Physical examination of patients with Infectious colitis may be remarkable for abdominal tenderness, fever, and signs of dehydration, such as abnormal orthostatic vital signs, reduced skin turgor, slow capillary refill, and dry mucous membranes. Physical examination among patients with severe dehydration may be remarkable for altered mental status. Physical examination may also show pallor and findings suggestive of complications of the pathogen causing the infectious colitis (e.g. hemolytic uremic syndrome), such as skin pallor, petechiae, and bruises complicating E. coli enteritis.

Physical examination for patients with Infectious colitis may be remarkable for signs of dehydration. Physical examination should also focus on findings that may be suggestive of development of complications of Infectious colitis and of the pathogens causing the Infectious colitis. The Physical examination of individuals with infectious colitis depends on the pathogen causing Infectious colitis as follows:

• Shigella spp.
• Campylobacter jejuni
• Clostridium difficile
• Escherichia coli
• Nontyphoidal Salmonella
• Entameoba histolytica
• Chlamydia trachomatis
• Cytomegalovirus
• Yersinia enterocolitica