What do you understand by gastroenteritis and its treatment?

Gastroenteritis is stomach infection or stomach flu caused by various bacteria, viruses or other microbes. It’s an intestinal infection which causes diarrhoea, cramps, nausea and vomiting. It’s basically caused by an infected person or when a person consumes contaminated food or water.
At Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre, Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Department of Gastroenterology specializes in the treatment of patients suffering from Gastro-intestinal, Pancreatic, Bile Duct and Liver disorders. Advanced and diagnostic healing via upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography or ERCP is given which are procedures to diagnose and treat problems related to liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas. ERCP is a combination of X-ray and an endoscope – a long, flexible, lighted tube.
Doctors at Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre are highly skilled gastroenterologists and gastrointestinal surgeons with a huge experience of performing technically sophisticated procedures as well as offer medical care in accordance with international standards.

Causes of Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is an illness triggered by the infection and inflammation of the digestive system. Symptoms can include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. Some of the causes of gastroenteritis include viruses, bacteria, bacterial toxins, parasites, particular chemicals and some drugs.
The main complication of gastroenteritis is dehydration, but this can be prevented if the fluid lost in vomit and diarrhoea is replaced. A person suffering from severe gastroenteritis may need fluids administered intravenously (directly into the bloodstream via a vein – the setup is often referred to as a ‘drip’).

The symptoms of gastroenteritis include:

• Loss of appetite
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Bloody stools – in some cases
• Pus in the stools – in some cases
• Generally feeling unwell – including lethargy and body aches

Specialised Facilities at Yashoda Superspeciality Hospital, Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad include:

• Endoscopy which suits to perform various diagnostic & therapeutic procedures with high-end endoscopy system and ERCP by OLYMPUS, a global technology leader in designing and delivering innovative solutions for medical and surgical procedures.
• High-end laparoscopic system- it’s a type of surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to access or diagnose the inside of the abdomen and pelvis without making large incisions or cuts in the skin. This procedure is known as keyhole surgery done for gastrointestinal surgeries.
• Diagnostics and therapeutic treatment of gastrointestinal upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy.

Upper gastroIntestinal (GI) Endoscopy is a procedure in which a doctor uses an endoscope flexible tube with a lighted tube and camera. It is used to see the inner lining of a patient’s upper gtastrointestinal tract. This procedure is followed by a doctor to treat conditions of esophagus, stomach and upper intestine or duodenum.
Upper GI Endoscopy can help to find the causes of symptoms such as:

• Internal Bleeding
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain
• Problems in swallowing
• Sudden weight loss
• Persistent heartburn

Upper GI can be used to identify many diseases such as:

• Ulcers
• Cancer
• Gastro esophageal reflux diseases
• Pancreatic abnormalities
• Blockages
• Coeliac disease which is an immune reaction to eating gluten (protein found in wheat, barley and rice). It creates inflammation that damages the small intestine’s lining which leads to medical complications and also creates problems in absorption of some nutrients.
• Narrowing of esophagus

During upper GI, a doctor obtains biopsy, it’s a most common way through which a doctor diagnoses most types of cancers. Only a biopsy can diagnose cancer. During a biopsy, a doctor removes a small amount of tissue from the body to examine under a microscope

Lower Gastro-intestinal Endoscopy or colonoscopy

This is the test which helps doctors to look directly at the lining of the largest part of the intestine or bowel. In order to do the test, a colonoscope is passed through the anus to the largest part of the intestine or bowel. The colonoscope is a long flexible tube with a bright light at the end. The
doctor gets a clear view of the lining of the bowel on a screen and the disease could be detected easily.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP)

ERCP is a procedure that allows doctors to look at small tubes inside pancreas and bile ducts. These tubes are near the stomach which carries digestive juices from liver and pancreas to intestine. The most common reason for ERCP includes:

• Jaundice
• Light stool
• Stone in the bile
• A tumor in the pancreas, gallbladder or liver

Our team of specialists at Yashoda recommend that a patient may require a consultation with gastroenterologists if he/she is suffering from any of the following problems:

• Jaundice
• Chronic Liver Disease (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C), Cirrhosis, Portal Hypertension, Variceal Bleeding, Ascites
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding (Hematemesis / Melena / Fresh Blood Per Rectum)
• Abdominal Pain
• Bloating of Abdomen, Distension of Abdomen
• Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease (Acidity, Heartburn, Vomiting)
• Loss Of Appetite, Weight Loss
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Chronic Diarrhea, Mucus in Stools, Loose Bowel Movements) • Inflammatory Bowel Disease E.G. Ulcerative Colitis
• Elevated serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase or SGOT (it’s a protein made by liver cells when these are damaged SGOT can be elevated)

Best Doctors at Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre, Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad

Dr. Manish Kumar Gupta

Dr. Manish Kumar Gupta is considered one of the experienced gastroenterologists in Delhi NCR. He is recognized for his work in chronic liver disease, pancreatitis, and IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). He is also an expert in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, ERCP, EUS, and capsule endoscopy.

Specializations:

• Jaundice (such as viral hepatitis, obstructive jaundice, biliary stone disease)
• Chronic liver Cancer (hepatitis B&C, cirrhosis, portal hypertension, variceal bleeding and ascites)
• Ulcer (abdominal pain/burning)
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding (hematemesis, melena, hematochezia)
• Abdominal Pain
• Loss of appetite/Weight loss
• Inflammatory bowel disease (Ulcerative colitis/Crohn’s disease)
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Elevated SGOT, SGPT (as a result of Chronic Hepatitis B or C, non-alcoholic Fatty Liver disease)
• Esophageal cancer
• Malabsorption Syndrome
• Pancreatitis (acute/chronic)
• Gastro Esophageal reflux disease (acidity, heat burn, vomiting)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (Chronic diarrhea, mucus in stools, loose bowel movements/constipation

Dr. Sushrut Singh

Dr. Sushrut Singh is a consultant in the Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre.
He has completed his fellowship under Dr. Malay Sharma in advanced therapeutic endoscopy, ERCP and diagnostic & therapeutic Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS). The first hepatologist in Ghaziabad, he is an advanced endoscopist & expert in endoscopic gastric balloon placement for obesity (weight-loss without bariatric surgery). He is well-versed with various gastric and liver-related procedures such as diagnostic and therapeutic upper GI endoscopy, colonoscopy, percutaneous and transjugular biopsy, ERCP and Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS).

Specializations:

• Endoscopy
• Colonoscopy
• Glue Therapy
• Biopsy
• Jaundice
• Chronic liver Disease (hepatitis B/C)
• Injection Therapy for Hemorrhoids
• Liver Biopsy
• Bile Duct Stone removal
• Fibro Scan
• Expert in Endoscopic gastric balloon placement (Weight loss without bariatricSurgery) • Esophageal stenting
• ERCP biliary stenting
• Endoscopic Ultrasound
• Endoscopic Ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology (EUS- FNAC)
• Banding for hemorrhoids
• Liver Pressure management

Treatment for gastroenteritis

Treatment depends on the cause, but may include:

• Resting and drinking lots of fluids
• Taking oral rehydration drinks, available from your pharmacist.
• Taking a warm bath or using a heating bag
• Antibiotics, if bacteria are the cause.
• Drugs to kill the parasites, if parasites are the cause.
• Avoiding anti-vomiting or anti-diarrhoea drugs unless prescribed or recommended by your doctor, because these medications will keep the infection inside your body.
• Taking the BRAT diet which stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. These foods are all starchy which will help in binding foods together to make stools firmer.
• Avoiding Smoking and drinking.