Is Explosive Diarrhea Scientifically Defined?

@dr..eeks By now, you’ve probably heard of the Cyclospora outbreak investigation? Everyone keeps referring to "explosive diarrhea," so naturally my brain goes to: Is there an operational definition for explosive diarrhea? Like… a splash radius? Exit velocity? A peer-reviewed threshold? ;) As far as I could tell, there isn't a standardized definition. But everyone still seems to know exactly what it means. (Including me after one unforgettable case of food poisoning before a Strokes concert in Vegas.) So I’ll ask… What does explosive diarrhea mean to you? Feel free to share your own Strokes story. #cyclospora #health #science #sciencetok ♬ original sound – Dr. EeKS

If you don’t like to read, you can watch my “reel take” on this above on my TikTok or on my Youtube here or X here.

The recent Cyclospora outbreak got me wondering about something.

Not the parasite. Not the traceback investigation. Not even Taco Bell. Though when Taco Bell was mentioned, my first thought was, “Well…we’re going to have to control for Taco Bell.”

(And if you don’t get that, you’ve never eaten at Taco Bell and good for you for being fancy.)

But I was thinking about “Explosive” diarrhea. Specfically, is there actually a scientific definition of explosive diarrhea?

Like…

Is there a minimum splash radius?

An exit velocity?

A decibel threshold?

As far as I can tell, not really.

There doesn’t appear to be a universally accepted, standardized definition of explosive diarrhea. It’s a term that clinicians, researchers, outbreak investigators, and patients all seem to understand, but it’s generally used descriptively rather than as a formally defined clinical term.

Now, we’ve defined diarrhea itself, typically as three or more loose or watery stools within a 24-hour period.

But explosive?

Apparently, it comes down to…instinct? Like, “That wasn’t regular diarrhea, oh helll no. That was explosive!“

One person commented on my reel:

“If you don’t know what explosive diarrhea is, then you’ve never had it!”

Not so fast.

I got food poisoning before a Strokes concert in Las Vegas once.

We’re talking explosive diarrhea.

And explosive vomiting.

I intentionally said explosive, not projectile, because “projectile vomiting” sounds like it politely picked a direction. This was…not that. It was chaos. Mayhem. I lost all control.

Did I still go to the concert?

Yes. It was the NYE show and tickets weren’t cheap. I’d have gone in my coffin.

Did I later have to crawl back to my hotel like a dying rat that just drank poison?

Also, yes.

But here’s why I found this whole thing interesting.

In science medicine, public health and epidemiology, we spend a lot of time trying to define things precisely. Yet every so often, you run into a phrase that everyone understands…even though no one seems to have officially defined it.

Maybe that’s okay.

Maybe not everything needs an operational definition.

Or maybe some researcher reading this is already working on the Explosive Diarrhea Severity Index.

If so, I’d genuinely love to read it or have you as a guest on Causes or Cures.

Until then, I think this falls into the category of:

“You just know.”

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Thanks for reading, ya’ll. Feel free to share this post or the video with anyone you know struggling with explosive diarrhea. They’ll love you for it.

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