ACUTE GASTROENTERITIS

Introduction: Gastroenteritis is defined as the presence of an inflammation in the stomach, small intestines, and/or large intestine, causing the development of a combination of abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Acute gastroenteritis often lasts less than fourteen days. This is considered to be the contrast of persistent gastroenteritis, that lasts between fourteen and thirty days, and chronic gastroenteritis, that lasts longer than thirty days. Aim of work: In this review, we will discuss acute gastroenteritis. Methodology: We conducted this review using a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE, January 1985, through February 2017. The following search terms were used: Acute gastroenteritis, causes, presentation, management, emergent management of acute gastroenteritis Conclusions: Acute gastroenteritis is considered to be a relatively common infectious syndrome, that is associated with the development of a combination of vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Contact precautions, public health education, and prudent use of antibiotics are still necessary goals. Complicating these efforts are that there is increasing antibiotic resistance to C difficile and a new strain, NAP1/027/III, has been emerging since the early 2000s. This new strain has a high association with community onset and has been linked to increasing frequency and severity of illness. There is research into the possibility that the community onset may be related to animals and to retail meat, where the new strain has been detected. Preventing dehydration or providing appropriate rehydration is the primary supportive treatment of acute gastroenteritis Key words: Acute gastroenteritis, causes, presentation, management