Gastroenteritis in a regional hospital in Kuwait: some aspects of the disease

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Abstract
SUMMARY A review of the clinical course of gastroenteritis in 274 hospitalized children revealed a severe form of the disease. Eight-eight per cent were aged 12 months or under and 20% had severe associated malnutrition. The commonest clinical manifestations were diarrhoea (100%), dehydration (98·9%), vomiting (81·4%) and fever (77·7%). Pathogens were isolated from 75·2% of cases (rotavirus 24·5%, Escherichia coli 20·8%, salmonellae 20%, shigellae 6·2%, campylobacter 2·2% and Yersinia enterocolitica in 1·5%). Septicaemia was confirmed in 12 patients (4·4%) and strong clinical evidence of septiciaemia was present in 36 more cases (13%). Dehydration was isonatraemic in 68%, hyponatraemic in 21% and hypernatraemic in 11% of cases. There was a clear association between septicaemia and hyponatraemia. The overall mortality rate was 1·8%. Data from our study show that the use of intravenous hyperalimentation, and/or antibiotics in the management of gastroenteritis in selected patients, can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality.