Diarrhea in Hospitalized Children in Tertiary Hospital

Diarrheal diseases are a great public health problem that leads to morbidity and mortality of infants and children particularly in developing countries and even in developed countries. The aim of the study was to determine the etiology of acute diarrhea in young children. This is a retrospective study. A total of 345 cases of acute diarrhea mainly in children below 5 years of age admitted at tertiary care Pediatric hospital in University Center Mother Theresa over the period 2011- 2013 were included in the study. Medical history, diarrhea symptoms, treatment prior to hospitalization and demographics were obtained from medical records. Stool samples were analyzed for parasites, rotavirus and enteric bacteria. Of the total samples examined, 181 (53.3 %) were positive for at least one pathogen: bacterial pathogens were isolated from 11 (3.2 %) samples, parasites from 51 (14.8 %), and rotavirus from 122 (35.8 %) Etiologic data on diarrheal diseases and are important tools for clinical management and control strategic planning.