Although most cases of acute gastroenteritis require minimal medical intervention, dehydration and hypoglycemia may develop in cases of prolonged vomiting and diarrhea. The mainstay of treatment for patients with mild-to-moderate dehydration with acute gastroenteritis is oral rehydration solution. Antiemetics allow for improved tolerance of oral rehydration solution, and, when used appropriately, can decrease the need for intravenous fluids and hospitalization. This course reviews the common etiologies of acute gastroenteritis, discusses more severe conditions that should be considered in the differential diagnosis, and provides evidence-based recommendations for management of acute gastroenteritis in pediatric patients presenting to urgent care.
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Following are the most informative references cited in this paper, as determined by the authors.
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Keywords: urgent care, gastroenteritis, acute gastroenteritis, AGE, dehydration, hypoglycemia, methemoglobinemia, dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, hypoglycemia, oral rehydration solution, nasogastric hydration, antiemetic, ondansetron, nasogastric tube, nasogastric hydration, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, zinc, norovirus, colitis, allergic colitis, Clostridioides difficile colitis, C diff colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, BRAT diet
Emily Montgomery, MD, MPHE, FAAP (Urgent Care Update Author); KeriAnne Brady, MD, FAAP (Original Author)
Michael Gorn, MD (Urgent Care Peer Reviewer); Landon A. Jones, MD, and Alexander Toledo, DO, PharmD, FAAEM, FAAP (Original Peer Reviewers)
April 15, 2022
April 15, 2025   CME Information
4 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, 4 AOA Category 2-A or 2-B Credits. Specialty CME Credits: Included as part of the 4 credits, this CME activity is eligible for 1 Pharmacology CME credit and 2 Infectious disease CME credits
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+4 Credits!