title: The burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children presenting to a paediatric hospital.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the burden, management and outcomes of rotavirus infection in young children presenting to a tertiary paediatric hospital in Sydney, Australia. All laboratory-confirmed cases of rotavirus in children aged <5 years were identified and medical records reviewed. In 2004, 80 children aged <5 years presented to the hospital with rotavirus gastroenteritis confirmed by stool testing. Infants aged <24 months comprised 75% of cases, with more males than females affected. Most children (86%) acquired rotavirus infection in the community, with a mean length of hospital admission of 2.3 days. There were eight cases of nosocomial infection at a rate of 3/10 000 admissions. The rates of intravenous fluid management (46%) and antibiotic use (28%) were high, reflecting the severity of disease presenting in a hospital setting. These data will help inform the assessment of the recently introduced rotavirus vaccination programme in Australia.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Inglis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kesson
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Newall
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Macartney
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Macintyre
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors