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[Retrospective evaluation of persistent diarrhea at a primary health service]
Insights
Persistent diarrhea is a significant health issue in young children, particularly in developing nations. Malnourished children are more susceptible and experience severe nutritional decline, necessitating hospitalization more often than those with shorter diarrhea episodes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Context:
- Persistent diarrhea is a common pediatric concern in developing countries, often leading to mortality.
- Limited data exists on persistent diarrhea despite its prevalence.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of persistent diarrhea in pediatric consultations.
- To identify risk factors and treatment needs for persistent diarrhea.
Summary:
- A retrospective study analyzed 36,358 pediatric consultations, identifying 909 diarrheal episodes, with 6.3% classified as persistent diarrhea (>15 days).
- Persistent diarrhea predominantly affected children under two years old (60.7%) and was strongly associated with malnutrition (p < 0.001).
- Patients with persistent diarrhea required intravenous fluids (23.3%) and hospitalization (27.9%) more frequently than those with shorter episodes.
Impact:
- Highlights the severe impact of persistent diarrhea on child health and nutritional status.
- Underscores the need for targeted interventions for persistent diarrhea, especially in malnourished children.
- Informs healthcare strategies for managing diarrheal diseases in resource-limited settings.
Abstract:
Information about persistent diarrhea is scarse despite the fact that it is a frequent cause of death in children who live in developing countries. The 36,358 pediatric consultations performed at a Primary Health Care Center in Southeastern Santiago in 1984 were retrospectively evaluated. Diarrheic syndromes represented 5.1% of consultations and corresponded to 909 episodes; of these, 6.3% were cases of persistent diarrhea (greater than 15 days). The highest frequency occurred among children under 2 years of age (60.7%). In 68.7% of cases feces were liquid and in 37.5% mucus, pus or blood was present in stools. Persistent diarrhea was more frequent among malnourished patients (p less than 0.001) who, in turn, suffered the greatest nutritional deterioration in relation to the episode of diarrhea. Intravenous fluids were required by 23.3% of patients while 27.9% were admitted to hospital. This contrasts with patients who suffer episodes which lasted less than 15 days, who were all orally hydrated and only 7.8% required hospitalization (p less than 0.01).