VIRAL GASTROENTERITIS

Course overview

ACUTE INFECTIOUS GASTROENTERITIS IS A COMMON ILLNESS SEEN AROUND THE WORLD, AND MOST CASES ARE CAUSED BY VIRAL PATHOGENS. THE ACUTE DIARRHEAL DISEASE IS GENERALLY SELF-LIMITED. IN THE UNITED STATES, INFECTIOUS GASTROENTERITIS CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT MORBIDITY, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG OR ELDERLY PATIENTS, AND IN UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES, THESE DISEASES ARE A SIGNIFICANT CAUSE OF DEATH, ESPECIALLY IN INFANTS. ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, VIRAL GASTROENTERITIS INFECTIONS ACCOUNT FOR OVER 200,000 CHILDHOOD DEATHS PER YEAR WORLDWIDE. VIRAL GASTROENTERITIS COMMONLY CAUSES NAUSEA, VOMITING, DIARRHEA, ANOREXIA, WEIGHT LOSS, AND DEHYDRATION. ISOLATED CASES CAN OCCUR, BUT VIRAL GASTROENTERITIS MORE COMMONLY OCCURS IN OUTBREAKS WITHIN CLOSE COMMUNITIES SUCH AS DAYCARE CENTERS, NURSING FACILITIES, AND CRUISE SHIPS. THIS ACTIVITY EXAMINES WHEN THIS CONDITION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AND HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE IT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.