[Hospital load of bacterial intestinal infections]

Infectious diarrhea is a worldwide problem, with differences from country to country, and it is an important cause of infant morbidity and mortality in the underdeveloped countries.

The present study is a retrospective assessment on bacterial intestinal infections, referring to a hospital survey during the 1995-1996 period. The aim of the work is to verify epidemiological and clinical weight of this diseases. The total number of notifications appears rather small, although the limit relating to non-inclusion of paediatric admissions and Clostridium difficile infections. With regard to this problem, it must be emphasized that non-serious and speed recovering clinical pictures probably escape hospitalization.

In the personal research it has been proved the clear supremacy of the group D Salmonella, as referred in other Italian studies. In our investigation, the greater number of cases occurred in summer and the suspected vehicle of infection was frequently foul eggs. The analysis of case reports proved that no importance was ascribed to the research of fecal leucocytes in the diagnostics of diarrhea. With regard to this easy examination, it must be stressed the non-specific role as a screening test for bacterial enteroinvasive infections.

The treatment effected constantly involved the maintenance of adequate fluid-electrolyte balance. However the use of an antimicrobical agent recurred frequently, with preference for ciprofloxacin. In relation to the literature reports, this specifical therapeutic approach is discussed.