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Published on: March 10, 2020
Clinical dysentery in hospitalized children
Y Finkelstein1, O Moran, Y Avitzur
1Dept. of Pediatrics C, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva.
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.
Background:
Clinical dysentery is a severe presentation of an enteric infection. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a serious bacterial etiology in clinical dysentery in hospitalized children and determine if children at high risk can be identified on the basis of clinical or laboratory parameters.
Patients And Methods:
A prospective study design was used. The study population included 60 children admitted to our department with clinical dysentery over a 16-month period. Fresh stool specimens were collected on days 1, 2 and 3. The clinical and laboratory data of the children were analyzed.
Results:
Clinical dysentery accounted for 1.7% of all pediatric hospitalizations during this period. Stool cultures were positive for Shigella spp. in 18 children (30%), and Salmonella spp. in 15 children (25%), Campylobacter jejuni was identified in one patient (2%). There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics or laboratory parameters between children with positive and negative stool cultures.
Conclusion:
40% of the children hospitalized for clinical dysentery were eligible for antibiotic treatment. Early administration of empiric antibiotic treatment is justified in children hospitalized for clinical dysentery in Israel. Clinical or laboratory parameters were unable to differentiate those with clinical dysentery at risk of serous bacterial pathogens in stool.
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