Post-infectious functional gastrointestinal disorders in children.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the development of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) after an episode of acute bacterial gastroenteritis (AGE) in children.


METHODS
A cohort study of children 3 to 19 years old with a positive result on a bacterial stool culture. 44 patients in each arm (unidirectional alpha of 0.05, power of 0.80). Children presenting at two pediatric hospitals (United States and Italy) for AGE who tested positive for bacteria on stool culture (2001-2005) were contacted at least 6 months after the episode. Exposed children were matched with control subjects of similar age and sex consulting to the same hospitals for trauma or well-child visit within 4 weeks of the index case. Symptoms were evaluated with a validated questionnaire for FGIDs assessing pain, diarrhea, and disability.


RESULTS
88 patients (46 boys; mean age, 8.1 years; age range, 3-19 years) were recruited. Bacteria included Salmonella (54%), Campylobacter (32%), and Shigella (14%). 36% of exposed patients and 11% of control subjects complained of abdominal pain (P < .01). 87% had irritable bowel syndrome and 24% had dyspepsia. 56% reported onset of pain following the AGE.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a significant increase in cases of FGIDs after bacterial infections in children.
Saps
Miguel
M
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. msaps@childrensmemorial.org
Pensabene
Licia
L
Di Martino
Lucio
L
Staiano
Annamaria
A
Wechsler
Joshua
J
Zheng
Xiaotian
X
Di Lorenzo
Carlo
C
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male