Gastroenteritis

It seemed that after the storm was going to get calm … flu swept all bronchiolitis and other viruses place to stay practically alone, emergency room crowded with children and families with high fever and pain throughout the body for days, pediatricians to collapse … to suddenly disappear, leaving practically new flowery landscape of various viruses …

Between laryngitis, colds and respiratory various infections, gastroenteritis resurface as flowers any time. 

• Children with diarrhea and vomiting with accompanying respiratory symptoms (cough and mucus), abdominal pain cramping and fever …
• Children who are annoyed, decayed and unwell … because diarrhea causes them to lose water and minerals that their body needs.
• Children who have poor appetite because they gut hurts
• Children who vomit what they eat

And little we can do for them … unless avoid dehydration, offer fluids, water and oral rehydration solutions, and a normal diet without forcing them to eat. Only occasionally can be useful to use antipyretics to reduce fever and improve the general condition ,  probiotics or «good» bacteria that balance the intestinal flora and only rarely will be indicated antibiotics.

It is important to monitor the symptoms of dehydration especially in younger chidren (good general condition, active, mucous membranes moist, urinate normally …) and prevent infection by washing hands with water and soap for children and their caregivers.

It is important to Know that there are vaccines recommended by the AEP and the AAP, among others, against one of these viruses the «rotavirus» a very common cause of gastroenteritis that motivates a large number of hospital admissions for dehydration.

In the case of high fever, repeated vomiting or signs of dehydration, very young infants or prolonged diarrhea or bloody, it will need to be reviewed by the pediatrician.