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Vomiting with diarrhea

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Definition:

* Vomiting is the forceful emptying (throwing up) of a large portion of the stomach’s contents through the mouth

* Nausea and abdominal discomfort usually precede each bout of vomiting

* Vomiting and diarrhea together is covered by this topic

Causes:

* Main Cause: Stomach and intestinal infection (gastroenteritis) from a stomach virus (eg, rotavirus). The illness starts with vomiting but diarrhea usually follows within 12 to 24 hours.

* Food poisoning from toxins produced by bacteria growing in poorly refrigerated foods (eg, Staphylococcus toxin in egg salad, Bacillus cereus toxin in rice dishes).

Severity of Vomiting:

The following is an arbitrary attempt to classify vomiting by risk for dehydration:

* Mild: 1 to 2 times a day

* Moderate: 3 to 7 times a day

* Severe: Vomits everything or nearly everything, or 8 or more times a day

* Severity relates even more to the length of time that the particular severity level has persisted. At the beginning of a vomiting illness (especially following food poisoning), it’s common for a child to vomit everything for 3 or 4 hours and then become stable with   mild or moderate vomiting.

* Watery stools in combination with vomiting carry the greatest risk for causing dehydration

* The younger the child, the greater the risk for dehydration

How to Recognize Dehydration:

* Dehydration means that the body has lost excessive fluids, usually from vomiting or diarrhea. An associated weight loss of more than 3% is required. In general, mild diarrhea, mild vomiting, or a mild decrease in fluid intake does not cause dehydration.

* Dehydration is the most important complication of diarrhea

* The following are signs of dehydration:

– Decreased urination (no urine in more than 8 hours) occurs early in the process of dehydration. So does a dark-yellow, concentrated yellow. If the urine is light straw colored, your child is not dehydrated.

– Dry tongue and inside of the mouth. Dry lips are not helpful.

– Dry eyes with decreased or absent tears

– In infants, a depressed or sunken soft spot

– Delayed capillary refill longer than 2 seconds. This refers to the return of a pink color to the thumbnail after you press it and make it pale. Ask your child’s doctor to teach you how to do this test.

– Irritable, tired out, or acting ill. If your child is alert, happy, and playful, he is not dehydrated.

– A child with severe dehydration becomes too weak to stand or very dizzy if he tries to stand.

Return to School: Your child can return to child care or school after vomiting and fever are gone

Call 911 Now (Your Child May Need an Ambulance) If:

* Unresponsive or difficult to awaken

* Not moving or too weak to stand

Call Your Doctor Now (in Alberta, Canada call 780-408-LINK) If:

* Your child looks or acts very sick

* Signs of dehydration (very dry mouth, no tears, and no urine in more than 8 hours)

* Blood in the stool

* Blood in the vomit that’s not from a nosebleed

* Bile (bright yellow or green) in the vomit

* Abdominal pain is also present (EXCEPTION: Abdominal pain  or crying just before and improved by vomiting is quite common)

* Appendicitis suspected (eg, pain low on right side, won’t jump, prefers to lie still)

* Poisoning with a plant, medicine, or other chemical suspected

* Child is younger than 12 weeks with vomiting 2 or more times (EXCEPTION: spitting up)

* Child younger than 12 months who has vomited Pedialyte (or other brand of oral rehydration solution) 3 or more times and also has watery diarrhea

* Receiving Pedialyte (or clear fluids if older than 1 year) and vomits everything longer than 8 hours

* Weak immune system (eg, sickle cell disease, HIV, chemotherapy, organ transplant, chronic steroids)

* Vomiting an essential medicine

* Fever above 104°F (40°C) and not improved 2 hours after fever medicine

* Child is younger than 12 weeks with fever above 100.4°F (38.0°C) rectally (CAUTION: Do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen)

Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours (Between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm) If:

* You think your child needs to be seen

* Has vomited longer than 24 hours

* Fever present for more than 3 days

Call Your Doctor During Weekday Office Hours If:

* You have other questions or concerns

* Vomiting is a recurrent chronic problem

Parent Care at Home If:

* Mild to moderate vomiting with diarrhea (probably viral gastroenteritis) and you don’t think your child needs to be seen

Home Care Advice for Vomiting with Diarrhea:

1. Reassurance:

* Most vomiting is caused by a viral infection of the stomach and intestines or by food poisoning

* Vomiting is the body’s way of protecting the lower intestinal tract

* When vomiting and diarrhea occur together, treat the vomiting. Don’t do anything special for the diarrhea

2. For Bottle-fed Infants, Offer Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) for 8 Hours:

* ORS (eg, Pedialyte, store brand) is a special electrolyte solution that can prevent dehydration. It’s readily available in supermarkets and drugstores.

