Vomiting and diarrhea in children without fever: treatment

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Any deviations from the norm in matters of the child's health cause strong feelings in the parents. The simultaneous appearance of vomiting and diarrhea without fever in children is a sign of the development of a pathological condition.

How to treat a child and what measures to take in the first place largely depends on the causes of the complex of symptoms that characterize a particular disease.

Childhood vomiting and diarrhea without hyperthermia

Adverse reactions in the form of vomiting and diarrhea without an increase in body temperature in children may appear due to various factors. First of all, it is worth excluding the exacerbation of any chronic disease from the history of a child who has stool disorders and vomit in the symptoms.

The most common causes of a complex of symptoms are:

• poisoning (food, drugs, chemicals, carbon monoxide, alcohol, drugs);
• intestinal infections (rotavirus, dysentery, salmonellosis);
• primary signs of acute inflammation of the epigastric organs (cholecystitis, pancreatitis, gastritis, ulcers) and appendicitis;
• allergic reactions to medicines and foods;
• infectious diseases (pneumonia, meningitis, encephalitis);
• disorders of the central nervous system, craniocerebral trauma;
• sun or heatstroke;
• acetone crisis;
• dysbiosis.

Therapy will depend on the patient's age, severity and clinical manifestations of the identified disease. The more accurately the diagnosis is made and the appropriate measures are taken, the more effective the treatment is.

Intestinal infections

One of the most common causes of vomiting and diarrhea without severe hyperthermia is an infection that develops in the intestines.

Classic symptoms:

• vomiting independent of food intake (single or repeated);
• diarrhea occurs more often than vomiting;
• with the viral course of the infection, watery stools appear, with the bacterial - slimy with a pungent odor and foam;
• growing cramping pains in the visceral region;
• anxiety of the child, alternating with drowsiness and unwillingness to move;
• refusal to eat and drink.

Treatment of children under one year of age is carried out only in stationary conditions. In other cases, the decision on hospitalization is made by the doctor depending on the course of the disease.

Treatments include:

1. Rehydration activities.
2. Introduction of enterosorbents and nitrofurans.
3. Antiviral or antibiotic therapy, depending on the cause of diarrhea and vomiting.
4. Relief of painful conditions and a decrease in temperature.
5. Restoration of microflora using probiotics.

Intoxication with various substances

Symptoms change depending on the type of poisoning. The main features will be common:

• exhausting frequent vomiting;
• multiple liquefied stools without impurities with an unpleasant odor;
• pallor of the epidermis and chills;
• severe pains of a spasmodic nature in the abdomen;
• refusal of water and food;
• moodiness, alternating with a breakdown and drowsiness;
• with the cessation of diarrhea and vomiting, the patient's condition does not improve.

Children under the age of three are subject to compulsory hospitalization. Treatment for food poisoning involves:

1. Gastric lavage to remove toxins.
2. The use of nitrofurans and enterosorbents.
3. Restoration of the body's water-salt balance.
4. Therapy with anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic drugs, probiotics.

Boosting acetone

Acetonemic intoxication causes a rapid deterioration in the child's condition, characterized by:

• sharp violent vomiting with multiple repetitions;
• nausea, weakness, pallor of integuments;
• the presence of the smell of acetone in vomit, urine and breath;
• dehydration of the body;
• abdominal cramps, palpitations;
• an increase in temperature without timely therapy;
• convulsions, lethargy, photophobia.

When acetone is detected in urine, the following therapeutic measures are prescribed:

1. Bowel lavage with soda enemas.
2. Alkaline drink.
3. Replenishment of the normal level of glucose in the body.
4. Special diet.

Allergic reaction

The occurrence of such a phenomenon may be associated with the consumption of a new product or drug intolerance.

Allergy Signs:

• vomiting and diarrhea appear after feeding or taking medication;
• itching, redness and rashes on the skin;
• breathing problems, swelling of the mucous membranes.

Therapy depends on the intensity of the allergic manifestations. Antihistamines and absorbents are prescribed. Hormonal agents and hospital treatment are indicated in severe cases.

Relatively Safe Causes of Diarrhea and Vomiting

The occurrence of vomiting and diarrhea in children without fever is not always the basis for the development of serious diseases. Before contacting a doctor, it is necessary to exclude the following reasons that do not require specific treatment:

• psychogenic vomiting and diarrhea, arising against the background of pronounced emotional overload (excitement, anxiety, overexcitation, shock);
• inaccuracies in nutrition (imbalance in the diet, intolerance to certain foods, too large amounts of food, "heavy" food for a child's stomach);
• acclimatization;
• abundant mucous accumulations in the nasopharynx with a runny nose and productive cough sometimes provoke bouts of vomiting;
• inappropriate introduction of complementary foods, overeating or teething in infants.

First aid

Vomiting and diarrhea with and without fever is a concern for parents and children. In case of unpleasant symptoms, it is important to choose the right tactics to alleviate the condition before the ambulance arrives:

1. Panic or strong emotional reactions from a parent can scare the child and worsen their condition. You need to calm your baby and help rinse your mouth after vomiting. When choosing a recumbent position, the head should be above the level of the body and be turned to one side. Infants are best held upright in their arms.
2. Prevent dehydration. An important condition is the fragmentation of the drink. For infants, give 1 teaspoon; for older children, give large amounts every 10 minutes.
3. If a high temperature appears, wipe the body with a napkin dipped in warm water.
4. Do not feed until the condition improves, follow the diet after diagnosis.
5. Do not give medications for vomiting and diarrhea without a doctor's prescription. Only after examination and diagnosis, identifying the causes of the disorder, the specialist will determine how to treat the child.

When urgent medical attention is required

The likelihood of complications after the onset of physiological processes aimed at removing toxins and pathogenic microorganisms is quite high in the smallest patients.

Dehydration, sudden weight loss, risk of bleeding and suffocation during vomiting, aspiration pneumonia, coma and death are a list of consequences in the development of a chronic form of a pathological condition. The younger the child is, the faster dangerous symptoms appear.

An immediate appeal to a medical institution is necessary in the following cases:

• repeated bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, following each other within three hours;
• the presence of blood impurities in vomit and loose stools;
• high fever and severe pain in the abdomen, neck and head;
• refusal or inability to drink saline solution (water) due to incessant vomiting;
• detecting signs of dehydration (lethargy, drowsiness, dry mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes, crying without tears, rare urination with a pungent odor and dark color, gray skin and loss of consciousness);
• suspicion of poisoning with canned food, mushrooms, spoiled food, medicines, chemicals or poisons.

Single cases of vomiting and diarrhea without hyperthermia are not cause for concern. If the attacks are systematic and there are signs of dehydration, a doctor's consultation is necessary to make a diagnosis and prescribe an effective treatment.