Broad term, but is usually used to refer to an infective illness which causes diarrhoea, vomiting and often abdominal pain
Aetiology
Risk factors
Poor sanitation/personal hygiene
Immunosuppression e.g. aids
Poor food preparation - infection may arise from poorly cooked food, cooked food that has been left too long at room temperature or from uncooked food such as shellfish
Age - <5 not breastfeeding, older age
Malnutrition
Closed communities
Acid suppression
Pathophysiology
Viral gastroenteritis
Incubation period for viruses is usually about a day
Adenovirus
Enterovirus
Norovirus: highly infectious, explosive D+V, oral-droplet spread with short incubation (< 24h), associated with cruise ships
Rotavirus: commonest cause of D+V in children <3 years, self-limiting, associated with fever, associated with cruise ships
Bacterial gastroenteritis
Incubation period for bacteria is usually a few hours to four days