* For vomiting once, continue regular formula

* For vomiting more than once, offer ORS for 8 hours. If ORS is not available, use formula.

* Spoon or syringe feed small amounts of ORS —1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 mL) every 5 minutes.

* After 4 hours without vomiting, double the amount

* After 8 hours without vomiting, return to regular formula

* For infants older than 4 months, also return to cereal and strained bananas

* Return to normal diet in 24 to 48 hours

3. For Breastfed Infants, Reduce the Amount Per Feeding:

* If infant vomits once, nurse 1 side every 1 to 2 hours

* If infant vomits more than once, nurse for 5 minutes every 30 to 60 minutes. After 4 hours without vomiting, return to regular breastfeeding.

* If infant continues to vomit, switch to ORS (eg, Pedialyte) for 4 hours

* Spoon or syringe feed small amounts of ORS —1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 mL) every 5 minutes.

* After 4 hours without vomiting, return to regular breastfeeding. Start with small feedings of 5 minutes every 30 minutes and increase as tolerated.

4. For Older Children (Older Than 1 Year), Offer Small Amounts of Clear Fluids for 8 Hours:

* ORS: Vomiting with watery diarrhea needs ORS (eg, Pedialyte). If child refuses ORS, use half-strength Gatorade.

* Give small amounts—2 to 3 teaspoons (10 to 15 mL) every 5 minutes

* After 4 hours without vomiting, increase the amount

* After 8 hours without vomiting, return to regular fluids

* Solids: After 8 hours without vomiting, add solids

– Limit solids to bland foods. Starchy foods are easiest to digest

– Start with saltine crackers, white bread, cereals, rice, and mashed potatoes

– Return to normal diet in 24 to 48 hours.

5. Avoid Medicines:

* Discontinue all nonessential medicines for 8 hours (Reason: usually make vomiting worse)

* Fever: Fevers usually don’t need any medicine. For higher fevers, consider acetaminophen (eg, Tylenol) suppositories. Never give oral ibuprofen (eg, Advil); it is a stomach irritant

* Call your doctor if your child is vomiting an essential medicine

6. Contagiousness: Your child can return to child care or school after vomiting and fever are gone.

7. Expected Course: Moderate vomiting usually stops in 12 to 24  hours. Mild vomiting (1 to 2 times a day) with diarrhea can continue intermittently for up to a week.

8. Call Your Doctor If:

* Vomiting becomes severe (vomits everything) longer than  8 hours

* Vomiting persists longer than 24 hours

* Signs of dehydration

* Diarrhea becomes severe

* Your child becomes worse

Based on recommendations/advice in “My Child is Sick; Expert Advice for Managing Common Illnesses and Injuries”, 14th Edition, by Barton D. Schmitt

Diarrhea

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Definition:

Diarrhea is the sudden increase in the frequency and looseness of stools

* The main risk of diarrhea is dehydration

* Loose or runny stools do not cause dehydration

* Frequent, watery stools can cause dehydration

Causes:

* Viral gastroenteritis (viral infection of the stomach and intestines) is the usual cause

* Bacteria (eg, Salmonella, Shigella) cause some diarrhea. The main food-borne bacteria are Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli.

* Food Poisoning: Rapid onset of vomiting and diarrhea within hours after eating a food contaminated with toxins (eg, cream dishes that are not properly refrigerated). Symptoms usually resolve in fewer than 24 hours without a need for medical care.

* Giardia (a parasite) occasionally, especially in child care centres.

How to Recognize Dehydration:

* Dehydration means that the body has lost excessive fluids, usually from vomiting or diarrhea. An associated weight loss of more than 3% is required. In general, mild diarrhea, mild vomiting, or a mild decrease in fluid intake does not cause dehydration.

* Dehydration is the most important complication of diarrhea

* The following are signs of dehydration:

– Decreased urination (no urine in more than 8 hours) occurs early in the process of dehydration. So does a dark-yellow, concentrated yellow. If the urine is light straw coloured, your child is not dehydrated.

