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Burden of pediatrics hospitalizations associated with Rotavirus gastroenteritis in Lombardy (Northern Italy) before
Laura Pellegrinelli1, Laura Bubba1, Valeria Primache1
1Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Insights
Rotavirus gastroenteritis is a significant cause of hospitalization in young children in Lombardy, Italy. Hospital discharge data effectively tracks this viral illness and its epidemiological patterns.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Rotavirus is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in children under five, posing a significant public health challenge.
- This viral infection incurs substantial social and economic costs in developed nations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency and epidemiological characteristics of Rotavirus-associated hospitalizations in Lombardy, Italy.
- To analyze hospitalization data for acute gastroenteritis in children under five from 2005 to 2011.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Lombardy Hospital Discharge Database from the Italian Ministry of Health.
- Analyzed ICD-9-CM codes for acute gastroenteritis (viral, bacterial, parasitic, undetermined) in primary and secondary diagnoses.
- Focused on children aged five years and younger between 2005 and 2011.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus accounted for 50.8% of 32,944 acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations in Lombardy.
- The majority (65.5%) of Rotavirus cases were primary diagnoses.
- Hospitalizations peaked in February-March, primarily affecting children under two years old (64.5% cumulative prevalence).
- Diarrhea of undetermined etiology shared similar epidemiological traits with Rotavirus cases, suggesting potential viral involvement.
Conclusions:
- Rotavirus is confirmed as the primary agent of acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations in the studied population.
- Hospital discharge data provides a straightforward method for estimating the burden and epidemiological features of Rotavirus gastroenteritis.
- This data is valuable for surveillance before and after national Rotavirus vaccination implementation in Italy.
Aim:
Rotavirus is recognized as the main cause of acute gastroenteritis in children under 5 years old, representing a considerable public health problem with a great impact on social and public health costs in developed countries. This study aims to assess the frequency and the epidemiological aspect of the hospitalization associated with Rotavirus-gastroenteritis in Lombardy, Northern Italy, from 2005 to 2011.
Methods:
The Lombardy Hospital Discharge Database was inquired from the official data of the Italian Ministry of Health and investigated for acute gastroenteritis (ICD9-CM code for bacteria, parasitic, viral and undetermined etiologic diarrhea) in primary and secondary diagnosis in children ≤ 5 years, between 2005 and 2011.
Results:
Out of the 32 944 acute-gastroenteritis hospitalizations reported in Lombardy, the 50.8% was caused by Rotavirus infection; of these, the 65.5% were reported in primary diagnosis. The peak of Rotavirus-gastroenteritis hospitalization was observed in February-March in children < 2 years old, with a cumulative prevalence of 64.5%. Patients admitted to hospital with diarrhea of undetermined etiology (about 14% of overall acute-gastroenteritis) showed epidemiological characteristics similar to the Rotavirus-gastroenteritis, suggesting that the virus infection could also be involved in at least some of these.
Conclusion:
Our data confirm that Rotavirus are the most important agents involving in acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations. The use of Hospital Discharge Database had proved to be a simple tool to estimate the burden and to describe the epidemiological characteristics of Rotavirus gastroenteritis and could be used as a surveillance activity before and after the introduction of mass vaccination at national and regional level in Italy.