Viral Gastroenteritis: Clinical Manifestations, Nursing Care Strategies, and Health Data Perspectives
Abstract
Background: Viral gastroenteritis, commonly known as the "stomach flu," is a highly contagious infection causing inflammation of the stomach and intestines. It is a major global health concern, leading to significant morbidity, healthcare burdens, and economic costs, with norovirus and rotavirus being the most prevalent pathogens.
Aim: This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of viral gastroenteritis by synthesizing its clinical manifestations, outlining evidence-based nursing care strategies, and exploring the role of health data analytics in improving prevention, outbreak management, and public health surveillance.
Methods: The review synthesizes current clinical guidelines and best practices. It details the diagnostic approach, which is primarily based on clinical presentation and symptom assessment, with laboratory confirmation reserved for severe or outbreak scenarios. Nursing interventions are framed within a patient-centered model, focusing on thorough assessment, hydration management, and education.
Results: The primary clinical manifestations include acute onset of watery diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and nausea, which can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, particularly in vulnerable populations. Effective management is centered on vigorous oral or intravenous rehydration. Results highlight that meticulous nursing care—encompassing fluid balance monitoring, symptom control, and strict infection prevention protocols—is critical to patient recovery and containing transmission. Furthermore, leveraging health data enables real-time outbreak detection and informs targeted public health interventions.
Conclusion: A multifaceted approach combining prompt clinical management, diligent nursing care, and robust health data systems is essential for reducing the impact of viral gastroenteritis.
Full text article
References
Shane AL, Mody RK, Crump JA, Tarr PI, Steiner TS, Kotloff K, Langley JM, Wanke C, Warren CA, Cheng AC, Cantey J, Pickering LK. 2017 Infectious Diseases Society of America Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Diarrhea. Clin Infect Dis. 2017 Nov 29;65(12):1963-1973.
King CK, Glass R, Bresee JS, Duggan C., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Managing acute gastroenteritis among children: oral rehydration, maintenance, and nutritional therapy. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2003 Nov 21;52(RR-16):1-16.
Thielman NM, Guerrant RL. Clinical practice. Acute infectious diarrhea. N Engl J Med. 2004 Jan 01;350(1):38-47.
Guerrant RL, Van Gilder T, Steiner TS, Thielman NM, Slutsker L, Tauxe RV, Hennessy T, Griffin PM, DuPont H, Sack RB, Tarr P, Neill M, Nachamkin I, Reller LB, Osterholm MT, Bennish ML, Pickering LK., Infectious Diseases Society of America. Practice guidelines for the management of infectious diarrhea. Clin Infect Dis. 2001 Feb 01;32(3):331-51.
Parashar UD, Nelson EA, Kang G. Diagnosis, management, and prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children. BMJ. 2013 Dec 30;347:f7204.
Bishop RF, Davidson GP, Holmes IH, Ruck BJ. Letter: Evidence for viral gastroenteritis. N Engl J Med. 1973 Nov 15;289(20):1096-7.
Rayani A, Bode U, Habas E, Fleischhack G, Engelhart S, Exner M, Schildgen O, Bierbaum G, Maria Eis-Hübinger A, Simon A. Rotavirus infections in paediatric oncology patients: a matched-pairs analysis. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2007 Jan;42(1):81-7.
Mavromichalis J, Evans N, McNeish AS, Bryden AS, Davies HA, Flewett TH. Intestinal damage in rotavirus and adenovirus gastroenteritis assessed by d-xylose malabsorption. Arch Dis Child. 1977 Jul;52(7):589-91.
Parashar UD, Hummelman EG, Bresee JS, Miller MA, Glass RI. Global illness and deaths caused by rotavirus disease in children. Emerg Infect Dis. 2003 May;9(5):565-72.
Aliabadi N, Tate JE, Haynes AK, Parashar UD., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sustained decrease in laboratory detection of rotavirus after implementation of routine vaccination—United States, 2000-2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2015 Apr 10;64(13):337-42.
Burnett E, Parashar UD, Winn A, Tate JE. Trends in Rotavirus Laboratory Detections and Internet Search Volume Before and After Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction and in the Context of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic-United States, 2000-2021. J Infect Dis. 2022 Sep 21;226(6):967-974.
