Circulating agents cause intestinal secretion or changes in motility with decreased intestinal
transit time, resulting in secretory-type diarrhea. Secretory diarrhea as opposed to osmotic
diarrhea is characterized by large-volume, watery stools, often more than 1 L per day; by
persistence of diarrhea when patients fast; and by the fact that on analysis of stool-water,
measured osmolarity is identical to that calculated from the electrolytes present. Although
sodium plays the main role in water and electrolyte absorption, chloride is the major ion …