It is an inflammation of the lining or mucosa of the intestine caused by an infection.
It is usually caused by a virus (norovirus, rotavirus, adenovirus and astrovirus) but can also be bacterial (salmonella, vibrio coli and E. coli) or parasitic. It is contracted after consuming contaminated water or food.
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, general malaise, fever and chills. It is considered "severe" if there is high fever, snot or blood in the stools, hypotension, low level of consciousness and/or the patient has another underlying disease that can be decompensated by gastroenteritis.
The diagnosis is made by interview and physical examination; it may be necessary to carry out blood and stool tests to determine the severity of the illness and the causative agent.
It is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment, with hospitalisation being necessary in the majority of cases. Treatment is aimed at eliminating the cause and ensuring proper hydration.
- Neil R Blacklow. Epidemiology and pathogenesis of viral gastroenteritis in adults. UpToDate. Feb 04, 2016.
- Blacklow NR, Greenberg HB. Viral gastroenteritis. N Engl J Med 1991; 325:252.
- Musher DM, Musher BL. Contagious acute gastrointestinal infections. N Engl J Med 2004; 351:2417.
- Umesh D. Parashar, Roger I. Glass. Gastroenteritis vírica. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna. 16ª Edición. Volumen I. 1265:1269.
