Aetiology of hospital-acquired diarrhoea in under-five children from an urban hospital in East Delhi, India

Background & objectives: Majority of the studies of hospital-acquired diarrhoea conducted in Western countries have focused on the detection of Clostridium difficile in stool samples. Limited Asian and Indian literature is available on hospital-acquired diarrhoea. This study was aimed to describe the aetiological profile for hospital-acquired diarrhoea in children aged below five years. Methods: One hundred children aged one month to five years who developed diarrhoea (?3 loose stools for >12 h) after hospitalization for at least 72 h were enrolled. Children who were prescribed purgatives or undergoing procedures such as enema and endoscopy or those with underlying chronic gastrointestinal disorders such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease were excluded from the study. Stool samples from the enrolled children were subjected to routine microscopic examination, modified Ziel- Nielson (ZN) staining for Cryptosporidium and culture for various enteropathogens. Multiplex PCR was used to identify the strains of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli. Rotavirus detection was done using rapid antigen kit. Toxins (A and B) of C. difficile were detected using enzyme immunoassay. Results: Of the 100 samples of hospital-acquired diarrhoea analysed, diarrhoeagenic E. coli (DEC) was found to be the most common organism, detected in 37 per cent of cases (enteropathogenic E. coli-18%, enterotoxigenic E. coli-8%, enteroaggregative E. coli-4% and mixed infections-7%). Cryptosporidium was detected in 10 per cent of cases. Rotavirus was detected in six per cent and C. difficile in four per cent of cases. Interpretation & conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that the aetiological profile of hospital- acquired diarrhoea appears to be similar to that of community-acquired diarrhoea, with DEC and Cryptosporidium being the most common causes. The efforts for the prevention and management of hospital-acquired diarrhoea should, thus, be directed towards these organisms.

RAPID DIAGNOSIS OF VIRAL DIARRHEA IN CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS, TO STRENGTHEN THE EXISTING ADD PROGRAM

RAPID DIAGNOSIS OF VIRAL DIARRHEA IN CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS, TO STRENGTHEN THE EXISTING ADD PROGRAM Original Research Paper Sornajeyanthi P* M.D., Professor, Department of Microbiology, Tirunelveli Medical College, Tirunelveli - 627011, Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding Author X 67GJRA - GLOBAL JOURNAL FOR RESEARCH ANALYSIS Background: Gastroenteritis in childhood is one of the most prevailing cause of morbidity and mortality across the globe. Rotavirus is the most common etiological agent among viruses causing gastroenteritis in children below ?ve years. Adenovirus has been evidenced as the second most common cause of childhood gastroenteritis in certain parts of the world. The present study was conducted to estimate the incidence of Rotavirus and Adenovirus among diarrhoeal cases in children under 5 years of age. A total of 40 children younger than 5 years of age Materials and methods: suffering from acute diarrhoea were included in the present study. A total of 40 samples were collected and analyzed for Rotavirus and Adenovirus using commercially available Immunochromatography kit. The prevalence of Rotavirus and Results: Adenovirus was found to be 7.5% and 2.5% respectively among children under ?ve years of age with acute diarrhoeal disease. Conclusion: The disease burden of Rota viral illness has decreased due to increased coverage of Rotavirus vaccination through inclusion in National immunization schedule and thus effective and ef?cient vaccination coverage is fundamental rationale in the process of strengthening of Acute Diarrhoeal Disease(ADD) program

Drug utilization pattern in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children aged 1–12 years

Background: Pediatric diarrhea is the second most common cause of childhood mortality globally. Despite being self-limiting, polypharmacy is rampant in their treatment. The adherence of practitioners to the recommended guidelines can be assessed by drug utilization studies. Aim and Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the drug utilization pattern of acute diarrhea management in children. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was undertaken for 12 months at pediatric inpatient unit of BRIMS, Bidar. Prescriptions of 400 cases of acute diarrhea in children of either gender aged 1?12 years were evaluated for the pattern of drugs prescribing using the WHO core indicators. Results: The study showed male preponderance with 54.75% being males. Every prescription, on an average had five drugs for diarrheal management. About 43.5% prescriptions had at least two antibiotics. Out of a total of 2237 drugs prescribed, 1392 (62.2%) drugs were prescribed as injections. About 78.5% medicines were selected from the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), 2015 and 87.12% drugs were from the hospital formulary. Drugs were categorized as per ATC/DDD system using the WHO reference DDDs and ATC codes website. PDD to DDD ratio of majority of drugs was 0.99. Conclusion: We observed polypharmacy in practice for diarrheal illness in our study. Accentuation on evidence-based management and adherence to the treatment guidelines may help in improved and rational drug use in children.

