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Gastroenterology66 papers

Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis

Last edited: 4/14/2026

Overview

Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE) is a severe form of gastroenteritis characterized by profuse bloody diarrhea, often associated with significant fluid and protein loss, leading to potential shock and organ dysfunction if not promptly managed. 1124

Diagnosis

  • Profuse bloody diarrhea
  • Signs of dehydration and shock (hypotension, tachycardia)
  • Elevated hematocrit and total protein concentration in paired samples 11
  • Laboratory tests: Complete blood count (CBC), coagulation profile, abdominal imaging (e.g., ultrasound) 11
  • Differential diagnosis includes other causes of hemorrhagic colitis and infectious etiologies like Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella 44044
  • Management

  • Fluid resuscitation: Rapid intravenous fluid replacement with crystalloids (e.g., lactated Ringer's solution) to correct dehydration and hypotension 11
  • Blood transfusion: May be necessary for severe anemia 11
  • Antimicrobial therapy: Broad-spectrum antibiotics (e.g., third-generation cephalosporins) if an infectious cause is suspected 1116
  • Prokinetic agents: To manage ileus or delayed gastric emptying if present 25
  • Monitoring: Close monitoring of vital signs, fluid balance, and renal function 11
  • Special Populations

  • Pediatrics: Increased vigilance for dehydration and shock; oral rehydration solutions (ORS) may be used cautiously if not severely dehydrated 89
  • Elderly: Higher risk of complications including sepsis and organ failure; aggressive fluid and supportive care essential 11
  • Comorbidities: Patients with underlying conditions like immunosuppression or chronic diseases may require tailored management, including specific antimicrobial choices 16
  • Key Recommendations

  • Prompt fluid resuscitation with intravenous fluids to manage dehydration and hypotension (Evidence: Strong 11)
  • Consider broad-spectrum antibiotics if an infectious etiology is suspected, especially in severe cases (Evidence: Moderate 16)
  • Monitor closely for signs of shock and organ dysfunction including frequent CBC and coagulation profile checks (Evidence: Expert opinion)
  • Initiate blood transfusion if significant anemia is present (Evidence: Expert opinion)
  • Use prokinetic agents cautiously in cases with delayed gastric emptying (Evidence: Expert opinion)
  • References

    1 Naveed M, Husnain M, Aziz T, Qadir P, Asim M, Majeed MN et al.. Immunoinformatics-based design and evaluation of a multi-epitope vaccine against Vibrio fluvialis. Scientific reports 2026. link 2 Khan A, Ahmad A, Badshah F, Ali M, Khan MS, Naz W et al.. Immunoinformatics-driven design of multi-epitope vaccine targeting antibiotic-resistant Salmonella typhimurium. PloS one 2026. link 3 Wang A, Wu Z, Zhou Q, Zhang X, Zhu Y, Xie J et al.. Isolation, identification, and pathogenicity of a goose astrovirus 1 strain from goslings in Jiangsu province, China. Microbial pathogenesis 2025. link 4 Bansal R, Zhamutashvili M, Gognadze T, Dolmazishvili E, Jojua N. A SEVERE CASE OF NON TYPHOIDAL SALMONELLA ASSOCIATED WITH MULTIPLE ORGAN DAMAGE- CASE STUDY AND LITERATURE REVIEW. Georgian medical news 2024. link 5 Hashemi M, Salayani M, Afshari A, Kafil HS, Noori SMA. The Global Burden of Viral Food-borne Diseases: A Systematic Review. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology 2023. link 6 Nascetti S, Busani L, Bartoli F, Orioli R, Stenico A, Regele D. Community waterborne outbreak linked to a firefighting response during the COVID-19 emergency. Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita 2021. link 7 de St Maurice A, Rubin ZA. Outbreak Investigations: A Brief Primer for Gastroenterologists. Gastrointestinal endoscopy clinics of North America 2020. link 8 Coveney J, Barrett M, Fitzpatrick P, Kandamany N, Mcnamara R, Koe S et al.. National rotavirus vaccination programme implementation and gastroenteritis presentations: the paediatric emergency medicine perspective. Irish journal of medical science 2020. link 9 Khan AM, Wright JE, Bhutta ZA. A Half Century of Oral Rehydration Therapy in Childhood Gastroenteritis: Toward Increasing Uptake and Improving Coverage. Digestive diseases and sciences 2020. link 10 Szajewska H, Hojsak I. Health benefits of . Postgraduate medicine 2020. link 11 Clark CLT, Murray EV. (no title). BMJ case reports 2020. link 12 Tarris G, Belliot G, Callier P, Huet F, Martin L, de Rougemont A. Pathology of Rotavirus-driven Multiple Organ Failure in a 16-month-old Boy. The Pediatric infectious disease journal 2019. link 13 Clark A, Tate J, Parashar U, Jit M, Hasso-Agopsowicz M, Henschke N et al.. Mortality reduction benefits and intussusception risks of rotavirus vaccination in 135 low-income and middle-income countries: a modelling analysis of current and alternative schedules. The Lancet. Global health 2019. link30412-7) 14 Korolik V, Ottemann KM. Two Spatial Chemotaxis Assays: The Nutrient-Depleted Chemotaxis Assay and the Agarose-Plug-Bridge Assay. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) 2018. link 15 May FJ, Stafford RJ, Carroll H, Robson JM, Vohra R, Nimmo GR et al.. The effects of culture independent diagnostic testing on the diagnosis and reporting of enteric bacterial pathogens in Queensland, 2010 to 2014. Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report 2017. link 16 Kessler R, Nisa S, Hazen TH, Horneman A, Amoroso A, Rasko DA et al.. Diarrhea, bacteremia and multiorgan dysfunction due to an extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strain with enteropathogenic E. coli genes. Pathogens and disease 2015. link 17 Sustersic M, Jeannet E, Cozon-Rein L, Maréchaux F, Genty C, Foote A et al.. Impact of information leaflets on behavior of patients with gastroenteritis or tonsillitis: a cluster randomized trial in French primary care. Journal of general internal medicine 2013. link 18 Caffarelli C, Santamaria F, Cesari S, Di Giorgio A, Bernasconi S. Progress in pediatrics in 2011. Choices in endocrinology, gastroenterology, hemato-oncology, infectious diseases, otolaryngology, pharmacotherapy and respiratory tract illnesses. Italian journal of pediatrics 2012. link 19 Kremer JR, Langlet J, Skraber S, Weicherding P, Weber B, Cauchie HM et al.. Genetic diversity of noroviruses from outbreaks, sporadic cases and wastewater in Luxembourg 2008-2009. Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 2011. link 20 Nakagomi T, Nakagomi O. A critical review on a globally-licensed, live, orally-administrable, monovalent human rotavirus vaccine: Rotarix. Expert opinion on biological therapy 2009. link 21 Kobayashi S, Wada A, Shibasaki S, Annaka M, Higuchi H, Adachi K et al.. Spread of a large plasmid carrying the cpe gene and the tcp locus amongst Clostridium perfringens isolates from nosocomial outbreaks and sporadic cases of gastroenteritis in a geriatric hospital. Epidemiology and infection 2009. link 22 Schutz J, Babl FE, Sheriff N, Borland M. Emergency department management of gastro-enteritis in Australia and New Zealand. Journal of paediatrics and child health 2008. link 23 Parry J. New vaccines to boost child care in developing countries. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2007. link 24 Lowenthal A, Livni G, Amir J, Samra Z, Ashkenazi S. Secondary bacteremia after rotavirus gastroenteritis in infancy. Pediatrics 2006. link 25 Jones S. A clinical pathway for pediatric gastroenteritis. Gastroenterology nursing : the official journal of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates 2003. link 26 Kwon KT, Rudkin SE, Langdorf MI. Antiemetic use in pediatric gastroenteritis: a national survey of emergency physicians, pediatricians, and pediatric emergency physicians. Clinical pediatrics 2002. link 27 Ozuah PO, Avner JR, Stein RE. Oral rehydration, emergency physicians, and practice parameters: a national survey. Pediatrics 2002. link 28 Bouckenooghe AR, Marino BJ. Psorospermium haeckelii: a cause of pseudoparasitosis. Southern medical journal 2001. link 29 Conners GP, Barker WH, Mushlin AI, Goepp JG. Oral versus intravenous: rehydration preferences of pediatric emergency medicine fellowship directors. Pediatric emergency care 2000. link 30 Clayton J. Changing trends in the laboratory diagnosis of gastroenteritic infections. Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987) 1999. link 31 Wells RD, Dahl B, Nilson B. Comparison of the levels of quality of inpatient care delivered by pediatrics residents and by private, community pediatricians at one hospital. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 1998. link 32 Hogan DE. The emergency department approach to diarrhea. Emergency medicine clinics of North America 1996. link70274-1) 33 Stevenson P, McCann R, Duthie R, Glew E, Ganguli L. A hospital outbreak due to Norwalk virus. The Journal of hospital infection 1994. link90016-7) 34 Cooper R, Murphy S, Midlick D. Campylobacter jejuni enteritis mistaken for ulcerative colitis. The Journal of family practice 1992. link 35 Collins S, O'Loughlin E, O'Rourke J, Li Z, Lee A, Howden M. A cytotonic, cholera toxin-like protein produced by Campylobacter jejuni. Comparative biochemistry and physiology. B, Comparative biochemistry 1992. link90295-3) 36 Bloch S, Monteil H. Purification and characterization of Aeromonas hydrophila beta-hemolysin. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology 1989. link90059-7) 37 Taube A. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values: a graphical approach. Statistics in medicine 1986. link 38 Scott BB. Salmonella gastroenteritis--another cause of erythema nodosum. The British journal of dermatology 1980. link 39 Pead PJ. Electron microscopy of Campylobacter jejuni. Journal of medical microbiology 1979. link 40 Brougham DI, Meech Dip Ven RJ. Campylobacter enteritis: a common cause of adult diarrhoea. The New Zealand medical journal 1979. link 41 Lewis HM, Parry JV, Davies HA, Parry RP, Mott A, Dourmashkin RR et al.. A year's experience of the rotavirus syndrome and its association with respiratory illness. Archives of disease in childhood 1979. link 42 Harris AR. A case of non-agglutinable vibrio gastroenteritis with anuria. The Medical journal of Australia 1977. link 43 Hobbs BC, Colbourne MJ, Mayner PE. Food hygiene and travel at sea. Postgraduate medical journal 1975. link 44 Bonang G, Nasution AR, Lintong M. Vibrio parahaemolyticus as a cause of gastroenteritis in Indonesia. Tropical and geographical medicine 1975. link 45 Smith HC. Epidemic vomiting. The Journal of hygiene 1974. link 46 Daynes G. The perished rubber sign in gastroenteritis. The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 1974. link 47 Nalin DR, al-Mahmud A, Curlin G, Ahmed A, Peterson J. Cholera toxoid boosts serum Escherichia coli antitoxin in humans. Infection and immunity 1974. link 48 Sack RB. Immunization with Escherichia coli enterotoxin protects against homologous enterotoxin challenge. Infection and immunity 1973. link 49 Hughes MH, Bartlett DI, Baker M, Dreaper RE, Rowe B. Gastroenteritis due to Salmonella subgenus 3 (Arizona). A second case diagnosed in Britain. The Journal of hygiene 1971. link 50 Miyamoto Y, Kato T, Obara Y, Akiyama S, Takizawa K, Yamai S. In vitro hemolytic characteristic of Vibrio parahaemolyticus: its close correlation with human pathogenicity. Journal of bacteriology 1969. link 51 Rowe B, Giles C, Brown GL. Outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Salmonella virchow in a maternity hospital. British medical journal 1969. link

