title: Childhood bacterial diarrhoea in a regional hospital in Saudi Arabia: clinico-aetiological features.
abstract: Over a one-year period, 210 paediatric patients, who were admitted with acute diarrhoea to a regional hospital in the south-western region of Saudi Arabia, were retrospectively reviewed for bacterial enteropathogens. Bacterial pathogens were isolated from 66 (31.4%) patients, with Shigella being the most common (17.1%), followed by Salmonella (10.5%), and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) (3.8%). Major clinical findings associated with bacterial diarrhoea are similar to those reported before. Our results suggest that bacterial pathogens constitute a major cause of acute childhood diarrhoea in hospitalized children in Al-Baha province. Further prospective community based studies are needed to identify the pattern and risk factors of acute childhood diarrhoea in the region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: al-Jurayyan
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: al Rashed
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: al-Nasser
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: al-Mugeiren
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: al Mazyad
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology