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Traveler's diarrhea in the pediatric population: etiology and impact

Sheila Mackell1

  • 1Pediatrics and Travel Medicine, Mountain View Pediatrics, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, USA. sheilam@npgcable.com

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|November 4, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric traveler's diarrhea poses risks, but data for children is limited. This review examines the evolving role of antimicrobials in treating travel-related illnesses in children.

Area of Science:

  • Travel Medicine
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Children traveling internationally face risks of illnesses similar to adults.
  • Limited data exists on the specific etiology, risk, and treatment of these illnesses in pediatric populations.
  • Current clinical practices often extrapolate adult treatment protocols for children, lacking standardized recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evolving role and judicious use of antimicrobials in treating pediatric traveler's diarrhea.
  • To highlight the need for better-defined treatment parameters for children traveling to distant destinations.
  • To address the gap in research concerning travel-related illnesses in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on pediatric traveler's diarrhea and antimicrobial use.
  • Analysis of epidemiological data related to travel medicine over the past two decades.
  • Synthesis of existing clinical practices and recommendations for pediatric travel-related illnesses.

Main Results:

  • The field of travel medicine has advanced, improving the understanding of traveler's illnesses.
  • Most available data on traveler's diarrhea pertains to adult populations.
  • Treatment parameters for pediatric traveler's diarrhea are based on extrapolated data and clinical practice.

Conclusions:

  • Standardized recommendations for pediatric traveler's diarrhea are lacking.
  • Further research is needed to define the specific risks and optimal treatments for children.
  • The judicious use of antimicrobials in pediatric travel medicine requires careful consideration and evidence-based guidelines.

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