Gastroenteritis

Question 1

Definition of traveller’s diarhoea

Answer 1

• at least 3 loose to watery stools in 24 hours
  + one or more of:
• abdominal cramps
• fever
• nausea/vomiting
• blood in the stool

Question 2

Commonest organism causing travellers diarrhoea

Answer 2

E-Coli

Question 3

What is “acute food poisoning” ?

Answer 3

sudden onset nausea/ vomiting/ diarrhoea
after the ingestion of a toxin

Question 4

What organisms commonly cause acute food poisoning

Answer 4

Staphylococcus aureus
Bacillus cereus
Clostridium perfringens.

Question 5

Common amongst travellers
Watery stools
Abdominal cramps and nausea

Answer 5

E-coli

Question 6

Prolonged, non-bloody diarrhoea

Answer 6

Giardiasis

Question 7

Profuse, watery diarrhoea
Severe dehydration resulting in weight loss
Not common amongst travellers

Answer 7

Cholera

Question 8

Bloody diarrhoea
Vomiting and abdominal pain

Answer 8

Shigella

Question 9

Severe vomiting
Short incubation period

Answer 9

Staph. Aureus

Question 10

Flu-like prodrome
crampy abdo pain (mimic appendicitis)
fever
diarrhoea +/- blood
Complications include Guillain-Barre syndrome

Answer 10

Campylobacter

Question 11

Either:
1) vomiting within 6 hours, stereotypically due to rice

2) diarrhoeal illness occurring after 6 hours

Answer 11

Bacillus Cereus

Question 12

Gradual onset bloody diarrhoea
abdominal pain and tenderness which may last for several weeks

Answer 12

Amoebiasis

Question 13

1-6hr incubation period

Answer 13

Staphylococcus aureus
Bacillus cereus

Question 14

12-48hr incubation period

Answer 14

Salmonella
Escherichia coli

Question 15

48-72hr incubation period

Answer 15

Shigella
Campylobacter

Question 16

> 7day incubation period

Answer 16

Giardiasis
Amoebiasis