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[Relationship between use of antibiotics and chronic diarrhoea in infants and young children]
Insights
Unreasonable antibiotic use in treating acute diarrhea significantly increases the risk of chronic diarrhea in young children. Early diagnosis and judicious antibiotic use are crucial for preventing long-term diarrheal diseases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Context:
- Chronic diarrhea poses a significant health challenge in infants and young children.
- Antibiotic use is common in pediatric care, necessitating an understanding of its potential adverse effects.
Purpose:
- To investigate the association between antibiotic administration and the development of chronic diarrhea in pediatric populations.
- To identify risk factors contributing to chronic diarrhea in young children.
Summary:
- A matched case-control study involving infants and young children with chronic diarrhea, acute diarrhea, and acute respiratory tract infections was conducted.
- Results indicated that unreasonable antibiotic use during acute diarrhea is a major risk factor for developing chronic diarrhea, with increased odds ratios correlating with the number of antibiotics used.
Impact:
- Highlights the critical need for rational antibiotic prescribing in pediatric acute diarrhea to prevent chronicity.
- Emphasizes the importance of early pathogenic diagnosis for effective management and prevention of chronic diarrheal diseases in children.
Objective:
To study the relationship between use of antibiotics and chronic diarrhea in infants and young children.
Methods:
A matched case-control study was carried out in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province during April to October 1997, with a total of 32 cases, (aged 1 - 19 months), with chronic diarrhea (with a length > 2 months), and 128 cases of acute diarrhea (as control group I) and 94 cases of acute respiratory tract infection (as control group II), from the Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University during January 1987 to December 1996.
Results:
Unconditional multiple logistic regression analysis showed that unreasonable use of antibiotics in treatment for acute diarrhea was the major risk factor for chronic diarrhea (OR = 5.61, 95% CI of OR = 1.15 - 27.36 with control group I, and OR = 16.92, 95% CI of OR = 2.67 - 107.32 with control group II). Chi-square test for trend showed that odds ratio of the use of antibiotics in the cases to the controls increased with the number of antibiotics used in treatment.
Conclusion:
Unreasonable use of antibiotics in treatment for acute diarrhea was an important factor contributing to chronic diarrhea in infants and young children. Early pathogenic diagnosis for diarrhea and reasonable use of antibiotics played important roles in prevention form chronicity of diarrheal diseases.
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