title: Hospitalisations for gastroenteritis: the role of rotavirus.
abstract: To determine the proportion of hospitalisations for gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus, we tested for rotavirus stool samples of all children under the age of five hospitalised for gastroenteritis between 1 December 1999 and 30 May 2000 in seven community and specialised hospitals in Quebec. Of 944 children hospitalised, 565 (59.9%) were screened for rotavirus and 405 (71.7%) tested positive. From December to April, the proportion of positive results rose from 51.6 to 78.1%. Compared with children whose test results were negative, children who tested positive presented vomiting more frequently upon admission (88.9 versus 60.4%) and needed IV fluids in greater proportion (94.1 versus 78.0%), but spent less time in hospital (2.8 versus 3.3 days). Aside from dehydration, no complications were noted. In Quebec, a large majority of winter and spring hospitalisations for gastroenteritis in children is attributable to rotavirus.
authors.affiliation: Direction de santé publique de Montréal-Centre, 1301 rue Sherbrooke Est, Montréal, Qué., Canada H2L 1M3. privest@santepub-mtl.qc.ca
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rivest
authors.forename: Mélanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Proulx
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lonergan
authors.forename: Marc H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lebel
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bédard
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003681:Dehydration / Q000209:etiology; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012401:Rotavirus; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*