Epidemiologic characteristics and clinical course of children with acute gastroenteritis hospitalized in the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Hepatology at John Paul II Hospital in Krakow

INTRODUCTION: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is considered one of the most common reasons for hospitalization and the third leading cause of death related to infectious diseases in children. The incidence and prevalence of campylobacteriosis is lower in Poland than in other parts of the European Union.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study was to investigate the epidemiology and clinical features of AGE in hospitalized children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population comprised 462 consecutive patients with AGE, hospitalized in the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Hepatology at John Paul II Hospital in Krakow during 2016. After admission in the hospital, the patients’ stool samples were collected and tested for viral or bacterial pathogens. The specimens were analyzed using classical cultural methods and qualitative immunochromatographic assays for pathogens screening. The patients’ age, sex, etiological factor, seasonal distribution, hospital length of stay and symptoms of disease were collected retrospectively.

RESULTS: The median age of AGE patients was 3.0 years [1.5-5.5]. Eighty percent of all AGE cases occurred in patients under 5 years of age (p<0.001). Rotavirus was the leading cause of AGE and Campylobacter was the most common bacterial pathogen (p=0.001, p=0.05 respectively). The average length of hospital stay was 3.1 ± 1.6 days. The longest hospitalization stays were related to patients with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella (p<0.001 for all). A seasonal pattern was observed for etiological factors of AGE (p<0.001). Fever, diarrhea and pathological stool contaminations occurred more frequently in patients with bacterial AGE (p<0.001 for all).

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that routine diagnosis of Campylobacter in all children with AGE is associated with a higher than reported prevalence of campylobacteriosis.