Abstract

RAMIREZ, YELENNA; PASTORINI, JORGE; RUSSI, JOSé CARLOS  and  FERRARI, ANA MARíA. Enfermedad diarreica aguda: Características de la población asistida en el CASMU. Abril 1997 - Abril 1998. Arch. Pediatr. Urug. [online]. 2001, vol.72, n.2, pp.110-115. ISSN 1688-1249.

Objective: to describe clinical and etiologic features of children with acute diarrhea who consulted at Centro de Asistencia del Sindicato Médico del Uruguay and to evaluate the compliance of guidelines for standard treatment of this disease. Methods: between April 1, 1997 and March 31, 1998, 177 of the 184 children under five years who consulted with acute diarrhea at the Pediatric Emergency Ward were evaluated. Stools were examined for rotavirus and adenovirus; Shigella and Salmonella were investigated when stools had blood or mucus. Results: Most children (n=115) consulted in autumn. Half of the children were male; 93 were under 2 years of age. Only 3 had malnutrition. Bloody or mucous stools were present in 24 patients, vomiting in 87, fever in 63 and dehydration in 5. Otitis media was associated in five children, upper acute respiratory infection in 25 and lower acute respiratory infection in two. Fourteen children were hospitalized; 4 had lactose intolerance, none required intensive care, mean duration of hospitalization was 3.2 days; there were no deaths. Microbiologic investigation was performed in 120 children (68%). A potential entheropathogen was identified in 51 (61%): rotavirus in 55, in one case associated with Shigella, and adenovirus in six. Guidelines for standard treatment were followed in all the patients. Conclusions: clinical features of children with acute diarrhea who consult in Centro de Asistencia del Sindicato Medico del Uruguay are different from those of children assisted in public hospitals. Rotavirus was associated to acute diarrhea in a high percentage of cases. Compliance with guidelines for standard treatment was highly satisfactory.

Keywords : DIARRHEA; ROTAVIRUSES; SHIGELLA; ADENOVIRUSES.