Antibiotics do not influence the course of uncomplicated enteritis. Always aggressively treat infants younger than 3 months, immunocompromised children, and patients with extraintestinal disease. This treatment is best accomplished in a hospital setting with intravenous antibiotics. If the child is dehydrated, institute appropriate oral rehydration. Intravenous rehydration may be necessary if the child is in critical condition or unable to keep down fluids.
Adequate nutrition is mandatory to prevent malnutrition and to promote healing.
Antibiotics are indicated only as outlined. In addition, these drugs should not be used routinely in children younger than 8 years. These organisms are uniformly resistant to penicillin G and ampicillin, with or without clavulanate. Antimotility agents are contraindicated in the treatment of Y enterocolitica infection. It is recommended for systemic infections, extraintestinal focal infections, and disease in immunocompromised children.