Patient's question:
Rapid breathing, frequent and large bowel movements resembling egg soup. The illness occurred 2 days ago in December. Past treatment and its effectiveness: Treated for 2 days. What kind of assistance is needed: Hello, how should it be treated!...Doctor's answer:
In summer, infants and young children are highly susceptible to a recurring acute gastrointestinal disease characterized by nausea, vomiting, retching, fever, and abdominal pain. This illness is caused by a viral infection and is also known as rotavirus gastroenteritis due to the wheel-like shape of the virus. These viruses are highly resistant and primarily spread through the fecal-oral route. The virus can adapt within the intestinal villus cells of the human body, causing damage to the intestinal mucosa and interfering with absorption and digestion functions. Infants and young children have weak gastrointestinal function, especially those aged 6 to 24 months. If they are infected with rotavirus through food and utensils, symptoms can appear within 1 to 2 days. The illness is often accompanied by fever symptoms such as high fever, cough, sore throat, and runny nose, along with lethargy and poor appetite. Subsequently, nausea and vomiting may recur, with 5 to 6 episodes daily, sometimes up to 10 to 20 times. The stool appears like egg drop soup or watery, with a sour odor. Due to its low bile content, the stool is lighter in color, hence it is also referred to as "white vomiting." The patient often experiences retching and abdominal pain. Due to the significant loss of fluids and electrolytes from vomiting, the child may suffer from dehydration and acidosis. This disease is not effectively treated with antibiotics and should be managed with adequate fluid replacement and traditional Chinese medicine. Effective remedies include Huang Gen Huang Lian Decoction or 20 grams of Qing Hao, taken once daily in two divided doses. The child should also be given sufficient baking soda, salt, and glucose water. Dietary restrictions should be imposed, with severe cases requiring fasting for 6 to 12 hours, followed by a gradual increase in food intake from small to large, and from liquid to solid. Prevention measures for rotavirus in summer include maintaining good hygiene for infant feeding, sterilizing used bottles and nipples with boiling water, washing adults' hands before feeding children, and ensuring children wash their hands before meals. Avoid consuming unclean or spoiled food.The above suggestions are for the issue of "severe rotavirus gastroenteritis in children." I hope this is helpful to you. Wishing you good health!