Acute diarrhea in hospitalized children of the municipality of Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil: prevalence and risk factors associated with disease severity

• Published in: Arquivos de gastroenterologia Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 259 - 265
• Main Authors: Rocha, Monica Couto Guedes Sejanes da, Carminate, Delaine La Gatta, Tibiriçá, Sandra Helena Cerrato, Carvalho, Iná Pires de, Silva, Maria Luzia da Rosa E, Chebli, Júlio Maria Fonseca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Instituto Brasileiro de Estudos e Pesquisas de Gastroenterologia e Outras Especialidades - IBEPEGE 01.12.2012; Instituto Brasileiro de Estudos e Pesquisas de Gastroenterologia (IBEPEGE)
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Age Distribution; Brazil - epidemiology; Child; Child, Preschool; Criança hospitalizada; Diarreia infantil, epidemiologia; Diarrhea - epidemiology; Epidemiologic Methods; Fatores de risco; Female; GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Juiz de Fora, MG; Male; Seasons; Sex Distribution; Socioeconomic Factors; Brazil; Diarreia infantil, epidemiologia; Juiz de Fora, MG; Criança hospitalizada; Fatores de risco; Child hospitalized; Diarrhea, infantile, epidemiology; Risk factors; Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
• ISSN: 0004-2803; 1678-4219; 1678-4219; 0004-2803
• DOI: 10.1590/S0004-28032012000400006

Acute diarrhea is a common cause of hospitalization among children under 5 years of age. Knowing the prevalence and risk factors associated with the severity of acute diarrhea is essential to control morbidity and mortality. Describe the prevalence of demographic, epidemiologic and clinical features of children under 6 years of age hospitalized for acute diarrhea, and investigate the association between these determinants and the severity of the diarrheic episode. Retrospective, cross-sectional study, during the period from January, 2005 through December, 2008, in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. Files from 6,201 children from 0 to 6 years of age, hospitalized in two public teaching institutions (which account for 84% of all the hospitalizations in the municipality), were assessed. Acute diarrhea was defined as the presence of at least three evacuations of liquid or loose stools, within 24 hours, for a maximum period of 14 days. The patients with acute diarrhea were divided in two groups, according to disease severity, severe diarrhea being considered whenever hospitalization lasted for at least 4 days. Epidemiologic and clinical data were assessed and compared through the application of the chi-squared test and the binomial logistic regression model. The prevalence rate for admission due to acute diarrhea was 8.4%. The factors significantly associated with the severity of the diarrheic episode were: age under 6 months (P = 0.01, OR = 2.762); disease onset during fall (P = 0.033, OR = 1.742), presence of fever (P = 0.017, OR = 1.715) and antibiotic use during hospitalization (P = 0.000, OR = 3.872). Diarrhea is the third most common cause of hospitalization among children under 6 years of age in Juiz de Fora. Young age (under or equal to 6 months), fever, antibiotic use during hospitalization and disease onset during fall are risk factors associated with longer hospital stay.