STOMACH FLU- Diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach discomfort (wind)

Wow, it has been a year since I created this blog and I haven't been posting anything. My bad.

My son (3 years old) has just recover from a very very bad vomiting episodes, coupled with some diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Am gonna share some of the things I learn during this few days.

Stomach flu (gastroenteritis) is very common in kids. It is causes by inflammation in the stomach and intestinal tract (food tract in our body).

Main symptoms are diarrhoea, vomit and abdominal pain, might present together with fever, lack of energy and dehydration. My son got most of the symptoms and I am glad dehydration did not occurs with him as dehydration may cause even more distress. It is usually of a viral origin (food, hand washing all are essentials in preventing this)

What happen to my son is vomiting for close to 24 hours and he vomited out all the food and drinks he took. I was very worried but I keep feeding him small sips of water (1-2 tablespoon each time) and it does work. He has not been eating so i give him some sugar water as well for some energy.

After seeing doctor, his vomiting stops after medication but he started having abdominal pain (wind) due to not eating for more than 24 hours, his stomach is full of wind. So he started complaining/crying and can hardly eats because he feels full (wind) but actually there is really no food in his stomach. He sleep practically the whole day (waking up for one hour each time and sleep for 2-3 hours in the day time). I have to coax him and slowly feed him small amount of food. Eventually he is fine.. phew....

Do press the kids stomach when they complain of pain, if it is soft it is probably wind. and the churning/pain will be on and off.If stomach is hard or the kid scream in pain after pressing on it, do seek medical attention immediately.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR KIDS KEEP VOMIT

1. Give sips of water (1-2 tablespoon each time)
2. If feels up to it, few mouthful of plain bread, plain porridge/fish porridge, vermicelli soup (mee sua-chinese), macaroni soup or plain crackers
3. Optional- diluted 100 plus, diluted ribena, soy milk (as recommended by my doctor)
3. Keep a basin/plastic bag nearby so that your kid can vomit into it ( it can be very tiring for the caregiver to keep cleaning up vomit, i have been there so trust me!)
4. If vomit persists for more than 24 hours, start giving Oral Rehydration Salt (to replenish electrolytes in the body)
5. Also, do see a doctor to get some anti-emetic medication to prevent further vomit

TO AVOID- cow's milk, fruits, vegetable, meat

WHAT TO DO IF DIARRHEA

1. Take plain porridge/fish porridge, vermicelli soup(mee sua-chinese), plain macaroni soup, plain bread, plain crackers
2. Replenish fluid after each episode of diarrhea - water, diluted ribena, oral rehydration salt
3. Take Lactobacillus sachet (1 sachet twice a day to add good bacteria to the gut)
4. Wipe buttocks softly to prevent skin torn, causing more pain to your love one.

TO AVOID- cow's milk, fruits, vegetable, meat

WHAT TO DO IF ABDOMINAL PAIN (WIND)

1. Rub Ru Yi Oil (Chinese) or any oil that can get rid of wind
2. Introduce food in small amount (1/4 of usual portion and then slowly increase). If kids can't finish, let him/her be. Eat at their own pace. Give more frequent but small meals
3. Ensure good hydration (it is ok if doesn't eat much, as long as not dehydrated)
4. Rest is vital as well. Let them sleep as much as they like as long as they wake up in between to eat/drink something.

SOME MEDICATIONS THAT MIGHT BE GIVEN BY DOCTOR

1. ANTI EMETIC- for vomiting. 
DIMENHYDRINATE
2-5 years old- 5mg/kg/day in 3-4 divided doses (Do not exceed 75mg/day)
6-12 years old- 5mg/kg/day in 3-4 divided doses (Do not exceed 150mg/day)
>12 years/adult- 50-100 mg every 4-6 hours (Do not exceed 400mg/day)
May cause drowsiness

2. LACTOBACILLUS-re-establish normal intestinal flora
Dose- one packet taken with water up to 3-4 times a day

3. COLIMIX- abdominal wind
EVERY 5 ml contain 5mg of dicyclomine HCL and 50mg of Simethicone
Generally Colimix drops are for infants less than 6 months old and syrup for more than 6 months old. I couldn't find any dosing information online so do refer to the bottle if you get them from pharmacy/doctor.

4. ORAL REHYDRATION SALT- replace lost electrolytes due to vomit/diarrhea
Generally 2-3 packets a day

5. PARACETAMOL- for fever (when required)
Generally 10-15mg/kg/dose up to 4 doses a day

Disclaimer: Information is based on my personal experience with some research online. If in doubt, do check with your medical practitioner.

Conclusion- The key is to keep your child as comfortable as possible, let him/her nap as much as possible as the body needed energy to fight the infection, waking up at certain interval for some water/food. Most importantly, make sure the kids are not dehydrated.