Management der akuten infektiösen Gastroenteritis bei Säuglingen und Kleinkindern

Acute infectious gastroenteritis is a common illness in children. Treatment according to the guidelines of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) focuses on achieving rehydration within 4h using a hypo-osmolar oral rehydration solution (ORS). During the rehydration and realimentation phase, it is recommended that mothers continue breastfeeding. Realimentation with a normal diet should begin early, as early as after 4h of rehydration. Any further diarrhea-related fluid losses post-rehydration should be compensated with ORS. The use of unnecessary medications should be avoided. In Austria, pediatricians adhere more closely to these ESPGHAN recommendations than the European average. Given the significance of the issue in pediatric practice, it is advisable to regularly review and thoroughly address the management of acute gastroenteritis. In this context, it is also useful to offer suggestions for reviewing established standard measures that may have inadvertently been adopted as well as potential violations of guidelines in the daily practice of pediatricians.