Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: Viral gastroenteritis, often referred to as the stomach flu or stomach bug, is a common illness characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The present study was conducted to assess cases of viral gastroenteritis in children. Materials & Methods: 102 patients with viral gastroenteritis of both genders were included. Details of diarrhea, presence of fever, vomiting and clinical signs and symptoms of dehydration were collected. Results: Out of 102 patients, males were 60 and females were 42. There were 72 hospitalized and 30 non- hospitalized patients. Aetiology was rotavirus in 48 and 15, norovirus in 14 and 10, sapovirus in 7 and 4 and astrovirus in 3 and 2 in hospitalized and non- hospitalized patients respectively. Clinical features fever in 65 and 23, vomiting in 41 and 19 and dehydration in 34 and 12 in hospitalized and non- hospitalized patients respectively. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: In both hospitalized and out-of-hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis, rotavirus was the predominant viral pathogen. In a small percentage of hospitalized children, other viruses such as norovirus, sapovirus, and astrovirus were discovered to be related to acute gastroenteritis.