Enteritis

Causes and Risks:
Enteritis is usually caused by eating or drinking substances contaminated with bacteria or viruses. The organism settles in the small intestine and causes inflammation and swelling which can cause abdominal pain , cramping, diarrhea , fever , and dehydration .

The symptoms can begin as soon as 4 hours or as late as 72 hours after exposure. Mild cases usually need no treatment. The diarrhea can cause rapid and extreme dehydration in babies.

Risk factors include recent family illness with intestinal symptoms, recent travel, or exposure to untreated or contaminated water. The incidence is 3 out of 10,000 people.

Types of enteritis include:



Prevention:

  • Always wash hands after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food or drink.
  • Avoid drinking from unknown sources, such as outside wells and streams, without boiling the water first.
  • Use only clean utensils for eating or handling foods, especially when handling eggs and poultry.
  • Cook food completely and properly.
  • Store food appropriately in coolers.



Symptoms:



Signs and Tests:
A stool culture may grow the infecting organism. A stool sample may reveal specific toxins .

Treatment:
Symptoms usually resolve in 1 to 3 days without treatment.

Antidiarrheal medication may delay the elimination of the organism from the digestive tract, and therefore may not be recommended. Rehydration with electrolyte solutions may be necessary if dehydration from diarrhea occurs.

People with diarrhea (especially in young children) who are unable to take oral fluids because of nausea may need medical attention and intravenous fluids.

People taking diuretics need to be cautious with diarrhea, and may need to stop taking the diuretic during the acute episode, as directed by the health care provider.

Prognosis:
The illness usually runs its course without treatment in a few days.

Complications:



Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if diarrhea does not resolve in 3 to 4 days or blood in stools is noted.

Call your health care provider if symptoms of dehydration develop, or if other new symptoms develop.


The causative agent of typhoid fever is the bacterium Salmonella typhi. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



This picture shows the organism Yersinia enterocolitica. Yersinia organisms cause a wide range of disease but are most often associated with diarrhea or gastrointestinal symptoms. Yersinia infection is appearing with increased frequency in immunocompromised individuals. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



Campylobacter jejuni infection causes gastritis, gastric ulcers, and diarrhea. It is being recognized with increased frequency. This is what Campylobacter organisms look like through a microscope. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



Clostridium difficile is a bacterium commonly found in the intestinal tract but which, under the right circumstances such as after or during antibiotics therapy, can be the cause of enterocolitis. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



This illustration shows the major organs of the digestive system. Their relative sizes and positioning in the body are also demonstrated.