Acute Gastroenteritis Protocol
Primary care clinical filter to differentiate viral etiology from bacterial complications requiring referral.
🔍 Clinical Red Flag Screening
Evaluate the patient for any single high-risk feature below. Meeting even one criterion mandates immediate hospital referral.
🔴 YES: Refer to Hospital
If ANY single feature below is present:
- Immunocompetent host with high grade fever more than 3 days, or in sepsis
- Suspected enteric fever
- Dysenteric diarrhea (passage of grossly bloody stool)
- Recently traveled internationally with body temperature ≥ 38.5 °C and/or signs of sepsis
- Immunocompromised host
🟢 NO: Outpatient Management
In the absolute absence of all red flags:
- The aetiology is highly likely viral in origin
- Antibiotic therapy is NOT needed
🔍 Clinical Safeguard Note
Always consider other causes of non-infective diarrhea during your active history assessment.