Acute gastroenteritis: the need to remember alternative diagnoses.
Five hundred and ninety-four patients were consecutively admitted to an infectious disease unit over a 2-year period with a referral diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis or food poisoning. In 175 (29%) patients, gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with a condition other than gastrointestinal infection. Non-infective gastrointestinal disease was present in 90 patients, systemic infection in 50 and systemic disease in 35. Four illustrative case histories are presented to emphasize the need for a high index of suspicion if diseases such as malaria, septicaemia or appendicitis are not to be missed.
Felton
J M
JM
Regional Infectious Disease Unit, Fazakerley Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
Harries
A D
AD
Beeching
N J
NJ
Rogerson
S J
SJ
Nye
F J
FJ
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis