In most cases of gastroenteritis, your child will not need a diagnosis from your GP because their symptoms should disappear without treatment.
A diagnosis is usually only required if any of the circumstances or situations listed below occur:
- your child has recently been abroad (they may have acquired a more serious type of infection caused by a parasite)
- their diarrhoea symptoms do not improve after seven days
- they have signs and symptoms not usually associated with gastroenteritis (see Rotavirus gastroenteritis – symptoms for examples of these)
- there is blood and/or mucus in their stools
- your child has a weakened immune system, due to a health condition, such as acute leukaemia, or as a side effect of a medical treatment, such as chemotherapy
Your GP can make a diagnosis by taking a sample of their stools (faeces). This can be checked for the presence of viruses, bacteria or parasites.
In some circumstances, blood and urine tests may be used in order to rule out other conditions, such as a urinary tract infection or pneumonia. This is normally recommended when the child has symptoms suggesting that their infection is not simply limited to their digestive system, such as a rapid heartbeat or low blood pressure.
