Diarrhoea may be defined in terms of its duration, the volume of stool, its consistency, and the frequency of defaecation.1 2 A pragmatic definition of chronic diarrhoea is the persistent alteration from the norm with stool consistency between types 5 and 7 on the Bristol Stool Chart and increased frequency greater than four weeks in duration. Some definitions include the above but also that the stools should be passed 3 or more times a day.3
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/doctor/gastroenterology/chronic-diarrhoea-in-adults