Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) Practice Test

The presence of blood in the stool, with or without mucus, is specifically characteristic of dysentery. Dysentery is an infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the intestines, particularly the colon, resulting in severe diarrhea that contains blood and mucus. This can be caused by various pathogens, including bacteria such as Shigella or Entamoeba histolytica, and signifies a more severe form of diarrhea compared to other types.

In contrast, acute diarrhea generally refers to a rapid onset of diarrhea that lasts for a day or two and does not necessarily include blood or mucus. Cholera is primarily associated with watery diarrhea caused by the vibrio cholerae bacterium, leading to severe dehydration rather than dysenteric stools. Persistent diarrhea lasts for more than 14 days but doesn’t inherently indicate the presence of blood. Thus, dysentery is the most accurate diagnosis when blood and mucus are present in stool, confirming the suitability of this response.