What are the other Names for this Condition? (Also known as/Synonyms)

• Acute Gastroenteritis
• Bacterial Diarrhea
• Infectious Diarrhea - Bacterial Gastroenteritis

What is Bacterial Gastroenteritis? (Definition/Background Information)

• Bacterial Gastroenteritis is a common dehydrating condition caused by taking food and water that is infected by, any of several bacteria types
• This bacterial infection causes severe diarrhea (which may be accompanied by vomiting), thereby draining the body of vital fluids and causing inflammation of the stomach and intestines
• Remedial measures are mostly related to compensating the lost body fluids (either orally or intravenously), controlling related symptoms (fever, abdominal pain) with antibiotics, and taking plenty of rest
• Delayed or improper treatment of the condition could cause acute problems requiring hospitalization and extended medication course

Who gets Bacterial Gastroenteritis? (Age and Sex Distribution)

Any individual, young or old, may contract Bacterial Gastroenteritis. There is no age or gender preference; it is only dependent upon the type of food or water consumed.

What are the Risk Factors for Bacterial Gastroenteritis? (Predisposing Factors)

Bacterial Gastroenteritis risk factors include:

• Consuming food that is raw (fish, oysters, unwashed fruits/vegetables), is partially cooked (meat, eggs), or cooked improperly (without maintaining proper hygiene standards), or is not stored (refrigerated) well
• Drinking untreated water from a stream, or a well, or from any unreliable source
• Living or travelling to areas with poor sanitation facilities
• Eating food that is mass-prepared, without proper quality control
• A weakened immune system (due to AIDS/HIV, cancer, organ transplant, diabetes, and so on) is easily infected

It is important to note that having a risk factor does not mean that one will get the condition. A risk factor increases ones chances of getting a condition compared to an individual without the risk factors. Some risk factors are more important than others.

Also, not having a risk factor does not mean that an individual will not get the condition. It is always important to discuss the effect of risk factors with your healthcare provider.

What are the Causes of Bacterial Gastroenteritis? (Etiology)

• Ingesting spoilt or improperly cooked food, or taking unclean water, is the primary cause of Bacterial Gastroenteritis. Some of the common bacteria types that are responsible for causing the Infectious Diarrhea include E. coli, Salmonella, Yersinia, Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella, Vibrio & Bacillus species
• Often when food prepared for a community is contaminated, like at restaurants, school dormitories, for social or festival occasions; the condition may simultaneously affect many more individuals
• Some of the reasons why food/water get contaminated with germs are because of improper handling, preparation and cooking; use of bacteria infected dairy, fish and meat products, raw vegetables and fruits; suspect water quality (including source and storage quality)

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Bacterial Gastroenteritis?

Signs and symptoms of Bacterial Gastroenteritis depend on the kind of bacteria that is causing the problem. However, diarrhea is the most common sign of food poisoning. Others include:

• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Watery or mucous laden stools, blood in the stools
• Stomach pain
• Dehydration
• Nausea and vomiting
• Drowsiness, exhaustion
• Fever

How is Bacterial Gastroenteritis Diagnosed?

Normally, a case of Bacterial Gastroenteritis is easily recognized from its clinical presentation; though differential diagnostic tests may be required to determine the exact type of bacteria that caused the condition. Some of the exams and tests conducted include:

• The physician performs a physical examination to study for any indications of food poisoning, or in order to learn about the body’s dehydrated state
• Analysis of the problem ‘food’ sample, to find the type of bacteria causing the infection
• Stool examination/culture, to check for any blood cells, or the bacterial type involved in the infection

Many clinical conditions may have similar signs and symptoms. Your healthcare provider may perform additional tests to rule out other clinical conditions to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.

What are the possible Complications of Bacterial Gastroenteritis?

The most frequent and main complication with Bacterial Gastroenteritis is dehydration. This leads to severe malnutrition and malabsorption; when the intestine loses its capacity to properly absorb carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and nutrients into the blood.

Various strains of bacteria cause different kinds of medical issues. Some of these are:

• Meningitis, Reiter syndrome, enteric fever, bacteremia, cholecystitis, hemorrhagic colitis, urinary tract infection, toxic megacolon are some of the common complications
• Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome (HUS), causing renal failure
• Development of irritable bowel syndrome. If the individual already suffers from the condition, it then gets worse
• Some of the bacteria are retained in the body even after recovery, which may get reactivated when the conditions are conducive

How is Bacterial Gastroenteritis Treated?

• Most cases of Bacterial Gastroenteritis are self-limiting, meaning that an individual usually recovers from the condition in a couple of days; if other complications, such as severe dehydration do not occur
• Having plenty of rest, drinking lots of fluids, and controlling other symptoms, like nausea and vomiting, aids in recovery and helps feeling comfortable
• Slight modifications to diet are advised to prevent further aggravation of the condition. An improper diet may create additional complications
• If diarrhea is severe and is accompanied by vomiting leading to exhaustion, then the lost fluids may have to be replenished intravenously. This is commonly seen in young children
• Young children and the elderly need to be rehydrated orally, at regular intervals and be constantly observed/monitored
• Normally, antibiotics are not prescribed for gastroenteritis; however, certain drugs may be prescribed to avert complications and bring the infection under control
• Over the counter drugs are available to arrest diarrhea. Nevertheless, it is best to consult a physician before using them; more so if the diarrhea is severe, or the affected are young children

How can Bacterial Gastroenteritis be Prevented?

• To reduce the incidence of Bacterial Gastroenteritis, proper precautions have to be taken to prevent transmission of the harmful bacteria via food and water. This is even more essential while traveling, to other countries and cities
• Vaccinations are recommended for travelers to other parts of the world, to regions having high potential for such infections
• Avoiding undercooked food (mainly meat and seafood) and contaminated water may help in preventing food poisoning, which leads to diarrhea and other symptoms
• Follow basic rules while cooking food, such as carefully washing food items (like meat and vegetables), washing food vessels before use, cooking meat to the required temperatures to kill any bacteria, refrigerating cooked food to avoid it being spoiled, keeping food items covered, etc.
• Always drink water that is clean and is from a reliable source

What is the Prognosis of Bacterial Gastroenteritis? (Outcomes/Resolutions)

• A healthy and normal individual usually recovers from Bacterial Gastroenteritis within a few days; even if no treatment is availed and only certain basic self-care steps (like, drinking enough fluids, getting some rest, etc.) are followed
• If the body is severely drained of fluids’ leading to malnutrition, then hospitalization is required. This may turn serious if the patients are newborn babies, very young infants, the elderly, or if they were already ill
• Mortality rate with Bacterial Diarrhea is low, if the condition is managed properly; however, secondary complications and a lack of proper healthcare may affect the condition adversely 
• Some rare strains of bacteria are known to cause complications, such as renal failure or severe anemia

Additional and Relevant Useful Information for Bacterial Gastroenteritis:

• In many geographical regions of the world (mainly the lesser industrialized nations), where the healthcare system lacks the kind of preparation and resources needed to treat dehydration, caused by vomiting and diarrhea; the mortality rates due to gastroenteritis is substantial
• The management (prevention and treatment) of Bacterial Gastroenteritis can be accomplished to a good extent through mass education. This should include information on proper hygiene, good food preparation practices, understanding the value of oral rehydration techniques in providing early relief, simple and easily available remedial steps to prevent aggravation of the condition, etc.