Find a network clinic. Gastroenteritis in Children The current season has presented several children to the office with vomiting and diarrheal illness needing intravenous fluid hydration.
Gastroenteritis is an infectious process of the gastrointestinal tract causing vomiting and diarrhea. Most people call this the "stomach flu" and it should not be confused with influenza virus that causes mainly respiratory infection. Cauxes virus, such as rotavirus or norovirus, causes pediatric gastroenteritis in most cases. Less commonly, the infective agent gastrenteritis bacterial, such as E. With the availability of rotavirus vaccine, norovirus is the most common cause of medically attended acute gastroenteritis in children less acute gastroenteritis causes 5 years of age. Usually a benign disease, acute gastroenteritis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality for children. The Centers of Disease Control estimates 1. Ninety-eight percent of those deaths occur acute gastroenteritis causes non-developed countries. In the United States, acute gastroenteritis accounts for 1. The infectious agent, likely viral, causes inflammation and damage to the superficial lining of the intestines leading to a malabsorptive process resulting in high particle diarrhea.
Toxins released by the infection can cause chloride ions to move into the intestinal space resulting in a secretory diarrhea.
Navigation menu
The clinical manifestations for a child may be as follows: diarrhea, vomiting, decreased urine output, abdominal pain, fever, rash or muscle pain. Signs of significant dehydration may be lethargy, sunken eyes, refusal to eat or drink, pinching of the skin that returns slowly, chapped lips and dry mouth.
The vast majority of children presenting to the office can be managed as an outpatient with minimal work up and oral rehydration. For children and infants showing signs of significant dehydration or pressing symptoms such as very high fever or blood in the stool or vomit, work up may be needed. This may include basic blood counts and electrolytes. Stool testing for rotavirus and norovirus antigens, C. As most cases are viral, medicinal treatments are not usually needed. Antibiotics and anti-diarrheal medication are seldom used and can make the acute gastroenteritis causes worse. Oral rehydration solutions are used for most infants Pedialyte.
Related Articles
Water is usually not recommended in children less than 1 year as this may drop achte sodium levels. In children of school age and teenagers, beverages such as PowerAde or Gatorade are a acute gastroenteritis causes alternative. Pedialyte tastes very salty, but the presence of sodium in the solution may aid the hydration process. Small sips of fluids every 5 to 15 minutes tends to be more tolerated than larger less frequent volumes.
Contact Information
Fluid goals per hour can be calculated based on weight and be given by a child's health care professional. For those who fail oral rehydration, hospitalization with intravenous fluids may be warranted. Diet for children recovering from infectious gastroenteritis should be bland and basic.
Care should be taken with foods high in simple sugars as the malabsorptive process can be present for some time after the acute illness is over. A probiotic may be useful in re-establishment of normal gut bacterial flora, which helps the body digest sugars.]
Ideal variant
The theme is interesting, I will take part in discussion. Together we can come to a right answer.
In my opinion here someone has gone in cycles