Bacterial isolation in infants hospitalized for acute diarrhea

• Published in: Revista Chilena de pediatría 1989-11, Vol.60 (6), p.328-333
• Main Authors: Saelzer, E, Muñoz, P, Peña, A, Tellerías, L, Fernández, A, Giglio, M, D'Ottone, K, Zapata, L, Alarcón, T, Pinto, M E
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Campylobacter jejuni - isolation & purification; Diarrhea, Infantile - microbiology; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Feces - microbiology; Gram-Negative Bacteria - isolation & purification; Hospitalization; Humans; Infant; Prospective Studies; Salmonella - isolation & purification; Shigella - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 0370-4106

Bacteria were investigated in stools of 156 children under two years of age admitted to the pediatric wards of a general hospital at the western metropolitan area of Santiago, Chile, because of acute diarrhea with only one stool sample. A known pathogenic agent was isolated from 115 cases (73.7%), this being a bacteria in 87/115 (75.6%). Most prevalent microorganisms were Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC). (65.5%), specially serogroups 0111, 0119 and 055, Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) (18.4%), Campylobacter yeyuni (13.8%), Salmonellae (9.2%) and Shigellae (6.9%). Invasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) and Aeromonas hydrophila were observed in only one case. Yersinia enterocolitica was not isolated. Age was under one year in 92% of patients and 83% were normally or slightly under nourished. Fecal leucocytes were abnormally increased (greater than 5 per high power field) in 41.4% of positive bacterial isolates, in 83% of children with Shigellae, in 50% of those with EPEC and Salmonellae and in 25% of the Campylobacter yeyuni group.