates.
Red flags / escalate now
- Severe dehydration, hypotension, confusion, or inability to maintain intake.
- Bloody diarrhea with systemic toxicity or severe persistent abdominal pain.
- Rapid progression in immunocompromised or frail patients.
First-line plan
- Prioritize oral rehydration and electrolyte replacement strategy.
- Use selective testing based on severity and epidemiologic context.
- Provide explicit care-plan boundaries for symptom progression.
Follow-up and monitoring
- Arrange reassessment if no expected improvement within defined interval.
- Escalate for worsening weakness, bleeding, fever, or instability.
- Reinforce infection-control and return precautions clearly.
Condition guidance
Referral checklists
Tools and calculators
Return precautions (patient script)
Suggested plain-language wording for safety-net counseling:
If symptoms get worse, new warning signs appear, or you cannot follow the plan from this visit, seek urgent care now.
- Use with the specific red flags listed on this page.
- Confirm follow-up timing and where to go after-hours.
- Document that return precautions were reviewed and understood.
Visit-close checklist
- Document disposition, rationale, and unresolved diagnostic uncertainty.
- Give explicit return precautions and follow-up timeline before ending visit.
- Attach a relevant handout when available to reinforce adherence and safety-netting.