Gastroenteritis - Viral Disease Summary

Overview

Acute gastroenteritis is a diarrheal disease of rapid onset, with increased stool frequency (≥3 within 24 hours), loose stool consistency with or without fever, vomiting, or abdominal pain, and with the diarrhea lasting for ≤14 days, as stated in the Introduction section.  

Globally, this causes approximately 1.7 billion cases of childhood diarrheal disease annually, most commonly caused by acute viral gastroenteritis. A detailed discussion about the prevalence of acute gastroenteritis is in the Epidemiology section.

Viruses are one of the common causes of acute gastroenteritis. Discussion on these pathogens is in the Etiology section.

The Pathophysiology section states that the clinical manifestation of viral gastroenteritis is due to the effects the viruses and their cytotoxins have on the enterocytes of the intestines. The development process of acute viral gastroenteritis in infected patients is in this section.

Gastroenteritis - Viral_Disease Summary

History and Physical Examination

The Clinical Presentation section describes the clinical features suggestive of gastroenteritis.

The importance of a detailed clinical history and a thorough examination for dehydration assessment in acute gastroenteritis is explained in the History and Physical Examination sections.

The Screening section discusses the different levels of dehydration status in acute gastroenteritis.

Diagnosis

Discussion on laboratory examinations such as stool culture, complete blood count (CBC), blood culture, serological assays, and blood chemistries in the evaluation of patients with acute gastroenteritis is in the Laboratory Tests and Ancillaries section.

Other diseases that should be ruled out in the diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis are listed in the Differential Diagnosis section.

Management

Patients should be assessed for severe clinical manifestations of acute gastroenteritis that would warrant urgent management or hospitalization. These are enumerated in the Evaluation section.

The goals of therapy in the management of acute gastroenteritis are in the Principles of Therapy section.

The Pharmacological Therapy section discusses in detail the symptomatic therapy, such as oral rehydration solution, intravenous (IV) fluids and adjunctive therapy, in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis.

The Nonpharmacological section includes maintaining hydration, dietary therapy and things to educate the patient in the management of acute gastroenteritis. 

The Prevention section discusses the use of safe and effective vaccines in the prevention of most cases of viral gastroenteritis.

The Complications section details the complications encountered by patients diagnosed with viral gastroenteritis.