A very ill patient is admitted to the hospital with severe symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that have lasted almost 24 hours. Once discovering that the patient may have ingested contaminated food, a nurse was able to identify this as a(n)

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The onset of symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, being sudden and severe, and lasting less than six months suggests an acute illness. The fact that the patient may have ingested contaminated food further indicates an acute gastrointestinal infection. A chronic illness would last longer than six months, while an exacerbation refers to the worsening of an already existing condition, and a remission refers to a period of improvement or absence of symptoms in a chronic illness.

A Very Ill Patient Is Admitted to the Hospital with Severe