Salmonella bacteraemia in a tertiary children's hospital

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases Vol. 36; no. 8; pp. 547 - 551
• Main Authors: Papaevangelou, Vassiliki, Syriopoulou, Vassiliki, Charissiadou, Athina, Pangalis, Anastasia, Mostrou, Glykeria, Theodoridou, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Informa UK Ltd 01.08.2004; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Distribution; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteremia - diagnosis; Bacteremia - drug therapy; Bacteremia - epidemiology; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen; Bacterial sepsis; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Drug Therapy, Combination - therapeutic use; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Greece - epidemiology; Hospitals, Pediatric; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Probability; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Salmonella; Salmonella - classification; Salmonella - isolation & purification; Salmonella Infections - diagnosis; Salmonella Infections - drug therapy; Salmonella Infections - epidemiology; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Distribution; Survival Rate; Greece; Human; Infection; Salmonella; Microbiology; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Salmonellosis; Hospital; Child; Bacteremia; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0036-5548; 1651-1980
• DOI: 10.1080/00365540410016744

A retrospective study was conducted between July 1990 and July 2002 to investigate the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and the outcome of Salmonella bacteraemia in children. A total of 148 episodes of bacteraemia were identified in 144 children. The annual incidence ranged from 1.6 to 8.3 cases per 100,000 children ≤14 y of age, and higher numbers of cases occurred in summer than in winter months. In 22 children the bacteraemia was caused by S. typhi and in 122 by S. non-typhi. S. enteritidis was the most common serotype isolated. Resistance to ampicillin was exhibited by 28.5% of Salmonella isolates, whereas all S. typhi isolates were susceptible to commonly used antibiotics. The mean age was 40.3 months (range 50 d to 14 y). Children with S. typhi bacteraemia were significantly older than children with S. non-typhi bacteraemia (7.8 vs 2.4 y, p<0.01). 11 children were immunosuppressed. The immunosuppressed children had longer duration of fever, longer hospitalization stay, and higher relapse rates compared to normal children (p<0.05). Four children developed complications and 1 died. Although the incidence of S. typhi bacteraemia is decreasing, the non-typhi species continue to cause significant morbidity in our geographical region.