Gastro

Question 1

Name 3 symptoms of infectious gastroenteritis

Answer 1

Diarrhoea +/- vomiting, crampy abdo pain

Question 2

Name 4 Ddx of gastro and signs/tests to distinguish them

Answer 2

UTI - urinanlysis, MSU MCS
Appendicitis - anorexia, more vomiting than diarrhoea, pattern of pain, U/S
Other surgical causes of acute abdo (pyloric stenosis, malrotation, intussusception)
Malabsorption (coeliac, IBD)

Question 3

Name 3 common causes of viral and bacterial gastro

Answer 3

Viral - Rotavirus, Norovirus, Adenovirus

Bacterial - Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter

Question 4

Name 4 features that make you more suspicious that the gastro is bacterial not viral. What test can you order if you’re sufficiently suspicious of bacterial gastro?

Answer 4

Abdominal pain
Blood/mucus in faeces
Fever/signs of sepsis
Travel Hx
Protracted diarrhoea (> 7 days)

Order stool microbiological investigations

Question 5

What is the usual management of mild-moderate gastro? More severe gastro?

Answer 5

Supportive therapy - oral rehydration (gastrolyte), early feeding once rehydrated. If more severe and can’t tolerate oral feeds, then NG rehydration (then IV if even more severe)