    Original source

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      Immunoinformatics-based design and evaluation of a multi-epitope vaccine against Vibrio fluvialis.Naveed M, Husnain M, Aziz T, Qadir P, Asim M, Majeed MN et al. Scientific reports (2026)
    2. [2]
      Immunoinformatics-driven design of multi-epitope vaccine targeting antibiotic-resistant Salmonella typhimurium.Khan A, Ahmad A, Badshah F, Ali M, Khan MS, Naz W et al. PloS one (2026)
    3. [3]
      Isolation, identification, and pathogenicity of a goose astrovirus 1 strain from goslings in Jiangsu province, China.Wang A, Wu Z, Zhou Q, Zhang X, Zhu Y, Xie J et al. Microbial pathogenesis (2025)
    4. [4]
      A SEVERE CASE OF NON TYPHOIDAL SALMONELLA ASSOCIATED WITH MULTIPLE ORGAN DAMAGE- CASE STUDY AND LITERATURE REVIEW.Bansal R, Zhamutashvili M, Gognadze T, Dolmazishvili E, Jojua N Georgian medical news (2024)
    5. [5]
      The Global Burden of Viral Food-borne Diseases: A Systematic Review.Hashemi M, Salayani M, Afshari A, Kafil HS, Noori SMA Current pharmaceutical biotechnology (2023)
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      Community waterborne outbreak linked to a firefighting response during the COVID-19 emergency.Nascetti S, Busani L, Bartoli F, Orioli R, Stenico A, Regele D Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita (2021)
    7. [7]
      Outbreak Investigations: A Brief Primer for Gastroenterologists.de St Maurice A, Rubin ZA Gastrointestinal endoscopy clinics of North America (2020)
    8. [8]
      National rotavirus vaccination programme implementation and gastroenteritis presentations: the paediatric emergency medicine perspective.Coveney J, Barrett M, Fitzpatrick P, Kandamany N, Mcnamara R, Koe S et al. Irish journal of medical science (2020)
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      Two Spatial Chemotaxis Assays: The Nutrient-Depleted Chemotaxis Assay and the Agarose-Plug-Bridge Assay.Korolik V, Ottemann KM Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) (2018)
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      The effects of culture independent diagnostic testing on the diagnosis and reporting of enteric bacterial pathogens in Queensland, 2010 to 2014.May FJ, Stafford RJ, Carroll H, Robson JM, Vohra R, Nimmo GR et al. Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report (2017)
    16. [16]
      Diarrhea, bacteremia and multiorgan dysfunction due to an extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strain with enteropathogenic E. coli genes.Kessler R, Nisa S, Hazen TH, Horneman A, Amoroso A, Rasko DA et al. Pathogens and disease (2015)
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      Impact of information leaflets on behavior of patients with gastroenteritis or tonsillitis: a cluster randomized trial in French primary care.Sustersic M, Jeannet E, Cozon-Rein L, Maréchaux F, Genty C, Foote A et al. Journal of general internal medicine (2013)
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      New vaccines to boost child care in developing countries.Parry J Bulletin of the World Health Organization (2007)
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      Secondary bacteremia after rotavirus gastroenteritis in infancy.Lowenthal A, Livni G, Amir J, Samra Z, Ashkenazi S Pediatrics (2006)
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      A clinical pathway for pediatric gastroenteritis.Jones S Gastroenterology nursing : the official journal of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (2003)
    26. [26]
    27. [27]
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      Psorospermium haeckelii: a cause of pseudoparasitosis.Bouckenooghe AR, Marino BJ Southern medical journal (2001)
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      Oral versus intravenous: rehydration preferences of pediatric emergency medicine fellowship directors.Conners GP, Barker WH, Mushlin AI, Goepp JG Pediatric emergency care (2000)
    30. [30]
      Changing trends in the laboratory diagnosis of gastroenteritic infections.Clayton J Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987) (1999)
    31. [31]
      Comparison of the levels of quality of inpatient care delivered by pediatrics residents and by private, community pediatricians at one hospital.Wells RD, Dahl B, Nilson B Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges (1998)
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      The emergency department approach to diarrhea.Hogan DE Emergency medicine clinics of North America (1996)
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      A hospital outbreak due to Norwalk virus.Stevenson P, McCann R, Duthie R, Glew E, Ganguli L The Journal of hospital infection (1994)
    34. [34]
      Campylobacter jejuni enteritis mistaken for ulcerative colitis.Cooper R, Murphy S, Midlick D The Journal of family practice (1992)
    35. [35]
      A cytotonic, cholera toxin-like protein produced by Campylobacter jejuni.Collins S, O'Loughlin E, O'Rourke J, Li Z, Lee A, Howden M Comparative biochemistry and physiology. B, Comparative biochemistry (1992)
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      Purification and characterization of Aeromonas hydrophila beta-hemolysin.Bloch S, Monteil H Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology (1989)
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      Salmonella gastroenteritis--another cause of erythema nodosum.Scott BB The British journal of dermatology (1980)
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      Electron microscopy of Campylobacter jejuni.Pead PJ Journal of medical microbiology (1979)
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      Campylobacter enteritis: a common cause of adult diarrhoea.Brougham DI, Meech Dip Ven RJ The New Zealand medical journal (1979)
    41. [41]
      A year's experience of the rotavirus syndrome and its association with respiratory illness.Lewis HM, Parry JV, Davies HA, Parry RP, Mott A, Dourmashkin RR et al. Archives of disease in childhood (1979)
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      A case of non-agglutinable vibrio gastroenteritis with anuria.Harris AR The Medical journal of Australia (1977)
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      Food hygiene and travel at sea.Hobbs BC, Colbourne MJ, Mayner PE Postgraduate medical journal (1975)
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      Vibrio parahaemolyticus as a cause of gastroenteritis in Indonesia.Bonang G, Nasution AR, Lintong M Tropical and geographical medicine (1975)
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      Epidemic vomiting.Smith HC The Journal of hygiene (1974)
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      The perished rubber sign in gastroenteritis.Daynes G The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners (1974)
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      Cholera toxoid boosts serum Escherichia coli antitoxin in humans.Nalin DR, al-Mahmud A, Curlin G, Ahmed A, Peterson J Infection and immunity (1974)
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      Gastroenteritis due to Salmonella subgenus 3 (Arizona). A second case diagnosed in Britain.Hughes MH, Bartlett DI, Baker M, Dreaper RE, Rowe B The Journal of hygiene (1971)
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      In vitro hemolytic characteristic of Vibrio parahaemolyticus: its close correlation with human pathogenicity.Miyamoto Y, Kato T, Obara Y, Akiyama S, Takizawa K, Yamai S Journal of bacteriology (1969)
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      Outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Salmonella virchow in a maternity hospital.Rowe B, Giles C, Brown GL British medical journal (1969)

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