Gastroenterocolitis disease on its own. The most important factor when treating gastroenteritis is the replacement of fluids and electrolytes that are lost because of the diarrhea and vomiting. Antibiotics will not be effective if the cause of gastroenteritis is a viral infection. Doctors usually do not recommend antidiarrheal medications (e.g., Loperamide) for gastroenteritis because they tend to prolong infection, especially in children. Parasitic infections are difficult to treat. A number of drugs are available once the condition has been identified. Removing part of the colon or needle aspiration of abscesses in liver may be required. Depending on the cause of the
Medical state Medical state Medical states or medical conditions are used to describe a patient's condition (that is, their clinical status) in a hospital. These general terms are most commonly used in information given to the news media, and are rarely used as clinical descriptions by physicians, who in their daily business describe medical problems more precisely. Either or both of two aspects of the patient's state may be reported. First, the patient's current state may be reported, e.g., as being good or serious. Second, the patient's short-term prognosis may be reported, e.g., that the patient is improving, is getting worse, or