Diarrhea

Diarrhea is characterized by the frequency, volume, or liquidity of stool. Diarrhea can occur for a short time or be a long-lasting health-related issue. 

General actions if a child experiences diarrhea at school or in their program: 

If diarrhea:

• Prevents the child from participating comfortably in activities.
• Results in an acute change in behavior: lethargy, lack of responsiveness, irritability, persistent crying, difficulty breathing, or a quickly spreading rash.
• Is accompanied by a fever:
  • For an infant or child older than 2 months, a fever is a temperature that is above 101 degrees F [38.3 degrees C] by any method.
  • For infants younger than 2 months of age, a fever is a temperature above 100.4 degrees F [38 degrees C] by any method.
• Communicate with the parents of the child.

Key points to remember:

• Wash your hands and wear gloves when assisting the child with hygiene tasks.
• Recognize the student’s needs for privacy.
• Provide easy access for the student to use the bathroom.
• Ensure the student washes their hands after using the bathroom or performing hygiene care.
• Double-bag any soiled clothes to be sent home with the student or the parents
• Ensure disinfection of surfaces that have been contaminated with stool by the instructions on the product label.
• Document the date, time, care provided, communication with the student, school nurse, and any communication with the parents in the child’s student health record.