Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Complete Issue PDF
    • Archive
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Blog
  • Multimedia
    • Teaching Slides
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • CME/MOC
    • CME Quizzes
    • MOC Claiming
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Complete Issue PDF
    • Archive
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Blog
  • Multimedia
    • Teaching Slides
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • CME/MOC
    • CME Quizzes
    • MOC Claiming
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
American Academy of Pediatrics
Article

Acute Gastroenteritis

Deise Granado-Villar, Beatriz Cunill-De Sautu and Andrea Granados
Pediatrics in Review November 2012, 33 (11) 487-495; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.33-11-487
Deise Granado-Villar
*Chief Medical Officer, Senior Vice President for Medical & Academic Affairs, Miami Children's Hospital; Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Affiliate Dean for Miami Children's Hospital, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Beatriz Cunill-De Sautu
†Director, Pediatric Residency Program, Miami Children's Hospital; Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Andrea Granados
§Chief Resident, Miami Children's Hospital; currently Pediatric Endocrinology Fellow, University of Michigan.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments
  • Quiz
Loading

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Download PDF
  1. Deise Granado-Villar, MD, MPH*
  2. Beatriz Cunill-De Sautu, MD†
  3. Andrea Granados, MD§
  1. *Chief Medical Officer, Senior Vice President for Medical & Academic Affairs, Miami Children's Hospital; Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Affiliate Dean for Miami Children's Hospital, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University.
  2. †Director, Pediatric Residency Program, Miami Children's Hospital; Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University.
  3. §Chief Resident, Miami Children's Hospital; currently Pediatric Endocrinology Fellow, University of Michigan.
  • Author Disclosure

    Drs Granado-Villar, Cunill-De Sautu, and Granados have disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this article. This commentary does contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.

  • Abbreviations:
    CDC:
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    IV:
    intravenous
    K+:
    potassium
    Na+:
    sodium
    NG:
    nasogastric
    ORS:
    oral rehydration solution
    WHO:
    World Health Organization
  • Educational Gap

    In managing acute diarrhea in children, clinicians need to be aware that management based on “bowel rest” is outdated, and instead reinstitution of an appropriate diet has been associated with decreased stool volume and duration of diarrhea. In general, drug therapy is not indicated in managing diarrhea in children, although zinc supplementation and probiotic use show promise.

    Objectives

    After reading this article, readers should be able to:

    1. Recognize the electrolyte changes associated with isotonic dehydration.

    2. Effectively manage a child who has isotonic dehydration.

    3. Understand the importance of early feedings on the nutritional status of a child who has gastroenteritis.

    4. Fully understand that antidiarrheal agents are not indicated nor recommended in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis in children.

    5. Recognize the role of vomiting in the clinical presentation of acute gastroenteritis.

    Introduction

    Acute gastroenteritis is an extremely common illness among infants and children worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), acute diarrhea among children in the United States accounts for more than 1.5 million outpatient visits, 200,000 hospitalizations, and approximately 300 deaths per year. In developing countries, diarrhea is a common cause of mortality among children younger than age 5 years, with an estimated 2 million deaths each year. American children younger than 5 years have an average of two episodes of gastroenteritis per year, leading to 2 million to 3 million office visits and 10% of all pediatric hospital admissions. Furthermore, approximately one third of all hospitalizations for diarrhea in children younger than 5 years are due to rotavirus, with an associated direct cost of $250 million annually. (1)(2)

    Definitions

    Diarrhea is defined as the passage …

    Individual Login

    Log in
    You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.

    Institutional Login

    via Institution

    You may be able to gain access using your login credentials for your institution. Contact your librarian or administrator if you do not have a username and password.

    Log in through your institution

    If your organization uses OpenAthens, you can log in using your OpenAthens username and password. To check if your institution is supported, please see this list. Contact your library for more details.

    Pay Per Article - You may access this article (from the computer you are currently using) for 2 days for US$25.00

    Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article purchase if your access period has not yet expired.

    Offer Reprints

    PreviousNext
    Back to top

    Advertising Disclaimer »

    In this issue

    Pediatrics in Review: 33 (11)
    Pediatrics in Review
    Vol. 33, Issue 11
    1 Nov 2012
    • Table of Contents
    • Table of Contents (PDF)
    • About the Cover
    • Index by author
    View this article with LENS
    PreviousNext
    Email Article

    Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

    NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

    Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
    Acute Gastroenteritis
    (Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
    (Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
    CAPTCHA
    This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
    Request Permissions
    Article Alerts
    Log in
    You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.
    Or Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
    Citation Tools
    Acute Gastroenteritis
    Deise Granado-Villar, Beatriz Cunill-De Sautu, Andrea Granados
    Pediatrics in Review Nov 2012, 33 (11) 487-495; DOI: 10.1542/pir.33-11-487

    Citation Manager Formats

    • BibTeX
    • Bookends
    • EasyBib
    • EndNote (tagged)
    • EndNote 8 (xml)
    • Medlars
    • Mendeley
    • Papers
    • RefWorks Tagged
    • Ref Manager
    • RIS
    • Zotero
    Quiz
    Share
    Acute Gastroenteritis
    Deise Granado-Villar, Beatriz Cunill-De Sautu, Andrea Granados
    Pediatrics in Review Nov 2012, 33 (11) 487-495; DOI: 10.1542/pir.33-11-487
    del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
    Print
    Download PDF
    Insight Alerts
    • Table of Contents

    Jump to section

    • Article
      • Educational Gap
      • Objectives
      • Introduction
      • Definitions
      • Clinical Presentation
      • Assessment of Dehydration
      • Laboratory Evaluation
      • The Evolution of Oral Rehydration Solutions
      • Management
      • Minimal or No Dehydration
      • Mild to Moderate Dehydration
      • Severe Dehydration
      • Indications for Admission
      • Limitations of ORS Therapy
      • Pharmacologic Therapy
      • References
    • Figures & Data
    • Info & Metrics
    • Comments
    • Quiz

    Related Articles

    • PubMed
    • Google Scholar

    Cited By...

    • Detection of Acute Gastroenteritis Etiology in Hospitalized Young Children: Associated Factors and Outcomes
    • Google Scholar

    More in this TOC Section

    • Review of Scabies Infestation and Selected Common Cutaneous Infections
    • Pediatric Ingestions: New High-Risk Household Hazards
    • Iron Deficiency: Implications Before Anemia
    Show more Article

    Similar Articles

    Subjects

    • Infectious Disease
      • Infectious Disease
    • Gastroenterology
      • Gastroenterology
    • Journal Info
    • Editorial Board
    • ABP Content Specifications Map
    • Overview
    • Licensing Information
    • Authors
    • Author Guidelines
    • Submit My Manuscript
    • Librarians
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Usage Stats
    • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Resources
    • Media Kit
    • About
    • International Access
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Statement
    • FAQ
    • AAP.org
    • shopAAP
    • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Instagram
    • Visit American Academy of Pediatrics on Facebook
    • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Twitter
    • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Youtube
    American Academy of Pediatrics

    © 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics