Pediatric Gastroenteritis: New Guidelines to Facilitate Effective Management
Posted by Jacqueline Colclough
Although often considered a benign disease, acute gastroenteritis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children around the world, accounting for 1.8 million deaths annually in children younger than 5 years, or roughly 17% of all child deaths. Because the severity of the disease can widely vary depending on hydration status, which is greatly impacted by diarrhea and vomiting, accurately assessing and treating dehydration in children presenting with acute gastroenteritis remain a critical skill for every physician. Fortunately, most cases of dehydration in children can be accurately diagnosed by a careful clinical examination and treated with simple, non-invasive measures.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health have recently published clinical guidelines on evaluating and treating diarrhea and vomiting caused by gastroenteritis in children under the age of five. The guidelines provide pediatric health care practitioners with uniform advice on matters such as fluid intake, nutritional management and preventing and managing dehydration. They also provide recommendations on advice to be given to parents and caregivers, such as when a higher level of care should be sought for treatment of gastroenteritis.
For more information about these guidelines, please see the NICE website.
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