Prospective study of nosocomial enteric infections in a padiatric hospital, Calcutta

Abstract

Hospital acquired enteric infections were investigated by studying 3138 children under 5 years of age, who were admitted without diarrhea in nine medical wards of a pediatric hospital, Calcutta during the period March and September 1987. Three Hundred and twenty(10.2%) children developed nosoconial diarrhea during their hospital stay. fecal samples from 178 nosoconial diarrhea, 345 hospitalized diarrhea cases, 178 hospital controls and 200 outpatient controls were collected for detection of established enteropathogens. there were no statistically significant differences in the detection of most of the eneteropethogens from feacal samples of nosoconial diarrhea, hospitalized diarrhea and hospital controls. enteric Pathogens were detected at a higher frequency(statistically significant) from feacal samples of nosoconial diarrhea cases as compared to outpatient controls. this study highlights the importance of most of the enteropathogens like shigella, salmonella, rotavirus, enteropathogenic E. coli as the cause of hospital cross infection. this study re inforces the importance of developing preventive measures in order to reduce the frequency of illness.