Gastroenteritis in a regional hospital in Kuwait: some aspects of the disease

A review of the clinical course of gastroenteritis in 274 hospitalized children revealed a severe form of the disease. Eight-eight per cent were aged 12 months or under and 20% had severe associated malnutrition. The commonest clinical manifestations were diarrhoea (100%), dehydration (98.9%), vomiting (81.4%) and fever (77.7%). Pathogens were isolated from 75.2% of cases (rotavirus 24.5%, Escherichia coli 20.8%, salmonellae 20%, shigellae 6.2%, campylobacter 2.2% and Yersinia enterocolitica in 1.5%). Septicaemia was confirmed in 12 patients (4.4%) and strong clinical evidence of septicaemia was present in 36 more cases (13%). Dehydration was isonatraemic in 68%, hyponatraemic in 21% and hypernatraemic in 11% of cases. There was a clear association between septicaemia and hyponatraemia. The overall mortality rate was 1.8%. Data from our study show that the use of intravenous hyperalimentation, and/or antibiotics in the management of gastroenteritis in selected patients, can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality.