Clinical dysentery in hospitalized children

Y Finkelstein1, O Moran, Y Avitzur

  • 1Dept. of Pediatrics C, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva.

Infection
|July 18, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Serious bacterial infections cause severe dysentery in hospitalized children. Clinical and lab tests could not identify children at high risk, suggesting early antibiotic treatment is needed.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Clinical dysentery is a severe enteric infection in children.
  • Evaluating serious bacterial causes is crucial for hospitalized pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the impact of bacterial pathogens in pediatric clinical dysentery.
  • To identify clinical or laboratory predictors for high-risk children.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 60 hospitalized children with clinical dysentery.
  • Analysis of clinical and laboratory data alongside stool culture results.

Main Results:

  • Shigella spp. (30%) and Salmonella spp. (25%) were common bacterial causes.
  • No significant differences in clinical or lab parameters between culture-positive and negative groups.
  • Clinical dysentery represented 1.7% of pediatric hospitalizations.

Conclusions:

  • Empiric antibiotic treatment is justified for hospitalized children with clinical dysentery in Israel.
  • Clinical and laboratory parameters could not identify children at risk for serious bacterial pathogens.
Abstract

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