Risk Factors for Dyselectrolytemia in Children with Acute Diarrhoea in the Inpatient Setting in North India

Background: Dyselectrolytemia is a common accompaniment of acute diarrheal illnesses and contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. Aim: To study the incidence and identify the risk factors for developing dyselectrolytemia in children getting admitted with acute diarrhoea. Study design: Prospective observational study. Methods: Detailed history, examination, and investigations were recorded in specially designed proforma. Serum electrolyte levels were measured at admission in all the study subjects and correlated with clinical presentation and demographic profile. Results: Out of 107 children, 64.5% had no dehydration, 31.8% had some dehydration, and only 3.4% were severely dehydrated at the time of admission. Most common electrolyte abnormality were hyponatremia(25.2%) and hypochloraemia (25.2%), followed by hypokalaemia (11.2%), hyperchloremia (9.3%) and hypernatremia (6.5%). The degree of dehydration was found to significantly affect serum electrolyte profile (p value<0.05). Hyponatremia (41%), hypokalaemia(26.5%), and hypochloraemia(35%) were seen more commonly in patients with some dehydration, while a higher proportion of patients with severe dehydration had hypernatremia (50%) and hyperkalaemia (25%). Consumption of diluted ORS was significantly associated with the development of hyponatremia (73.9%), hypokalaemia(34.8%), and hypochloraemia(56.5%) p value<0.05. Conclusion: Dyselectrolytemia is a common accompaniment of diarrheal dehydration, the most common being hyponatremia. The severity of dehydration and dilute ORS administration are important risk factors for dyselectrolytemia.

Multi-Faceted Intervention to Improve the Antibiotic Prescriptions among Doctors for Acute URI and Acute Diarrhoea Cases: The Green Zone Antibiotic Project

@#Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem that is perpetuated by the inappropriate use of antibiotics among doctors. This study aims to assess the antibiotic prescription rate for patients with acute upper respiratory infection (URI) and acute diarrhoea. Methods: A completed clinical audit cycle was conducted in 2018 in the busy emergency department of a public hospital in Malaysia. Pre- and post-intervention antibiotic prescription data were collected, and changes were implemented through a multifaceted intervention similar to Thailand’s Antibiotics Smart Use programme. Results: Data from a total of 1,334 pre-intervention and 1,196 post-intervention patients were collected from the hospital’s electronic medical records. The mean (SD) age of participants was 19.88 (17.994) years. The pre-intervention antibiotic prescription rate was 11.2% for acute diarrhoea and 29.1% for acute URI, both of which are above the average national rates. These antibiotic prescription rates significantly reduced post-intervention to 6.2% and 13.7%, respectively, falling below national averages. Antibiotic prescription rate was highest for young children. There were no significant changes in rates of re-attendance or hospital admission following the intervention. Conclusion: The multifaceted intervention, which included continuing medical education, physician reminders and patient awareness, was effective in improving the antibiotic prescription rates for these two conditions.

Prevalence of household drinkingwater contamination and of acute diarrhoeal illness in a periurban community in Myanmar.

