Age-dependent expression of abdominal symptoms in patients with Yersinia enterocolitica infection.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between the expression of abdominal symptoms and the age of patients with Yersinia enterocolitica infections.


METHODS
Twenty-four patients with positive fecal cultures of Yersinia enterocolitica participated in the present study. The abdominal symptoms were taken from medical records. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney U-test.


RESULTS
Patients with diarrhea were younger than those without diarrhea (P = 0.014). Older children had abdominal pain or irritability more frequently than younger children (P = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
In Yersinia enterocolitica infections, younger children are predisposed to diarrhea and older children are predisposed to abdominal pain.
Ehara
A
A
Department of Pediatrics, Oji General Hospital, Hokkaido, Japan. akira.ehara@nifty.ne.jp
Egawa
K
K
Kuroki
F
F
Itakura
O
O
Okawa
M
M
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica