Hematologic findings in children with rotavirus-positive and -negative diarrhea

The authors studied neutropenia in 101 children hospitalized for gastroenteritis between 1 December 2000 and 30 June 2001 and identified children tested for rotavirus by reviewing their laboratory records. Rotavirus-positive and rotavirus-negative subjects did not differ significantly in their white blood cell counts, absolute neutrophil counts, or frequency of neutropenia (defined as an absolute neutrophil count < 1.0 x 10(9)/L), which accompanied 8.6% of rotavirus-positive cases and 9.3% of rotavirus-negative cases of gastroenteritis. The authors conclude that mild neutropenia accompanying diarrhea does not require further evaluation unless it persists or is associated with other factors such as sepsis.