– Dry tongue and inside of the mouth. Dry lips are not helpful.

– Dry eyes with decreased or absent tears

– In infants, a depressed or sunken soft spot

– Delayed capillary refill longer than 2 seconds. This refers to the return of a pink color to the thumbnail after you press it and make it pale. Ask your child’s doctor to teach you how to do this test.

– Irritable, tired out, or acting ill. If your child is alert, happy, and playful, he is not dehydrated.

– A child with severe dehydration becomes too weak to stand or very dizzy if he tries to stand.

Definition of Diarrhea in Breastfed Infants:

• The stools of a breastfed infant are normal unless they contain mucus or blood, or develop a new bad odor.

* The looseness (normally runny and seedy), color (normally yellow), and frequency of stools (normally more than 6 a day) are not much help. Breastfed babies may normally even pass some green stools surrounded by a water ring (normal bile can come out green if intestinal transit time is rapid enough).

* During the first 1 to 2 months of life, the breastfed baby may normally pass a stool after each feeding. (However, if an infant’s stools abruptly increase in number and looseness and persist for 3 or more stools, the baby probably has diarrhea)

* Other clues to diarrhea are poor eating, acting sick, or fever.

Definition of Diarrhea in Formula-Fed Infants:

* Formula-fed babies pass 1 to 8 stools per day during the first week, then 1 to 4 per day until 2 months of age.

* The stools are yellow in colour and peanut butter in consistency

* Formula-fed newborns have true diarrhea if the stools abruptly increase in number or looseness and persist for 3 or more stools, become watery or very runny, contain mucus or blood, or develop a new bad odour.

* Other clues to diarrhea are poor eating, acting sick, or fever

* After 2 months of age, most infants pass 1 or 2 stools per day (or 1 every other day) and no longer appear to have mild diarrhea.

Return to School: Your child can return to child care or school after the stools are formed and the fever is gone. The school-aged child can return if the diarrhea is mild and the child has good control over loose stools.

Call 911 Now (Your Child May Need an Ambulance) If:

Not moving or too weak to stand

Call Your Doctor Now (or in Alberta, Canada call 780-408-LINK) If:

* Your child looks or acts very sick

* Signs of dehydration (eg, no urine longer than 8 hours, no tears with crying, very dry mouth)

* Blood in the stool

* Weak immune system (eg, sickle cell disease, HIV, chemotherapy, organ transplant, chronic steroids)

* Abdominal pain present longer than 2 hours

* Vomiting clear liquids 3 or more times

* Child is younger than 1 month with 3 or more diarrhea stools (mucus, bad odor, increased looseness)

* Passed more than 8 diarrhea stools in the last 8 hours

* Severe diarrhea while taking a medicine that could cause diarrhea (eg, antibiotics)

* Fever above 104°F (40°C) and not improved 2 hours after fever medicine

* Child is younger than 12 weeks with fever above 100.4°F (38.0°C) rectally (CAUTION: Do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen)

Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours (Between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm) If:

* You think your child needs to be seen

* Pus in the stool present for more than 2 days

* Loss of bowel control in a toilet-trained child occurs 3 or more times

* Fever present for more than 3 days

* Close contact with person or animal who has bacterial diarrhea

* Contact with reptile (snake, lizard, turtle) in previous 14 days

* Travel to country at risk for bacterial diarrhea within past month

Call Your Doctor During Weekday Office Hours If:

* You have other questions or concerns

* Diarrhea persists more than 2 weeks

* Loose stools are a chronic problem

Parent Care at Home If:

Mild diarrhea (probably viral gastroenteritis) and you don’t think your child needs to be seen

Home Care Advice for Diarrhea:

1. Reassurance:

* Most diarrhea is caused by a viral infection of the intestines

* Diarrhea is the body’s way of getting rid of the germs

* Here are some tips on how to keep ahead of the fluid losses

2. Mild Diarrhea:

* Continue regular diet

* Eat more starchy foods (eg, cereal, crackers, rice)

* Drink more fluids. Formula or milk are good balanced fluids for diarrhea (EXCEPTION: Avoid all fruit juices and soft drinks because they make diarrhea worse)

3. Formula-Fed Infants With Frequent, Watery Diarrhea: Start Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS)

* ORS (eg, Pedialyte, store brand) is a special electrolyte solution that can prevent dehydration. It’s readily available in supermarkets and drugstores.

