How to Diagnose Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis often cures itself after running its limited course of three days to one week. Most patients do not seek professional medical help. While there aren’t any specific screening tests to diagnose gastroenteritis, the infection is often identified by the following gastroenteritis symptoms:

• Abdominal pain and cramps due to irritation of the stomach lining.
• Watery diarrhea and vomiting
• Dehydration and mild chills
• Decreased production of urine, tears, or sweat from acute dehydration

Doctors can use a recent travel history and queries regarding recent consumption of food and to diagnose gastroenteritis. In certain cases, a test for rotavirus is performed to determine the causative agent of gastroenteritis. The stool is tested using rapid antigen detection to rule out bacterial infection and parasites. In special cases when there is fear of an outbreak, specific blood and stool tests are conducted to identify the particular strain of virus or bacteria involved.

For more information on gastroenteritis, see below:

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