Patient's question:
Given the current season's prevalence of viral gastroenteritis (commonly known as autumnal diarrhea), the child is 6 months old and primarily presents with watery stools, green in color with curd-like material, 6-10 times per day, accompanied by vomiting 1-2 times per day. No fever, normal urination, and no significant signs of dehydration. After being administered 1/3 bag of "Smecta," 50mg of "Virazole" three times daily orally, and 0.5g of "Momily" twice daily orally for four consecutive days with no significant improvement, please provide the experts with a detailed treatment plan. Thank you!!!!!!Doctor's answer:
Hello: "Autumnal gastroenteritis" is most common in infants and young children under 2 years old. The incidence rate is highest from September to December each year, with acute onset and often accompanied by symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. The main manifestations include vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. The stool frequency is frequent, appearing as yellow-green, watery, and easy to cause dehydration and acidosis. Therefore, the key to treating this condition is to provide the child with sufficient fluids from the onset of diarrhea to prevent or promptly correct dehydration.Currently, the widely used Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) are most suitable for fluid replacement during diarrhea. The method can be adjusted based on the severity of dehydration. In the first 4 to 6 hours, for mild dehydration, 50 to 60 milliliters per kilogram of body weight should be administered orally; for moderate dehydration, 80 to 100 milliliters per kilogram of body weight should be given. The fluid should be taken in small, frequent doses, 10 to 20 milliliters at a time. If vomiting occurs, the dosage can still be reduced and continued. If the child vomits persistently or has severe dehydration, hospital treatment should be sought. After 4 to 6 hours of oral rehydration for mild to moderate dehydration, continuous oral administration of ORS should be maintained based on the amount of watery stool each time. For infants under 2 years old, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of ORS should be given orally, while for children over 2 years old, half a cup to a full cup should be administered, until diarrhea stops, at which point the ORS should be discontinued immediately.
Since this condition is caused by rotavirus infection, not bacterial infection, antibiotic treatment is ineffective. Therefore, antibiotics should not be used.