* Start ORS for frequent, watery diarrhea (Note: formula is fine for average diarrhea)

* Use ORS alone for 4-6 hours to prevent dehydration. Offer unlimited amounts.

* If ORS is not available, use formula prepared in the usual way (unlimited amounts) until you can get some.

* Avoid Jell-O water, sports drinks, and fruit juice

4. Returning to Formula:

* Go back to formula by 6 hours at the latest (Reason: child needs the calories)

* Use formula prepared in the usual way (Reason: it contains adequate water)

* Offer formula more frequently than you normally do

* Lactose: Regular formula is fine for most diarrhea. Lactose-free formulas (soy formula) are only needed for watery diarrhea persisting more than 3 days.

* Extra ORS: Also give 2 to 4 oz (30 to 120 mL) of ORS after every large, watery stool

5. Solids:

Infants Older Than 4 Months: Continue solids (eg, rice cereal, strained bananas, mashed potatoes).

6. Breastfed Infants With Frequent, Watery Diarrhea:

* Continue breastfeeding at more frequent intervals. Continue solids as for formula fed.

* Offer 2 to 4 oz (60 to 120 mL) ORS (eg, Pedialyte) after every large, watery stool (especially if urine is dark) in addition to breastfeeding.

7. Children Older Than 1 Year With Frequent, Watery Diarrhea:

* Fluids: Offer unlimited fluids. If taking solids, give water or half-strength Gatorade. If child refuses solids, give milk or formula.

* Avoid all fruit juices and soft drinks (Reason: make diarrhea worse)

* ORS (eg, Pedialyte) is rarely needed, but for severe diarrhea, also give 4 to 8 oz (120 to 240 mL) of ORS after every large, watery stool.

* Solids: Starchy foods are absorbed best. Give dried cereals, oatmeal, bread, crackers, noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. Pretzels or salty crackers can help meet sodium needs.

8. Probiotics:

* Probiotics contain healthy bacteria (lactobacilli) that can replace unhealthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

* Yogurt is the easiest source of probiotics. If your child is older than 12 months, give 2 to 6 oz (60 to 180 mL) of yogurt twice daily (Note: today, almost all yogurts are “active culture”)

* Probiotic supplements in granules, tablets, or capsules are also available in health food stores.

9. Diaper Rash: Wash buttocks after each stool to prevent a bad diaper rash. Consider applying a protective ointment (eg, petroleum jelly) around the anus to protect the skin.

10. Contagiousness: Your child can return to child care or school after the stools are formed and the fever is gone. The school-aged child can return if the diarrhea is mild and the child has good control over loose stools.

11. Expected Course: Viral diarrhea lasts 5 to 14 days. Severe diarrhea only occurs on the first 1 or 2 days, but loose stools can persist for 1 to 2 weeks.

12. Call Your Doctor If:

* Signs of dehydration occur

* Diarrhea persists more than 2 weeks

* Your child becomes worse

Based on recommendations/advice in “My Child is Sick; Expert Advice for Managing Common Illnesses and Injuries”, 14th Edition, by Barton D. Schmitt

Emergency symptoms not to miss

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Sick newborn Your baby is younger than 1 month and looks sick (eg, vomiting, cough, poor color) or acts abnormal (eg, poor feeding, excessive sleeping) in any way. At this age, these symptoms are serious until proven otherwise. During the first month of life, infections can progress quickly.

Severe lethargy Your child stares into space, won’t smile, won’t play at all, or hardly responds to you. Your child is too weak to cry, floppy, or hard to awaken. These are serious symptoms. Note: sleeping more when sick is normal, but when awake your child should be alert.

Confusion The sudden onset of confusion (delirium). Your child is awake but says strange things, sees things, and doesn’t recognize you. Note: transient delirium can be seen for 5 minutes or so with higher fevers. However, if not brief, confusion can have some serious causes.

Severe pain Severe pain is incapacitating. It interferes with all normal activities. The child just wants to be left alone. If your child cries when you  try to hold or move him, this can be a symptom of meningitis or appendicitis. Children also are unable to sleep or can only fall asleep briefly.

Inconsolable crying Inconsolable, constant crying is caused by severe pain until proven otherwise. Suspect this in children who are unable to sleep or will only fall asleep briefly, and when awake will not engage in any  normal activities. CAUTION: Instead of constant crying, severe pain may cause your child to groan, moan, or whimper.

