title: Infectious etiology of diarrheas studied in a third-level hospital during a five-year period.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Infectious diarrheas are highly frequent and responsible for a major consumption of resources. This study identified the main diarrhea-causing microorganisms in a health area of Granada (Spain) and determined changes in the epidemiologic pattern over a five-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted based on results obtained in the Microbiology Laboratory of Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves (Granada, Spain).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 25,113 stool microbiological and/or parasitological studies ordered, 2,292 microorganisms were identified in 2,152 samples from 1,892 patients. There was a predominance of bacterial diarrheas (50.1 %), mainly caused by Campylobacter spp. (22.2 %), whose frequency increased significantly during the last two years, and by Salmonella spp. (16.4 %), whose frequency remained stable during the whole study period. We highlight the high frequency of Rotavirus (33.5 %), although a significant decrease was observed during the last two years. Salmonella spp. was more frequently detected during the summer and autumn, Campylobacter spp. during the spring, and Rotavirus during the winter. Viral processes were predominant (53.3 %) in pediatric patients, mainly Rotavirus in under 2-yr-olds, whereas bacterial processes predominated in older children and adults. Diarrhea began at community level in 84.2 % of patients, requiring hospitalization in 25.8 % of cases, and diarrhea was nosocomial in the remaining 15.8 %.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During the study period, there was a significant increase in the frequency of diarrhea caused by Campylobacter spp., a significant reduction in the frequency of diarrhea due to Rotavirus, and no change in the frequency of diarrhea due to Salmonella spp., all of which showing a marked seasonal distribution.
authors: Antonio Damián
authors: AD
authors: Sánchez-Capilla
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Sorlózano-Puerto
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Rodríguez-Granger
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Martínez-Brocal
authors: José María
authors: JM
authors: Navarro-Marí
authors: José
authors: J
authors: Gutiérrez-Fernández
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult