Hospital acquired rotaviral gastroenteritis in a general paediatric unit.
Between 1 October 1981 and 30 September 1982, 74 children with acute gastroenteritis were admitted to the paediatric wards at St Thomas' Hospital, and a further 37 patients acquired gastroenteritis while in hospital. Rotaviruses were detected in the stools of 29 of 74 (39 per cent) of patients with community-acquired and 22 of 37 (59 per cent) of patients with hospital-acquired infection. Although patients were also admitted with bacterial stool pathogens, barrier nursing techniques were apparently successful in preventing spread of these. The use of a virucidal agent for handwashing might be effective in preventing hospital-acquired rotaviral infections.
D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008131:London; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*