Acute Bacterial Gastroenteritis as a Healthcare-Associated Infection in Pediatrics

Despite the fact that acute gastroenteritis can be prevented, the disease still affects children, especially under the age of two. The increased levels of pediatric mortality in most developing regions make diarrheal diseases one of the most common causes of death in the children under the age of 5. The purpose of the study was to describe the cases of acute gastroenteritis reported as healthcare-associated infections in a pediatric hospital deserving the north-eastern urban and rural regions of Romania. Material and methods. A descriptive study was conducted on a group of 615 cases with acute bacterial gastroenteritis as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), reported in “Sf. Maria” Emergency Hospital for Children, Iași, between 2012 and 2016. Results. Most cases of acute bacterial gastroenteritis were registered in 2015 (154 cases-25.04%), and the lowest in 2012 (12.84%). Male gender prevailed in almost all years of study, with no statistical significance (p≥0.05). Gastroenteritis with Campylobacter was most commonly reported in pediatric wards, especially in infants of 0-1 years old and children aged of 2-6 years. Cases of HAIs with Salmonella spp were also frequent. Conclusions. A competent management of HAIs especially as acute gastroenteritis in an emergency hospital for children from a region that includes developing rural areas, should be the most important issue for professionals involved in surveillance and control strategies, as well as clinicians, epidemiologist and microbiologist, in order to prevent HAIs burden occurrence and avoid antimicrobial resistance.