Gastroenteritis
What is gastroenteritis?
Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (the pathway responsible for digestion that includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines). Gastroenteritis is also sometimes referred to as "stomach flu," even though it is not related to influenza.
What causes gastroenteritis?
Gastroenteritis can be caused by viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections. Viral Gastroenteritis is highly contagious and is responsible for the majority of outbreaks in developed countries. Common routes of infection include:
- Food (especially seafood)
- Contaminated water
- Contact with an infected person
- Unwashed hands
- Dirty utensils
What are the symptoms of gastroenteritis?
The main symptom of gastroenteritis is diarrhea. When the colon (large intestine) becomes infected during gastroenteritis, it loses its ability to retain fluids, which causes the person’s feces to become watery. Other symptoms include:
- Abdominal pain or cramping
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Poor feeding (in infants)
- Unintentional weight loss (may be a sign of dehydration)
- Excessive sweating
- Clammy skin
- Muscle pain or joint stiffness
- Incontinence (loss of stool control)
- Extreme thirst
- Urine that is darker in color
- Dry skin
- Dry mouth
- Sunken cheeks or eyes
- In infants, dry diapers (for more than 4-6 hours)
Because gastroenteritis is so similar to diarrhea, and because so many cases do not require hospitalization, it is difficult to determine how many cases of gastroenteritis occur per year. Worldwide, it is estimated that three to five billion cases of acute diarrhea (which can be caused by many other diseases besides gastroenteritis) occur per year, with about 100 million cases in the United States (roughly one to 2.5 cases of diarrhea per child). Gastroenteritis is estimated to cause about 5 to10 million deaths per year worldwide, and about 10,000 deaths per year in the United States.
Who is at risk for gastroenteritis?
Anyone can get the disease. People who are at a higher risk include:
- children in daycare
- students living in dormitories
- military personnel, and
- travelers
How is gastroenteritis treated?
The body can usually fight off the disease on its own. The most important factor when treating gastroenteritis is the replacement of fluids and electrolytes that are lost because of the diarrhea and vomiting. Foods that contain electrolytes and complex carbohydrates, such as potatoes, lean meats (e.g., chicken), and whole grains can help replace nutrients. You can also buy electrolyte and fluid replacement solutions at food and drug stores. Or, if hospitalization is required, the nutrients can be replaced intravenously (injected directly into the veins). Antibiotics will not be effective if the cause of gastroenteritis is a viral infection. Doctors usually do not recommend antidiarrheal medications (e.g., Loperamide) for gastroenteritis because they tend to prolong infection, especially in children.
How can gastroenteritis be prevented?
There are several steps that you can take to reduce your risk of getting gastroenteritis, including:
- Washing your hands frequently, especially after going to the bathroom and when you are working with food;
- Cleaning and disinfecting kitchen surfaces, especially when working with raw meat or eggs;
- Keeping raw meat, eggs, and poultry away from foods that are eaten raw
- Drinking bottled water and avoiding ice cubes when traveling
Credit: National Institute of Health.