Rapid Responses to:

CLINICAL REVIEW: Elizabeth Jane Elliott Acute gastroenteritis in children BMJ 2007; 334: 35-40 [Full text]

Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

Government targets prevent ideal care

Justin G Daniels   (9 January 2007)

Confusing epidemiological background

Hugh van't Hoff   (12 January 2007)

Government targets prevent ideal care 9 January 2007
Justin G Daniels, Consultant Paediatricain Great Ormond st Hospital at the North Middlesex, Sterling Way, London. N18 1QX Send response to journal: Re: Government targets prevent ideal care	Elizabeth Elliots article is excellent and hopefully will help many children. The clinical case in box 2 is true to life except for the fact that government targets mean that to observe a child for 6 hours in an A&E setting is completely forbidden. Breaches over the four hour limit will result in a call from the departmental manager et al. The government's facile approach to assessing health care performance has meant that clinical care is suffering. Competing interests: None declared
Confusing epidemiological background 12 January 2007
Hugh van't Hoff, GP May Lane Surgery, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 4JN Send response to journal: Re: Confusing epidemiological background	Professor Elliot states in her preamble that acute gastroenteritis is "diarrhoea or vomiting (or both) of more than seven days duration". This is not my experience. Typically the viral gastroenteritis I see is characterised by a short prodrome with mild fever and vomiting, followed by 1-4 days of non-bloody, watery diarrhoea then, usually, recovery. Am I missing something or does she mean to say "diarrhoea or vomiting (or both) of LESS than seven days duration"? A small point I agree but it confused the whole article for me. Competing interests: None declared