Clinical Study of Acute Childhood Diarrhoea Caused by Bacterial Enteropathogens

• Main Authors: Vyas Kumar Rathaur, Monika Pathania, Aparna Jayara, Neeraj Yadav
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited 2014-05-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
• Subjects: infective diarrhoea; diarrhoeagenic bacteria; dehydration; antimicrobial resistance
• Online Access: https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/4319/6677_CE(Ra)_F(T)_PF1(PAK)_PFA(P)_PF2(PAG)_PF2(PN).pdf

Objective: There are not a large number of studies in India which can enlighten us regarding acute childhood diarrhoea and far lesser in number when it comes to its bacterial enteropathogenesis. The present study is specially targeted to determine the prevalence of various bacterial enteropathogens causing acute childhood diarrhoea and to find out their respective pattern of clinical features. Method: All children under 12 years of age enrolled between 1st June, 2012 and 31st July 2012, in the Outpatient department, Inpatient department of pediatrics section and casualty of hospital, who presented with acute diarrhoea. Data collected by mean of study questionnaire. Stool sample were processed for bacteriological analysis. In 280 samples bacteria were isolated with the help of microscopy, culture and biochemical reactions. The isolates obtained were tested for antimicrobial sensitivity over Mueller Hinton agar by Kirby Bauer-disk diffusion method. Results: Out of 280 children frequency of diarrhoeagenic bacteria isolated from the samples showed that Escherichia coli was recorded as the predominant bacteria with 44.2% of prevalence followed by Shigella, Salmonella, Klebsiella and Campylobacter with 28.2%, 13.6%, 7.8% and 6.1% respectively. Patients falling in the age group of 1-3 years. were the major sufferers of diarrhoea due to all etiologies except Klebsiella which mainly had impact on the patients below six months. Fever and vomiting were predominant symptoms. All 100% patients with Salmonella as etiology presented with fever. The maximum number of patients had frequency of diarrhoea less than five times a day (52.5%). And among the patients who presented with frequency of more than 10 times a day Salmonella was a major causative agent found. Maximum patients presented with some dehydration (67.1%) and the patients who presented with severe dehydration Salmonella was identified as a major etiological agent. Majority of isolated bacterial agents were resistant to Cotrimoxazole and Shigella being highly resistant enteropathogen isolated. Salmonella spp. were least resistant isolates. None of the isolates were resistant to Cefotaxime, Cefuroxime and Azetronam. Conclusion: Results of study reveal that Escherichia coli is a predominant bacterial enteropathogen causing diarrhoea and Salmonella is a major contributor to the diarrhoea causing severe dehydration and to the clinical features like fever, vomiting and more than 10 times of frequency of stools. Shigella is among highly resistant isolates while Salmonella isolates had least resistance to majority of antibiotics.