rome and Gastroenteritis

The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of enteric pathogens causing acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among hospitalized children in a large Italian hospital, to measure the incidence of coinfections, and to compare the clinical characteristics of those infected with one versus multiple agents. A prospective study was conducted from March 2010 to April 2011 at the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome, Italy. All patients between 1 month and 16 years of age admitted to the Pediatric Department with a diagnosis of AGE were eligible for enrollment. Two stool samples for each patient were tested for gastrointestinal pathogens. We summarized the clinical severity of episodes, describing the duration of diarrhea, duration and frequency of vomiting, fever, and severity of dehydration. All the patients underwent medical evaluation with estimation of dehydration. One or more etiological agents were detected in 151 out of 232 patients (65.1%), while we did not detect any etiological agent in 81 (34.9%). Rotavirus was detected in 96 (63.6%), adenovirus in 17 (11.2%), norovirus in 7 (4.6%), toxin-producing Clostridium difficile in 23 (15.2%), Salmonella spp. in 15 (9.9%, B group in 12/15 and D group in 3/15), C. perfringens in 12 (7.9%), Campylobacter spp. in 6 (4%), and verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) in 2 (1.3%). In 27 children out of 151 (17.9%), we found evidence of coinfection. Coinfection with rotavirus and toxin-producing C. difficile was the most common (63%). Children with coinfection had a more severe clinical presentation and had a higher probability to be severely dehydrated, independently of age and living community type.

Topics: Adolescent; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Child; Child, Preschool; Coinfection; Feces; Female; Gastroenteritis; Hospitals, Pediatric; Humans; Infant; Male; Prospective Studies; Rome; Virus Diseases; Viruses

Human bocavirus (HBoV) was first discovered in Sweden in 2005 and has now been found worldwide; however its role in clinically relevant diseases has not yet been clearly defined.. To gain new insight into HBoV infection among children hospitalized with acute respiratory infections in Rome.. Between November 2004 and May 2007, 415 nasal washings were tested for the presence of an extensive range of respiratory viruses using molecular methods.. Viral pathogens were detected in 214 children (51.6%), 28.9% being respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and 9.6% being rhinovirus positive. Of the 34 children (8.2%) who tested positive for HBoV, 21 (61.8%) were co-infected with another respiratory virus, mainly RSV. Human bocavirus was the only pathogen identified in four pneumonia and six bronchiolitis cases in March 2005 and January 2007, respectively. Human bocavirus was also detected in one child hospitalized with gastroenteritis and in another with erythema.. In the examined population, HBoV was the third most common virus detected but with a high rate of co-infection with other respiratory viruses. Human bocavirus appeared to be the etiological agent in some pneumonia and bronchiolitis cases in which tests for all likely respiratory pathogens were negative.

Topics: Adolescent; Bocavirus; Child; Child, Hospitalized; Child, Preschool; Erythema; Female; Gastroenteritis; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Nasal Lavage Fluid; Parvoviridae Infections; Prevalence; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; Respiratory Tract Infections; Rhinovirus; Rome

In the summer of 1999 a cluster of 18 cases of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) occurred in a University Hospital in Rome, Italy. The cases presented with mild clinical and radiological signs, and none died. Seventy-two per cent had a birth weight of > 2500 g, 66.7% had a gestational age of > 37 weeks, 30% presented with respiratory diseases and/or hypoglycaemia. All cases occurred within 10 days of birth and between 5 and 7 days after two clusters of diarrhoea (14 cases). The NEC outbreak had two phases; most cases in the first phase occurred in the at-risk unit, whereas those in the second phase occurred in the full-term unit. In the multivariate analysis, invasive therapeutic procedures, pathological conditions and formula feeding were associated with NEC. Although no predominant common bacteria were isolated, we suggest an infective origin of this outbreak.

Topics: Birth Weight; Diarrhea; Disease Outbreaks; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing; Female; Gastroenteritis; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Risk Factors; Rome

Topics: Feces; Gastroenteritis; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Infant, Premature, Diseases; Rome; Rotavirus; Rotavirus Infections