Patient's question:
The baby is 5 months old and has been breastfeeding. They have developed viral diarrhea, which has also infected me. I would like to ask what medication to use, how to treat it, and whether I need to stop breastfeeding the child.Doctor's answer:
Viral diarrhea refers to diarrhea caused by viral pathogens infecting the intestines. Common viral pathogens include rotavirus, adenovirus, astrovirus, norovirus, and calicivirus. Currently, the primary viral pathogens detected in China are rotavirus.When infants and young children are infected with rotavirus, the onset is abrupt, and the clinical manifestations are relatively severe, mainly including symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea (watery or curd-like stool, without pus or blood), and dehydration. In adults infected with rotavirus, the onset is also abrupt, with diarrhea being the main symptom (primarily watery stools, with more than 5–10 episodes per day in severe cases, resembling cholera), accompanied by symptoms such as abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and nausea. Most adult patients do not develop fever.
Currently, there is no effective specific treatment for viral diarrhea, and only symptomatic and supportive care can be provided. Dehydration is the leading cause of death in viral gastroenteritis, so for severe cases, especially infants and the elderly, timely intravenous fluid administration should be given to correct fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base imbalances, or the World Health Organization-recommended oral rehydration salts can be used orally. Additionally, during treatment, it is important to avoid the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, as antibiotics are ineffective against viral pathogens. Prolonged antibiotic use can also lead to adverse consequences such as dysbacteriosis diarrhea.
In daily care for patients, attention should primarily be paid to dietary hygiene, including consuming fresh, easily digestible, and calcium-rich foods, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding high-fat and cold foods. At the same time, patients should be kept warm and should minimize visits to crowded public places.
The main transmission route for viral diarrhea is the "fecal-oral" route.