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Campylobacter enteritis. A 3-year experience
Insights
Campylobacter jejuni infections are common in young children, especially during summer months. This bacterial enteritis can present with typical or atypical symptoms and lead to severe complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a significant cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide.
- Understanding the epidemiology and clinical spectrum of C. jejuni infections in children is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.
Observation:
- A 3-year study at Oklahoma Children's Memorial Hospital identified C. jejuni in 135 pediatric patients.
- C. jejuni was isolated less frequently than Salmonella and Shigella.
- Infections peaked during warmer months (May-October), with 70% of cases in children aged 2 years or younger.
Findings:
- Clinical presentations varied, including typical acute diarrhea with fever and abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, asymptomatic bloody stools in neonates, and fever/abdominal pain without diarrhea.
- Severe complications observed were hemolytic-uremic syndrome, sepsis with septic arthritis/osteomyelitis, and failure to thrive.
Implications:
- Highlights the prevalence of Campylobacter enteritis in young children and its seasonal variation.
- Emphasizes the diverse clinical manifestations, necessitating a broad differential diagnosis in pediatric patients with gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Underscores the potential for severe complications, including invasive disease and long-term sequelae.
Abstract:
Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 135 infants and children seen at the Oklahoma Children's Memorial Hospital over a 3-year period. The comparative frequency of isolation of C. jejuni, Salmonella, and Shigella were 1.5 percent, 2.2 percent, and 3.1 percent, respectively. Campylobacter enteritis was most prevalent during the warm months from May to October, peaking in July. Seventy percent of the afflicted children were 2 years old or younger; only 13 percent were older than 5 years. There were the usual clinical presentations (acute onset of diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and bloody stools) of Campylobacter enteritis, but other, less common, patterns also were seen. These included chronic diarrhea without significant systemic manifestations; asymptomatic bloody stools, particularly in neonates; and fever and abdominal pain without diarrhea. Severe complications included hemolytic-uremic syndrome, sepsis associated with septic arthritis and osteomyelitis, and failure to thrive.