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Complications in hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus: a retrospective analysis
European Journal of Pediatrics, 09/02/2011
Kaiser P et al. – Hypernatremia is a specific complication of RV–positive (RV+)+ Acute gastroenteritis (AGE). RV would therefore appear to be the cause of infant toxicosis, the traditional descriptive term for severe dehydration and clinical deterioration following AGE.
Methods- This was a retrospective analysis of data for children <5 years of age hospitalized due to AGE during six rotavirus seasons in three large German pediatric hospitals.
- The primary study end point was the incidence and type of complications in RV+ versus RV-negative (RV) cases.
- A total of 6,884 episodes of AGE in hospitalized children aged <5 years were included in this analysis.
- Of the 4,880 stools tested for RV, 2,118 (43.4%) were RV+.
- Hypernatremia was significantly more common in RV+ AGE and was associated with severe disease, need for intensive care treatment, and longer duration of hospitalization.
- Metabolic disorders, particularly hypoglycemia, were more common in RV+ AGE. In contrast, symptoms such as respiratory infections, neurological, and abdominal symptoms were more common in children with RV- AGE.