Vomiting and diarrhea

This page is reference information compiled from the cited sources. It is not medical advice. For any decision about health, diagnosis or care, consult a qualified professional.

What it is

Gastroenteritis, also known as infectious diarrhea, is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract including the stomach and intestine. This condition involves both diarrhea and vomiting, though sometimes only one or the other is present. The inflammation may be accompanied by abdominal cramps. Signs and symptoms usually begin 12 to 72 hours after contracting the infectious agent. If due to a virus, the condition usually resolves within one week.

Key facts

Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, and fever, lack of energy, and dehydration may also occur. This typically lasts less than two weeks. In children, rotavirus is the most common cause of severe disease, while in adults, norovirus and Campylobacter are common causes. Viruses cause about 70 percent of episodes of infectious diarrhea in the pediatric age group. Transmission can occur from eating improperly prepared food, drinking contaminated water, having close contact with an infected person, or from drinking contaminated water. Dehydration is a common complication of diarrhea, and severe dehydration in children may be recognized by signs like prolonged capillary refill, poor skin turgor, and abnormal breathing. In 2021, there were 4.67 billion cases of gastroenteritis, resulting in 1.17 million deaths globally, with children and those in the developing world affected the most.

When to seek professional help

The source text associates professional care with severe cases requiring intravenous fluids or fluids given by a nasogastric tube. It associates professional evaluation with cases where the stool is bloody, as this makes a bacterial cause more likely. The source indicates that antibiotics are recommended for young children with a fever and bloody diarrhea, which implies a scenario for medical treatment. Professional management is also indicated for severe dehydration in children, recognized by signs such as prolonged capillary refill and poor skin turgor. Furthermore, the source notes that certain complications like Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which causes low platelet counts and poor kidney function, may occur and would require medical attention.

Source: Gastroenteritis (CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikipedia)), retrieved 2026-08-27.