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- What is bacterial gastroenteritis?
- Symptoms of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Causes of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Prevention of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Risk factors for bacterial gastroenteritis
- Complications of bacterial gastroenteritis
- When to see a doctor about bacterial gastroenteritis
- Diagnosis of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Conventional treatment of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Alternative/complementary treatment of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Living with bacterial gastroenteritis
- Caring for someone with bacterial gastroenteritis
Diagnosis of bacterial gastroenteritis
Initial diagnosis of bacterial gastroenteritis includes the following tests:
- Medical history - the doctor will ask a series of question about the onset (start) of symptoms, how severe the symptoms are and the duration of symptoms
- Physical examination - the doctor will perform a general physical examination to determine if there are any obvious symptoms of bacterial gastroenteritis, such as pain in the abdomen
If bacterial gastroenteritis is suspected, then the following diagnostic tests may also be requested to confirm (or rule out) diagnosis:
- Blood test - a blood test may be requested to determine if it shows an elevation of the white blood cells (which indicates infection)
- Urine test - a urine test can be requested to rule out any other gastrointestinal infection (bladder infection, urinary tract infection) which may present with similar symptoms
- Stool culture - a sample of the faeces can be taken to examine it for the type of bacteria present and which has caused the bacterial gastroenteritis
- Examination of the suspected food - if it is viable to do so, the food causing the symptoms may be taken away to be tested for the specific bacteria (especially if it has affected many people)
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< 7: when to see a doctor 9: conventional treatment > Last reviewed: 30 October 2009 || Last updated: 18 January 2010
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
