Paul Scavella

Objective Number 10 concerning Enterocolitis and Gastroenteritis

Enterocoliti
s

Gastroenter
itis

Symptoms
Fever, Abdominal
Swelling, Nausea,
Vomiting, Diarrhea,
Rectal bleeding,
Sluggishness
Fever, Nausea, Mildto-moderate diarrhea,
Crampy painful
bloating, Vomiting,
blood in vomit or
stool, Dehydration

Types
Bacterial,
Viral,
Fungal,
Parasitic
Bacterial,
Viral,
Parasitic,
food
allergies
or food
poisoning

Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the lining of the intestines caused

by a virus, bacteria or parasites. Viral gastroenteritis is the second
most common illness in the U.S. It spreads through contaminated food
or water, and contact with an infected person. The best prevention is
frequent hand washing.
Symptoms of gastroenteritis include diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, fever
and chills. Most people recover with no treatment.
The most common problem with gastroenteritis is dehydration. This happens if you do
not drink enough fluids to replace what you lose through vomiting and diarrhea.
Dehydration is most common in babies, young children, the elderly and people with weak
immune systems.
Gastroenteritis has many causes. Viruses and bacteria are the most common.
The infectious agents can come from outside your body or internally from some
abnormal condition. For example, both normal and disease-causing intestinal bacteria
may grow when antacids or other medication alter the stomach acidity.
Viruses and bacteria are very contagious and can spread through contaminated food or
water. In up to 50% of diarrheal outbreaks, no specific agent is found. Improper hand
washing following a bowel movement or handling a diaper can spread the disease from
person to person.
Gastroenteritis caused by viruses may last 1-2 days. On the other hand, bacterial cases
can last a week or more.

Bacteria: These are the most common bacterial causes:

o

Escherichia coli - Travelers diarrhea, food poisoning, dysentery, colitis,

or uremic syndrome

Salmonella Typhoid fever; handling poultry or reptiles such as turtles

that carry the germs

Campylobacter - Undercooked meat, unpasteurized milk

Shigella - Dysentery

Viruses: Viral outbreaks (30-40% of cases in children) can spread rapidly through
close contact among children in day care and schools. Poor handwashing habits
can spread viruses. Common viral causes include the following:
o

Adenoviruses

Rotaviruses

Caliciviruses

Astroviruses

Norovirus (formerly called Norwalk-like virus or NLV) and Norwalk virus

Norovirus was attributed to 9 out of the 21 outbreaks of acute

gastroenteritis on cruise ships reported to the CDCs Vessel
Sanitation Program from January 1, 2002, to December 2, 2002.

Noroviruses cause about 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis

each year and are the leading cause of outbreaks.

Parasites and protozoans: These tiny organisms are less frequently responsible for
intestinal irritation. You may pick up one of these by drinking contaminated water.
Swimming pools are common places to come in contact with these parasites.
Common parasites include these:
o

Giardia - The most frequent cause of waterborne diarrhea causing

giardiasis

Cryptosporidium - Affects mostly people with weakened immune systems,

causes watery diarrhea

Other common causes: Chemical toxins most often found in seafood, food
allergies, heavy metals, antibiotics, and other medications also may be responsible
for bouts of gastroenteritis that are not infectious to others.
o

Medications

Aspirin

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (such as Motrin or

Advil)

Antibiotics

Caffeine

Steroids - Excessive use or a sudden change in frequency or

dosage

Laxatives

Inability to tolerate the sugar lactose in milk and milk products such as
cheese and ice cream

Exposure to heavy metals sometimes present in drinking water

Arsenic

Lead

Mercury

Gastroenteritis may affect both the stomach and the intestines, resulting in one or more of
the following symptoms:

Common symptoms
o

Low grade fever (99F)

Nausea with or without vomiting

Mild-to-moderate diarrhea: May range from 2-4 loose stools per day for
adolescents and adults to stools that run out of the diaper in infants.

Crampy, painful bloating

Vomiting: May or may not accompany diarrhea. If you do vomit, your

dehydration rate will increase. Either together or alone, diarrhea and
vomiting result not only in loss of significant amounts of fluid, leading to
dehydration and possibly shock, but also loss of potassium, sodium, and
bicarbonate.

More serious symptoms

o

Blood in vomit or stool

Vomiting more than 48 hours

Fever higher than 101F

Swollen abdomen or abdominal pain coming from the right lower side

Dehydration - Little to no urination, extreme thirst, lack of tears, and dry

mouth (dry diapers in infants)

Enterocolitis
Inflammation of the large and small intestines. Enteritis specifically
refers to an inflammation of the small intestine and colitis specifically
refers to inflammation of the large intestine. One of the possible
causes of the inflammation is antibiotic use.
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Enterocolitis includes
the 7 symptoms listed below:

Fever
Abdominal swelling
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Rectal bleeding

Sluggishness

Note that Enterocolitis symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient,
but the phrase Enterocolitis signs may refer to those signs only noticeable by a doctor.

Mediation/Drugs
o Sulfasalazine
Is a pain killer which works mainly by stopping prostaglandin
synthesis.
o Antibiotics
Tylosin
o Glucocorticoids

Efficacy of these drugs are related to their anti-inflammatory and

immunosuppressive
Electrolyte solution
Replaces electrolytes and fluids that may have been lost during
vomiting and diarrhea.