Ancillary testing in children with rotavirus gastroenteritis.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Microbiology

Background:

• Rotavirus gastroenteritis (RGE) is a common childhood illness.
• Microbiological assays are often used to rule out serious bacterial infections (SBI) in RGE patients.
• The incidence of concurrent SBI in RGE is largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of SBI in children with RGE.
• To identify risk factors associated with prolonged hospitalization in this cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of children under 18 with laboratory-confirmed RGE.
• Data collected over a 4-year period at a community hospital.
• Prolonged length of stay (LOS) defined as hospitalization for ≥3 days.

Main Results:

• Ninety-four RGE cases were identified; 88.3% required admission.
• No cases of concurrent SBI were found.
• Age ≤6 months and peripheral blood culture collection were associated with prolonged LOS (≥3 days).

Conclusions:

• The absence of SBI in children with RGE suggests routine microbiological assays may be unnecessary.
• Younger children (≤6 months) are at higher risk for prolonged hospitalization.
• Findings may inform clinical practice regarding diagnostic testing and resource allocation.