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What Causes Foul Smelling Stool With Mucus?

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Posted on Fri, 28 Feb 2014
Twitter Fri, 28 Feb 2014 Answered on
Twitter Thu, 20 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on
Question : My 7 yr old daughter often gets stomach aches. Two weeks ago she had two stomach aches that made her put down her toys and lay in a fetal position for several hours. This happened twice over that weekend. Since then she has been having about 3-4 bms a day. Last night I noticed it had a terrible fishy odor and it was just a yellowish mucus. Could this be viral or something more I should e concerned about??
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Answered by Dr. E Venkata Ramana (25 minutes later)
Brief Answer: infection could be viral or bacterial. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thank you for your query on Healthcare Magic. Fishy and foul smelling stool with mucus and increased frequency of stools are suggestive of infection of intestines. Most of the infections are due to viral causes. But bacterial or protozoal organism also cause infection and usually these are associated with fishy, foul smelling stools with mucus. Stool tests such as stool routine, microscopy and culture will tell the type of infection and will help in choosing antibiotic if the tests show any bacterial growth in the culture. Give oral rehydration solutions to maintain hydration of the child. Consult the Pediatrician for clinical examination and to investigate and prescribe appropriate medication. Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know. Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. E Venkata Ramana

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What Causes Foul Smelling Stool With Mucus?

Brief Answer: infection could be viral or bacterial. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thank you for your query on Healthcare Magic. Fishy and foul smelling stool with mucus and increased frequency of stools are suggestive of infection of intestines. Most of the infections are due to viral causes. But bacterial or protozoal organism also cause infection and usually these are associated with fishy, foul smelling stools with mucus. Stool tests such as stool routine, microscopy and culture will tell the type of infection and will help in choosing antibiotic if the tests show any bacterial growth in the culture. Give oral rehydration solutions to maintain hydration of the child. Consult the Pediatrician for clinical examination and to investigate and prescribe appropriate medication. Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know. Regards.