Bacterial Gastroenteritis

Causes

The primary causes of bacterial gastroenteritis are E. Coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter (one of the most common), Shigella, and Clostridium. Dysentery (gastroenteritis with bloody diarrhea) can be caused by these bacteria (or sometimes by parasites). More recently, we have been hearing of food recalls - contaminated with E.coli, listeria, and salmonella during food harvesting, processing, handling, or storage.

Course

Bacterial gastroenteritis has a quick onset, 1-6 hours after ingestion (this is important because the course helps differentiate it from a virus). It tends to last about 24 to 48 hours, sometimes even up to a week. Often resolves on its own without antibiotics.

Diagnosis

If it is not improving by 48-72 hours, your healthcare provider may want to send a stool specimen to a lab to get a definitive diagnosis of viral or bacterial in the event that they do want to start antibiotics. But the latter usually are not needed – bacterial gastroenteritis is usually self-limiting.

Symptoms

Bacterial gastroenteritis causes nausea and vomiting, stomach cramps, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and often a fever. When severe, there may be blood in the stool.

Treatment:

Treatment is primarily symptomatic: See section on Gastroenteritis: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

​Prescriptive Treatment: Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed for some cases of bacterial gastroenteritis, depending on the offending agent and severity, and the underlying risk factors of the patient.

Prevention of Spread

• Wash Hands with soapy warm water (20-second rule) - Hand sanitizer does not work for this. Very important before preparing food.

• Use bleach products to disinfect surfaces

• Wash fruits, vegetables, and shellfish well before eating

• Wash clothing and bedding in hot water

• Double dipping (putting food back in the dip after you have taken a bite of that food), sharing water bottles are potential routes of transmission.

Ginger Tea for Indigestion