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Salmonella enteritidis bacteremia in childhood
Insights
Salmonella enteritidis bacteremia in children often presents without clear symptoms, making it difficult to detect. This bloodstream infection showed no increased illness severity or complications compared to simple gastroenteritis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Salmonella enteritidis is a common cause of pediatric gastroenteritis.
- Bacteremia, a bloodstream infection, can be a complication of gastroenteritis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the clinical presentation and outcomes of children with Salmonella enteritidis bacteremia versus acute gastroenteritis.
- To determine if bacteremia increases morbidity in children with Salmonella enteritidis infections.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of clinical data for 32 children with Salmonella enteritidis bacteremia.
- Comparison with 135 children with Salmonella enteritidis acute gastroenteritis.
- Analysis of symptoms, laboratory findings, illness severity, clinical course, and outcomes.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in symptoms, initial evaluation, or severity between bacteremia and gastroenteritis groups.
- Age did not appear to influence the clinical presentation or outcome in either group.
- Salmonella enteritidis bacteremia was clinically elusive and more frequent than previously thought.
Conclusions:
- Salmonella enteritidis bacteremia in children is often clinically subtle.
- In the absence of risk factors, bacteremia did not lead to increased morbidity compared to uncomplicated gastroenteritis.
Abstract:
We have reviewed the clinical course of 32 children with Salmonella enteritidis bacteremia and compared them with 135 children with acute gastroenteritis caused by S. enteritidis at Wyler Children's Hospital over 4.5 years. Analysis of symptoms of infection, the initial laboratory evaluation, the initial impression of the severity of illness, the clinical course, and the eventual outcome showed no differences between children with bacteremia and those with acute gastroenteritis, nor did a comparison between older children (one year of age or older) and younger children, with either bacteremia or acute gastroenteritis, show appreciable differences. We conclude that bacteremia occurring with acute gastroenteritis was clinically elusive and more common than previously recognized. Furthermore, in the absence of documented risk factors, bacteremia occurring with acute gastroenteritis was not associated with any greater morbidity than was acute gastroenteritis occurring alone.