Gastroenteritis

What is Gastroenteritis?

Gastroenteritis is usually due to an infection that causes diarrhoea and vomiting. Some viruses cause gastroenteritis and these can be passed easily from one person to another. This can be through direct contact with an infected person, touching a surface that has the virus on it or on hands that haven’t been washed after using the toilet.

What are the symptoms?

As well as diarrhoea and vomiting other symptoms are common and include nausea, stomach pains and fever. Symptoms can vary from person to person.

What are the causes?

Common causes include Norovirus and Rotavirus. Norovirus is the most frequent cause of diarrhoea and vomiting in the community and is most common during the winter period. It is very infectious and is often the cause of outbreaks of diarrhoea and vomiting in hospitals, care homes and schools

What is the treatment?

Viral gastroenteritis gets better without the need for specific treatment. The main problem is loss of fluid which leads to dehydration Drinking plenty of clear fluids or giving fluid via a drip will avoid dehydration. Antibiotics do not work against these viruses.

Isolation

If you are suffering from gastroenteritis you will be moved to a single room to reduce the risk to other patients. You should not use the communal toilets on the ward but should have a dedicated toilet or commode allocated to you. If a single room is not available, the nurse will start isolation precautions in the area where you are being nursed. Alternatively, you may be nursed in a section of the ward with other patients with the same infection. If there are a number of patients affected, the ward may be restricted to admissions. During these restrictions there will be an increased level of cleaning on the ward. Non urgent investigations may be postponed if you have diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms, otherwise your treatment will continue as normal. You will not have to stay in hospital any longer than necessary and will be allowed home when you are well enough.

Who can it affect?

All ages can be affected but the very young or the elderly may become more seriously ill with it. Symptoms usually begin within two days of becoming infected and last for up to three days.

The need for a sample

If you are admitted with either diarrhoea or vomiting or you begin to experience symptoms whilst you are in hospital, please inform your nurse so they can collect a sample for the hospital laboratory to examine.

Food and drink

It is recommended that snack food such as fruit and chocolates are kept inside your locker and not shared. Visitors are advised not to eat and drink on the ward during an outbreak.

Laundry

If your clothing becomes soiled it should be placed in a plastic bag and taken home for laundering. Clothing should be laundered separately to non-soiled clothes at as high a temperature as is recommended on the care label. Don’t forget to wash your hands after handling soiled linen/clothes.

Can I have visitors?

Yes, you can have visitors. However, it is advisable to keep your numbers of visitors to a minimum as they may pick up the virus when visiting. Children and older people should be discouraged from visiting as they are at greater risk of being infected. Visitors should wash their hands thoroughly before and after visiting you.

If visitors have been ill with diarrhoea and/or vomiting, they should not visit until three days after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting. Please help to support this practice to reduce the risk to patients, visitors and staff

Hand washing – The importance of good hygiene

Good hand hygiene can help to limit the spread of infection. Hand gel is not very effective against gastroenteritis so we recommend hand washing with soap and water. Hands should be washed after using the toilet and before eating and drinking. If you can’t get up to go to a hand wash basin, please ask your nurse to supply you with hand wipes. All staff and visitors should wash their hands with soap and water, before and after visiting you.

Further information can be obtained from:

The ward team or The Infection Prevention and Control Team
Email: infection.control@bthft.nhs.uk
Telephone: 01274 364049 Monday to Friday between 8.00am and 4.30pm but not Bank Holidays. Out of these hours, leave a
message on the answering machine and the IPC team will contact you.