Dedicated to Gastroenterological Discoveries
What is Acute diarrhoea/Acute gastroenteritis?
Diarrhoea is the frequent passing of abnormal amounts of watery stools.
The mucus of the gastrointestinal tract is an important part of the gastrointestinal defense mechanism against foreign aggressive agents. During an acute attack of gastroenteritis, the mucus layer of the gastrointestinal tract is being altered and this will lead to water and electrolyte losses, and impair the structure and function of the mucosal barrier.
In the majority of cases of acute gastroenteritis, it is of primary importance to compensate the water and electrolyte losses to deal with dehydration. It is also important to restore the defences of the mucosa and to protect the enterocytes against infectious agents and potentially aggressive substances, which may lead to the persistence of diarrhoea and ultimately, malnutrition.
