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Experience with the microbiologic diagnosis of Campylobacter enteritis in an office laboratory
Abstract:
Campylobacter jejuni has been recognized as a frequent cause of bacterial diarrhea in infants and children. C. jejuni is a fastidious, Gram-negative, comma-shaped or sea gull-shaped, curved rod which is capable, particularly during the summer months, of causing slimy mucoid, blood diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever. In our pediatric office laboratory we found over a 12-month period that 14 (10%) of 126 stool specimens contained this pathogen. All but two children were diagnosed during the late spring and summer. There was no common source for Campylobacter infections in the patients. In 8 (66%) of 12 patients, C. jejuni infection was immediately detected by examining a 1% aqueous basic fuchsin-stained stool smear. Uncontrolled observations from this study suggest that erythromycin therapy, if started within 2 to 3 days of the onset of illness, is clinically effective.
Insights
Campylobacter jejuni causes frequent bacterial diarrhea in children, especially in summer. Early erythromycin treatment may be effective for this common gastrointestinal infection.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a common cause of bacterial diarrhea in pediatric populations.
- Infections often present with symptoms like fever, abdominal pain, and bloody, mucoid diarrhea, particularly during warmer months.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of Campylobacter jejuni infections in a pediatric office setting.
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of basic fuchsin-stained stool smears.
- To assess the clinical effectiveness of early erythromycin therapy.
Main Methods:
- A 12-month prospective study analyzing 126 stool specimens from pediatric patients.
- Microscopic examination of stool smears stained with 1% aqueous basic fuchsin for pathogen identification.
- Observational assessment of treatment outcomes for erythromycin therapy.
Main Results:
- Campylobacter jejuni was identified in 10% (14/126) of stool specimens.
- The majority of cases (12/14) occurred in late spring and summer.
- Basic fuchsin staining detected C. jejuni in 66% (8/12) of confirmed cases.
- No common source outbreak was identified.
Conclusions:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a significant pathogen in pediatric diarrhea, with seasonal peaks.
- Basic fuchsin staining offers a rapid diagnostic method for C. jejuni in clinical settings.
- Early-onset erythromycin treatment appears clinically effective for C. jejuni infections in children.