What is the duration of gastroenteritis in a child?

From the Guidelines

Gastroenteritis in children typically lasts less than 7 days, with most cases being acute watery diarrhea that resolves on its own. According to the 2017 Infectious Diseases Society of America clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of infectious diarrhea 1, acute watery diarrhea, which includes cholera, and acute bloody diarrhea, which includes dysentery, lasts less than 7 days. The guidelines also categorize diarrhea into different durations, including prolonged diarrhea that lasts 7-13 days, persistent diarrhea that lasts 14-29 days, and chronic diarrhea that lasts 30 days or longer. However, for children, the typical duration of gastroenteritis is less than 7 days.

Key Considerations

• The mainstay of treatment is preventing dehydration through oral rehydration solutions, such as Pedialyte, given in small frequent sips 1.
• Breastfeeding or formula should be continued for infants, and a normal diet can be gradually reintroduced for older children once vomiting subsides.
• Medication is generally not recommended for viral gastroenteritis, which causes most cases.
• It is essential to seek medical attention if the child shows signs of dehydration, has bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, high fever above 102°F (39°C), or if symptoms persist beyond 7 days 1.

Prevention

• Good hand hygiene and proper food handling can help prevent the spread of gastroenteritis to other family members 1.
• Avoiding high-risk foods, such as undercooked meat and seafood, unpasteurized milk, and soft cheese made with unpasteurized milk, can also reduce the risk of gastroenteritis.
• The use of rotavirus vaccine in infants has been shown to reduce the burden of acute gastroenteritis 1.

Important Notes

• Dehydration can develop quickly in young children due to their higher metabolic rate and smaller fluid reserves compared to adults.
• The 2017 IDSA guidelines emphasize the importance of appropriate use of antimicrobial agents and antimotility drugs to avoid increasing resistance and worsening illness 1.

From the Research

Duration of Gastroenteritis in Children

The duration of gastroenteritis in children is not explicitly stated in the provided studies. However, the following information can be gathered:

• The management of acute gastroenteritis in children typically involves oral rehydration therapy, which can last for several hours to a few days 2, 3, 4, 5.
• The studies suggest that most children with mild to moderate dehydration can be treated successfully with oral rehydration therapy, and the duration of treatment can vary depending on the severity of dehydration 3, 4.
• Some studies mention that early refeeding, i.e., resumption of normal diet, can be done after 4 hours of rehydration in most children 2, but this does not necessarily indicate the duration of the illness.
• The duration of gastroenteritis can vary depending on the cause, severity, and individual response to treatment, but the provided studies do not offer a specific timeframe for the duration of the illness.

Key Points

• Oral rehydration therapy is the mainstay of treatment for mild to moderate dehydration in children with gastroenteritis 2, 3, 4, 5.
• The severity of dehydration can be assessed through physical examination and laboratory tests, but no single laboratory value can accurately predict the degree of dehydration 4.
• Antiemetic medications, such as ondansetron, may be effective in decreasing the rate of vomiting and improving the success rate of oral hydration in children with gastroenteritis 4.