Background: A major health consequence of rapid population growth in urban areas is the increased pressure on existing overstretched water and sanitation services. This study of an expanding periurban neighbourhood of Yangon Region, Myanmar, aimed to ascertain the prevalence of acute diarrhoea in children under 5 years; to identify household sources of drinking-water; to describe purification and storage practices; and to assess drinking-water contamination at point-of-use. Methods: A survey of the prevalence of acute diarrhoea in children under 5 years was done in 211 households in February 2013; demographic data were also collected, along with data and details of sources of drinking water, water purification, storage practices and waste disposal. During March–August, a subset of 112 households was revisited to collect drinking water samples. The samples were analysed by the multiple tube fermentation method to count thermotolerant (faecal) coliforms and there was a qualitative determination of the presence of Escherichia coli. Results: Acute diarrhoea in children under 5 years was reported in 4.74% (10/211, 95% CI: 3.0–9.0) of households within the past two weeks. More than half of the households used insanitary pit latrines and 36% disposed of their waste into nearby streams and ponds. Improved sources of drinking water were used, mainly the unchlorinated ward reservoir, a chlorinated tube well or purified bottled water. Nearly a quarter of households never used any method for drinking-water purification. Ninety-four per cent (105/112) of water samples were contaminated with thermotolerant (faecal) coliforms, ranging from 2.2 colony-forming units (CFU)/100 mL (21.4%) to more than 1000 CFU/100 mL (60.7%). Of faecal (thermotolerant)-coliform-positive water samples, 70% (47/68) grew E. coli. Conclusion: The prevalence of acute diarrhoea reported for children under 5 years was high and a high level of drinking-water contamination was detected, though it was unclear whether this was due to contamination at source or at point-of-use. Maintenance of drinking-water quality in study households is complex. Further research is crucial to prove the cost effectiveness in quality improvement of drinking water at point-of-use in resource-limited settings. In addition, empowerment of householders to use measures of treating water by boiling, filtration or chlorination, and safe storage with proper handling is essential.

Antagonistic activity expressed by Shigella sonnei: identification of a putative new bacteriocin

Bacteriocins are antibacterial, proteinaceous substances that mediate microbial dynamics. Bacteriocin production is a highly disseminated property among all major lineages of bacteria, including Shigella. In this paper, we addressed the purification and characterisation of a bacteriocin produced by a Shigella sonnei strain (SS9) isolated from a child with acute diarrhoea. The substance was purified through ammonium-sulphate precipitation and sequential steps of chromatography. The intracellular fraction obtained at 75% ammonium sulphate maintained activity following exposure to pH values from 1-11 and storage at -80ºC for more than two years and was inactivated by high temperatures and proteases. The molecular mass of the purified bacteriocin was determined by mass spectrometry to be 18.56 kDa. The N-terminal sequence of the bacteriocin did not match any other antibacterial proteins described. A putative new bacteriocin produced by S. sonnei has been detected. This bacteriocin may represent a newly described protein or a previously described protein with a newly detected function. Considering that SS9 expresses antagonism against other diarrhoeagenic bacteria, the bacteriocin may contribute to S. sonnei virulence and is potentially applicable to either preventing or controlling diarrhoeal disease.

The First Identification of <i>Rotavirus B</i> from Children and Adults with Acute Diarrhoea in Kathmandu, Nepal

<i>Rotavirus B</i> (RVB) in the genus <i>Rotavirus</i> of the family <i>Reoviridae</i> is known to be a cause of acute gastroenteritis among children and adults in parts of Asia including China, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. In a 15-month surveillance programme between March 2007 and May 2008, 3,080 stool specimens were collected from children and adults with acute gastroenteritis in an infectious disease hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 25 (0.8%) specimens RVB was detected, for the first time in Nepal, by the use of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by confirmation with reverse-transcription PCR and sequencing. The strains detected in this study had very similar electropherotypes, and their VP7 sequences were almost identical and phylogenetically belonged to the Indo-Bangladeshi lineage which was distinct from the Chinese lineage. Thus, this study showed the circulation of RVB strains belonging to the Indo-Bangladeshi lineage in a broader region than previously documented, suggesting that this phylogenetic divide corresponded to the geographic divide created by the Himalayan Mountains. Further studies may be warranted to identify and characterize the RVB strains in northern Vietnam which is adjacent to southern China with a long and less mountainous border.

Using Snow Brand I milk for neonate with acute diarrhoea

At the National Institute of Children Health Protection, a study was performed on 90 neonates with acute diarrhoea. All participants were divided into 3 groups (breast feeding, feeding with Snow Brand Milk I, and feeding with Nursoy Milk). Concerning the duration of the course of diarrhoea, no significant differences between 3 groups were shown.

Some epidemiological and clinical features of acute diarrhoeal disease caused by Campylobacter in a rural commune, Ha Noi

1159 diarrhoeal stool specimens were cultured for detecting Campylobacter. Data on epidemiology and clinical symptoms of the disease were also collected. 104 Campylobacter strains were isolated, positive rate 9%. The highest prevalence of the disease was found in 2 age groups: 7-12 months (15%) and 13-24 months (13.1%), and this proportion decreased gradually with increasing age. No seasonal fluctuation was observed. Clinical symptoms of the disease are not typical so the diagnosis should be based on stool examination.