Question
Over the past few days, a child suddenly developed the following symptoms: on the first day, vomiting occurred; on the second day, after receiving symptomatic anti-inflammatory medication, watery diarrhea appeared; on the third day, a brief seizure lasting about 2 minutes occurred; and on the fourth and fifth days, seizures recurred. During this period, the child underwent CT scans, electroencephalograms, and abdominal ultrasounds, with normal results. The 24-hour electroencephalogram results have not yet been released. Additionally, the child showed no signs of fever, blood calcium levels were normal, but white blood cell counts were elevated. After the seizure occurred, the child appeared tired. Doctor, could these symptoms be caused by gastroenteritis?
Answer
Acute gastroenteritis can cause mild to severe diarrhea along with vomiting and other symptoms. If irregular fever or high fever, as well as malaise or even coma as systemic toxic symptoms occur, immediate hospital emergency care is needed. Treatment for gastroenteritis typically includes etiological treatment and symptomatic treatment to eliminate the root cause and alleviate symptoms. If it is caused by indigestion, dietary adjustments and medications such as lactase can be taken; if it is caused by other diseases, antibiotics or other medications may be used for treatment. In addition, appropriate hydration and electrolyte supplementation, as well as necessary treatments for lowering temperature, potassium supplementation, and calcium supplementation are also required.