Staat MA, Payne DC, Halasa N, Weinberg GA, Donauer S, Wikswo M, McNeal M, Edwards KM, Szilagyi PG, Bernstein DI, Curns AT, Sulemana I, Esona MD, Bowen MD, Parashar UD., New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN). Continued Evidence of the Impact of Rotavirus Vaccine in Children Less Than 3 Years of Age From the United States New Vaccine Surveillance Network: A Multisite Active Surveillance Program, 2006-2016. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Dec 03;71(9):e421-e429.
Tate JE, Panozzo CA, Payne DC, Patel MM, Cortese MM, Fowlkes AL, Parashar UD. Decline and change in seasonality of US rotavirus activity after the introduction of rotavirus vaccine. Pediatrics. 2009 Aug;124(2):465-71.
Du Y, Chen C, Zhang X, Yan D, Jiang D, Liu X, Yang M, Ding C, Lan L, Hecht R, Zhu C, Yang S. Global burden and trends of rotavirus infection-associated deaths from 1990 to 2019: an observational trend study. Virol J. 2022 Oct 20;19(1):166.
Glass RI, Parashar UD, Estes MK. Norovirus gastroenteritis. N Engl J Med. 2009 Oct 29;361(18):1776-85.
Lucero Y, Matson DO, Ashkenazi S, George S, O'Ryan M. Norovirus: Facts and Reflections from Past, Present, and Future. Viruses. 2021 Nov 30;13(12)
Hall AJ, Lopman BA, Payne DC, Patel MM, Gastañaduy PA, Vinjé J, Parashar UD. Norovirus disease in the United States. Emerg Infect Dis. 2013 Aug;19(8):1198-205.
Keswick BH, Satterwhite TK, Johnson PC, DuPont HL, Secor SL, Bitsura JA, Gary GW, Hoff JC. Inactivation of Norwalk virus in drinking water by chlorine. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Aug;50(2):261-4.
Robilotti E, Deresinski S, Pinsky BA. Norovirus. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2015 Jan;28(1):134-64.
Olortegui MP, Rouhani S, Yori PP, Salas MS, Trigoso DR, Mondal D, Bodhidatta L, Platts-Mills J, Samie A, Kabir F, Lima A, Babji S, Shrestha SK, Mason CJ, Kalam A, Bessong P, Ahmed T, Mduma E, Bhutta ZA, Lima I, Ramdass R, Moulton LH, Lang D, George A, Zaidi AKM, Kang G, Houpt ER, Kosek MN., MAL-ED Network. Astrovirus Infection and Diarrhea in 8 Countries. Pediatrics. 2018 Jan;141(1)
Siciliano V, Nista EC, Rosà T, Brigida M, Franceschi F. Clinical Management of Infectious Diarrhea. Rev Recent Clin Trials. 2020;15(4):298-308.
Freedman SB, Willan AR, Boutis K, Schuh S. Effect of Dilute Apple Juice and Preferred Fluids vs Electrolyte Maintenance Solution on Treatment Failure Among Children With Mild Gastroenteritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2016 May 10;315(18):1966-74.
DuPont HL. Guidelines on acute infectious diarrhea in adults. The Practice Parameters Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology. Am J Gastroenterol. 1997 Nov;92(11):1962-75.
Gray JM, Maewal JD, Lunos SA, Furnival RA, Hendrickson MA. Ondansetron Prescription for Home Use in a Pediatric Emergency Department. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2020 Mar;36(3):e120-e124.
McLaren SH, Yim RB, Fleegler EW. Impact of Ondansetron Prescription on Return Emergency Department Visits Among Children with Acute Gastroenteritis. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2021 Dec 01;37(12):e1087-e1092.
Authors
Copyright (c) 2025 Reham Hussain Hamami, Jawaher Ali Makey Hanshali, Walaa Mohammed Almanbahi, Farhah Falah Srayan Alenezi, Amani Mazyad Almutairi, Mona Abdulaziz R Almotiab, Nada Mosa Alhalawi, Faisal Mohammed Ali Amri, Faisal Lafi Al-Mutairi, Eman Mohammed Ali Amri, Manal Zaal Amesh Al-Rashidi, Abdallah Saad Said Aldosery, Nasser Faleh M Alghatani, Abduaziz Rashed Zaid Bin Gannam
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.