Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is a general term referring to inflammation or infection of the gastrointestinal tract, primarily the stomach and intestines It can be caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, or other parasites, or less commonly reactions to new foods or medications. It often involves stomach pain (sometimes to the point of being crippling), diarrhea and/or vomiting, with noninflammatory infection of the upper small bowel, or inflammatory infections of the colon[3[4[5]
It usually is of acute onset, normally lasting fewer than 10 days and self-limiting. Sometimes it is referred to simply as 'gastro'. It is often called the stomach flu or gastric flu even though it is not related to influenza
If inflammation is limited to the stomach, the term gastritis is used, and if the small bowel alone is affected it is enteritis.
Globally, gastroenteritis caused 4.6 million deaths in children in 1980 alone, most of these in the developing world Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine estimates the current total figure to be 2.4 to 2.9 million per year This number has now come down significantly to approximately 1.5 million deaths annually, largely due to global introduction of proper oral rehydration therapy
The incidence in the developed countries is as high as 1-2.5 cases per child per year and a major cause of hospitalisation in this age group.
Age, living conditions, hygiene and cultural habits are important factors. Another factor is the location. Aetiological agents vary depending on the climate. Furthermore, most cases of gastroenteritis are seen during the winter in temperate climates and during summer in the tropics
Also some symptoms of gastroenteritis can lead to pneumonia.