Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Viral gastroenteritis

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Rotavirus infection; Norwalk virus; Gastroenteritis - viral; Stomach flu


Symptoms
  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Other symptoms may include:

  • Chills
  • Clammy skin
  • Excessive sweating
  • Fever
  • Joint stiffness
  • Leakage (incontinence) of stool
  • Muscle pain
  • Poor feeding
  • Vomiting blood (very rare)
  • Weight loss

Signs and tests

Your health care provider will look for signs that the body does not have enough water (dehydration). These include:

  • Dry or sticky mouth
  • Lethargic or comatose (severe dehydration)
  • Low blood pressure
  • Low or no urine output; concentrated urine appears dark yellow
  • Markedly sunken soft spots (fontanelles) on the top of an infant's head
  • No tears
  • Sunken eyes

Tests that examine stool samples may be used to identify the specific virus. This is usually not needed for viral gastroenteritis. A stool culture may be done to identify a bacterial cause for diarrhea.



Review Date: 04/12/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Divison of Physician Assistant STudies, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)