Acute gastroenteritis: a prospective study of 445 cases

Four hundred and fourty-five adult patients suffering acute gastroenteritis (AG) seen at the emergency ward of two hospitals in Barcelona, have been studied. The aim of this work was to analyze the cause of AG in our community and to evaluate the utility of the biologic and clinical criteria chosen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRevista clínica espanõla Vol. 187; no. 5; p. 218
Main Authors Moreno, A, Mensa, J, Segura, F, Escofet, C, Serrate, G, Baga, R, Claramonte, J, Ribot, T, Bedos, R, Jiménez de Anta, M T
Format Journal Article
LanguageSpanish
Published Spain 01.10.1990
Subjects
Acute Disease
Adult
Feces - microbiology
Female
Gastroenteritis - epidemiology
Gastroenteritis - etiology
Gastroenteritis - microbiology
Humans
Male
Prospective Studies
Salmonella enteritidis - isolation & purification
Salmonella Infections - epidemiology
Salmonella Infections - etiology
Salmonella Infections - microbiology
Salmonella typhimurium - isolation & purification
Sepsis - epidemiology
Sepsis - etiology
Sepsis - microbiology
Spain - epidemiology
Spain
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Summary:Four hundred and fourty-five adult patients suffering acute gastroenteritis (AG) seen at the emergency ward of two hospitals in Barcelona, have been studied. The aim of this work was to analyze the cause of AG in our community and to evaluate the utility of the biologic and clinical criteria chosen as indicators of bacteremia or of AG produced by invasive microorganisms. Stool culture was positive in 157 patients (35%) of which 140 were Salmonella sp. The most frequently isolated serotype was S. enteritidis. Eight patients (7.8%) presented Salmonella sp. bacteremia. Presence of an underlying disease, dehydration, shivers, fever, presence of occult blood in stools, septic hemogram and the history of AG in other family members were more common in patients with a positive stool culture (p less than 0.05). Patients with bacteremia presented dehydration with a significantly higher frequency than nonbacteremics. The rest of the parameters studied were similar in both groups. We conclude that Salmonella sp. is the most frequently encountered microorganisms responsible for adult AG in our community. It is possible to identify patients with AG due to Salmonella sp. based on clinical and biological parameters. On the contrary, it is necessary to perform a wider study in order to determine the parameters that may allow the identification of patients with bacteremia.
ISSN:0014-2565