Final answer:
Patients with AIDS can experience various gastrointestinal symptoms including severe watery diarrhea, with or without fever, cramps, and weight loss. These symptoms are due to opportunistic infections facilitated by the weakened immune system. Infections such as EHEC can lead to life-threatening complications.
Step-by-step explanation:
Diarrhea in patients with AIDS can manifest in various forms due to the weakened immune system leading to opportunistic infections. The common symptoms during the final stage of HIV, known as AIDS, include chills, fever, sweats, swollen lymph glands, weakness, and weight loss. For patients with AIDS, gastrointestinal symptoms such as severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, cramps, and weight loss are prevalent. Additionally, immunocompromised patients may experience serious complications such as hematochezia (bloody diarrhea) or infections that lead to chronic diarrhea. Typically, the diarrhea is watery, and the presence of fever can range from low-grade to high, depending on the underlying cause. In the case of certain pathogens like EHEC (Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli), patients could develop life-threatening complications such as the hematolytic uremic syndrome.