Can’t walk If your child has learned to walk and then loses the ability to stand or walk, she may have a serious injury to the legs or a problem with balance. If your child walks bent over, holding her belly, she may have a serious problem such as appendicitis.

Tender abdomen Press on your child’s belly while he is sitting on your lap and looking at a book. You should be able to press an inch or so in with your  fingers in all parts of the belly without a problem. If your child winces or screams, it suggests a serious cause. If the belly is bloated and hard along with the pain, the problem is even more worrisome. Note: if your child just pushes your hand away, it probably means you  haven’t distracted him enough.

Tender testicle or scrotum Sudden pain in the groin area can be from twisting (torsion) of the testicle. This requires surgery within 8 hours to save the testicle.

Hard time breathing Breathing is essential for life. Most childhood deaths are due to severe breathing problems. If your child has trouble breathing,  tight croup (harsh sound when breathing in called stridor), or obvious wheezing or grunting with each breath, she needs to be seen immediately. Other signs of respiratory distress are fast  breathing, bluish lips, or retractions (skin pulling in between the ribs). Children with severe respiratory distress can’t drink, talk, or cry. Note: nasal congestion causes vibrations and some noisy breathing but usually without any trouble breathing. Check breathing after you clean out the nose with nasal washes and suction.

Bluish lips Bluish lips, tongue, or gums (cyanosis) can mean a reduced amount of oxygen in the bloodstream. Note: blueness only present around the mouth (but not the lips) can be caused by being cold.

Drooling The sudden onset of drooling or spitting when your child is ill means your child is having trouble swallowing. The cause can be  a serious infection of the tonsils, throat, or epiglottis (top part of  the windpipe). A serious allergic reaction can also cause trouble swallowing. Swelling in the throat could close off the airway.

Dehydration Dehydration means that your child’s body fluids are low. Dehydration usually follows severe vomiting or diarrhea. Suspect dehydration if your child has not urinated in 8 hours (more than 12 hours if your child is older than 1 year), crying produces no tears, the inside of the mouth is dry rather than moist, or the soft spot in the skull is sunken. Dehydrated children are also tired and weak. If your child is alert and active but not making much urine, she is not yet dehydrated. Children with severe dehydration become dizzy when they stand. Dehydration requires immediate fluid replacement by mouth or vein.

Bulging soft spot The soft spot in your baby’s head is tense and bulging. This means the brain is under pressure.

Stiff neck To test for a stiff neck, lay your child down, then lift his head until his chin touches the middle of his chest. If he is resistant, place a toy or other object of interest on the belly so he will have to look down to see it. Older children can simply be asked to look at their belly button. A stiff neck can be an early sign of meningitis.

Injured neck Talk to your child’s doctor about any neck injury, regardless of the symptoms. Neck injuries carry a risk of damage to the spinal cord.

Purple or blood-red spots or dots Unexplained purple or blood-red spots or dots on the skin could be  a sign of a serious bloodstream infection, especially if your child also has a fever. Note: bumps and bruises on the shins from active play are different.

Any fever (above 100.4°F or 38°C) in the first 3 months of life Bacterial infections in young infants can cause serious complications. All children younger than 3 months with a fever need to be examined as soon as possible to determine if the cause is viral or bacterial.

Fever above 105°F (40.6°C) All the preceding symptoms are stronger indicators of serious illness  than the level of fever. All of them can occur with low-grade fevers as well as high ones. Fevers alone are considered a risk factor for serious infections only when the child’s temperature rises above 105°F (40.6°C). Therefore if your child has a fever above 104°F (40°C) that doesn’t come down below 104°F after taking a fever medicine, call your child’s doctor.

Chronic diseases Most active chronic diseases can have some complications. If your child has a chronic disease, be sure to find out what those complications are and how to recognize them. Chronic diseases at highest risk for serious infections are those that weaken the immune system (eg, sickle cell disease, HIV, chemotherapy, organ transplant, chronic steroids). If you are talking with a doctor or  nurse who doesn’t normally see your child, always tell the doctor or nurse about your child’s chronic disease (eg, asthma). Never assume the doctor or nurse already knows this.

Based on recommendations/advice in “My Child is Sick; Expert Advice for Managing Common Illnesses and Injuries”, 14th Edition, by Barton D. Schmitt