Background/Objective: Acute gastroenteritis is a major cause of diarrheal illnesses throughout the United States. The purpose of this article is to review the current knowledge in diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar, focusing on articles published within the last ten years. Results: There are multiple etiologies of gastroenteritis that affect the general population. Out of the many causes, norovirus continues to be a leading cause of acute diarrheal illness worldwide. Rotavirus was also a common form of diarrhea worldwide, but the development of routine vaccination has largely reduced its incidence. Bacterial gastroenteritis continues to be a significant burden on healthcare facilities worldwide. Supportive care remains the cornerstone of treatment, while using antibiotics remains crucial in severe bacterial forms of gastroenteritis. Conclusions: Acute gastroenteritis remains a significant global health concern requiring a multifaceted approach for effective management. Enhanced diagnostic techniques, vaccine development, and robust public health measures are essential in controlling the spread of gastroenteritis.

Introduction: Clinicians have several imaging options to evaluate suspected or confirmed small bowel Crohn’s disease (SB-CD), including computed tomography enterography (CTE), magnetic resonance enterography (MRE), intestinal ultrasound (IUS), and video capsule endoscopy (VCE). Methods: Direct head-to-head comparative analysis and network meta-analysis were conducted on all available modalities using a random effects model. Furthermore, each modality was ranked using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve approach (P-score). Results: The present review included 29 studies with a total population of 2609 individuals. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy for the detection of SB-CD were 89.6%, 86.2%, and 71.5% for VCE; 82%, 71.6%, and 67.9% for MRE; 79.6%, 82.7%, and 52.3% for CTE; and 89.3%, 72%, and 71% for IUS, respectively. The network meta-analysis found that VCE exhibited superior diagnostic accuracy compared to CTE and MRE, while demonstrating comparable performance between VCE and IUS, as well as among MRE, CTE, and IUS. Further, the ranking analysis positioned VCE (P-score .97) as the most effective diagnostic modality for SB-CD, followed by IUS, MRE, and CTE. Subgroup analysis showed that VCE had significantly better diagnostic accuracy than the other modalities for detecting proximal SB-CD. Regarding adverse events, VCE was associated with capsule retention in 3.3% of the cases in these studies. Conclusions: VCE exhibited superior diagnostic performance for detecting established proximal SB-CD compared to other imaging modalities. Clinicians should weigh the benefits and risks, and incorporate other modalities, such as MRE and IUS to optimize diagnosis and management.

Background: Gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) is an emerging endoscopic approach to treat refractory gastroparesis (GP). Previous studies have shown short-term benefits, but the long-term outcomes are unclear. This analysis evaluated the short- and long-term efficacy of G-POEM compared with standard medical treatment for adults with refractory GP. Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that evaluated G-POEM for refractory GP. Clinical success was defined variably across studies, most commonly as a ≥50% reduction in Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI) scores or combined symptoms and gastric emptying improvement. Pooled estimates for clinical success, GCSI scores, and gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) were calculated using a random effects model. Adverse events and predictors of long-term outcomes were assessed. Results: This meta-analysis included 23 studies involving 871 patients who underwent G-POEM. The clinical response rates remained consistently above 70% during the first year, peaked at 79% at 24 months, and reached 81% at 60 months. G-POEM was associated with significant and durable reductions in GCSI scores at 1 month (SMD −2.68, 95% CI: −3.58 to −1.78), 12 months (SMD −2.12, 95% CI: −2.73 to −1.50), and 60 months (SMD −2.55, 95% CI: −4.88 to −0.23), as well as sustained improvements in gastric emptying at 12 months (SMD −33.60%, P <0.05) and 24 months (SMD −36.17%, P <0.05). Adverse events occurred in 7% of the cases. Predictors of long-term clinical success included idiopathic etiology ( P =0.04), shorter disease duration ( P =0.04), prior botulinum toxin injection ( P =0.02), and higher baseline symptom severity ( P <0.05). Conclusions: G-POEM may offer sustained symptoms and gastric emptying improvement in refractory GP, but findings should be interpreted cautiously given reliance on observational data, variable success definitions, lack of sham-controlled evidence, and the absence of a standard effective medical comparator. Careful patient selection remains essential, and randomized trials are needed to confirm its long-term efficacy.