Learn about acute gastroenteritis

Acute gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the intestinal lining caused by infection with viruses and bacteria. The disease is usually spread through contact with infected people and contaminated food and water sources. Acute gastroenteritis can lead to dangerous complications such as cerebral edema, coma... if not handled promptly.

Acute gastroenteritis is an inflammatory lesion of the inner lining of the stomach and small intestine, colon. Most cases of acute gastroenteritis are caused by infection. However, there are still a few cases of acute gastroenteritis occurring after ingestion or ingestion of a toxic chemical (ingestion of a metal, a potentially pathogenic substance).
Acute gastritis caused by an infection (bacterial or viral) that can be transmitted to others through food, water, or person-to-person transmission. Unlike common acute gastritis, gastroenteritis is accompanied by damage to the intestinal mucosa, so the patient may have loose stools or even blood in the urine.
Diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis is based on clinical manifestations or using stool culture. Besides, PCR techniques and immunoassays are increasingly being used in disease diagnosis.
Acute gastroenteritis often causes a lot of discomfort to the patient, but most of the disease is self-limiting. Dehydration is not usually too serious for healthy adults. However, acute gastroenteritis can be serious in young children, the elderly or in immunocompromised patients who have serious comorbidities.

Of the causes leading to acute gastroenteritis, viruses are the most common causative agents. In which, the most common in adults are 2 viruses, norovirus and adenovirus. In addition, some other viruses can also cause gastroenteritis.
Next are bacteria, which directly attack the mucosa and cause acute gastroenteritis. Common types of bacteria include Campylobacter, Shigella, Clostridium difficile, salmonella, and E. coli. In addition, some other bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus aureus) secrete toxins and cause gastroenteritis symptoms, and this is also a common cause of food poisoning cases.
Another group of microorganisms mentioned as a cause of acute gastroenteritis is parasites and protozoa such as Giardia infection, Cryptosporidium ... High risk factors for parasite infection Intestinal parasites include using contaminated domestic water, bathing in public swimming pools... Other non-infectious causes include:
Gastroenteritis due to chemical toxins, often associated with seafood; Gastroenteritis caused by allergies to foods, antibiotics, and certain other medications.

Although commonly referred to as stomach flu, acute gastroenteritis does not have flu symptoms. Influenza is a disease that mostly affects only the respiratory organs, while gastroenteritis mainly has symptoms of the digestive system such as:
Diarrhea, loose stools, possibly accompanied by bloody sputum; Cramps, abdominal pain; Nausea, vomiting; Headache, dizziness, fatigue, weakness; Mild fever. Symptoms of acute gastroenteritis usually begin 1 to 2 days after the body is exposed to the causative agent. These symptoms can last for at least 1 week and sometimes longer.
Gastroenteritis often causes patients to vomit and have a lot of loose stools, so it is easy to fall into a state of dehydration quickly. Therefore, a very important note is that the patient needs to detect signs of dehydration for timely intervention. Signs of dehydration to watch out for:
Feeling of intense thirst; Dark urine, sometimes urinating little or no urine for about 8 hours; Dry skin, dry mouth and cracked mouth; High body temperature; Dizzy; Sunken eyes, sunken cheeks; Diapers are always dry in babies (for more than 4-6 hours). Dehydration due to acute gastroenteritis can lead to dangerous complications such as cerebral edema, coma, hypovolemic shock, kidney failure, seizures, and convulsions. Therefore, it is necessary to take the patient to emergency medical facilities when there are the following signs:
Diarrhea lasts for at least 3 days but still does not tend to get better; Diarrhea, bloody stools; Presence of signs of dehydration; Unusual drowsiness, sometimes lethargy; High fever, body temperature > 38 degrees Celsius; Abdominal pain.

Treatment for acute gastroenteritis starts with home remedies that help keep the person from becoming dehydrated. The patient needs to drink more fluids than usual (water, juice and soup...) to prevent dehydration and replace fluids lost due to vomiting and diarrhea. You can use rehydration drinks bought from the pharmacy when there are signs of dehydration such as dry mouth or dark urine; If the patient is severely dehydrated, at this time it is necessary to quickly bring the patient to medical facilities for intravenous fluids to promptly replenish the lost water. Antibiotics may be prescribed to treat some bacterial infections; Antiemetics: treatment of nausea and vomiting; Antidiarrheal medications (reducing the frequency and amount of diarrhea) may be recommended, but should be considered depending on the cause of the diarrhea; Use paracetamol for fever or aches; Take plenty of time to rest. In summary, acute gastroenteritis needs to be treated early to avoid unwanted health risks.