Five things to know about gastroenteritis POSTED: Sunday, March
3, 2013 - 10:00pm UPDATED: Sunday, March 3, 2013 - 10:04pm CNN —
The queen of England has something that most of us get at one
point or another -- but usually gastroenteritis doesn't lead to
a hospital stay. Experts say, however, that anytime an older
patient gets it, the complications can be more serious. Dr. Won
Kyoo Cho, the director of gastroenterology at MedStar Washington
Hospital Center, says doctors are more likely to admit someone
to the hospital when they are concerned about the patient not
being able to keep anything in his or her stomach. "When they
get dehydrated, it usually it gets worse. We need to get them IV
fluids" to replace potassium, magnesium and phosphorous, he
says. Dr. Corey Siegel, a gastroenterologist and assistant
professor at Dartmouth, says dehydration can lead to kidney
problems. And the elderly are at especially high risk of getting
dehydrated when they have gastroenteritis, he says. Once
treated, most symptoms dis