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Published on: July 24, 2016
Neurologic Complications of Rotavirus Infections in Children
David E F Slotboom1, Daphne Peeters1, Stefan Groeneweg1
1From the Department of Pediatrics, Juliana Kinderziekenhuis, CH Den Haag, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands.
Insights
Rotavirus infection can cause severe neurological issues like encephalopathy in children. Early detection of rotavirus is crucial for managing these complications and ensuring a better outcome.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurology
Background:
- Rotavirus is a primary cause of severe gastroenteritis in young children globally.
- Rotavirus infections can lead to serious neurological complications beyond typical gastrointestinal symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the clinical presentation and outcomes of complicated rotavirus infections in pediatric patients.
- To highlight the neurological manifestations associated with rotavirus.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study included pediatric patients with confirmed rotavirus infection.
- Data collected from January 2016 to January 2022 at a Dutch pediatric hospital.
- Focus on clinical characteristics and neurological symptoms in severe rotavirus cases.
Main Results:
- 59 pediatric patients with rotavirus were identified; 84.7% required hospitalization.
- 16.9% of patients experienced neurological complications, including encephalopathy in 60% of those cases.
- Diagnostic imaging revealed abnormalities in 20% of patients with neurological symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Rotavirus can induce severe, though often self-limiting, neurological complications in children.
- Considering rotavirus is essential for pediatric patients presenting with encephalopathy or encephalitis.
- Further research into early rotavirus detection may improve patient outcomes and prevent unnecessary treatments.
Background:
Rotavirus is the leading cause of complicated gastroenteritis in children younger than 5 years in countries where rotavirus vaccination is not implemented as a routine vaccination. Besides the intestinal symptoms that are associated with ordinary gastroenteritis, rotavirus can cause neurological complications. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics of complicated rotavirus infections.
Methods:
From January 1, 2016 to January 31, 2022, all children (below the age of 18 years) with a positive rotavirus test in feces that were either hospitalized or presented at the outpatient clinic or emergency department of a large pediatric hospital in the Netherlands were included. Rotavirus was only tested in case of a severe or abnormal disease course. We described the clinical characteristics and outcomes with a particular focus on neurological manifestations.
Results:
In total, 59 patients with rotavirus were included of whom 50 (84.7%) were hospitalized and 18 (30.5%) needed intravenous rehydration. Ten patients (16.9%) had neurologic complications, of whom 6 patients (60.0%) presented encephalopathy. Two patients (20.0%) with neurological symptoms showed abnormalities on diagnostic imaging.
Conclusions:
Rotavirus can cause gastroenteritis with severe, but apparently self-limiting, neurological manifestations. Considering rotavirus in pediatric patients with neurological symptoms such as encephalopathy and encephalitis is therefore important. Early detection of rotavirus infection may predict a favorable course of the disease and may thereby prevent unnecessary treatment and should be further investigated.
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