Determination of etiologic agents of childhood acute gastroenteritis

During childhood, acute gastroenteritis attacks are still going on a big problem for children?s health in the whole world. Acute gastroenteritis is the most frequent reason of morbidity and mortality in children after lower respiratory tract infections. While in developed countries the most frequent etiology of gastroenteritis are viruses, in developing countries bacterial and parasitologic microorganisms take a considerable place. To be known the distribution and incidence of these agents will provide an opportunity for early diagnosis and effective treatment and also will provide to decrease unnecessary use of antibiotics.In this study that was planned in order to determine etiologic agents of acute gastroenteritis during childhood in our region; 407 children patients with acute diarrhea who applied to Fırat University Hospital Children?s Health and Disease Department were evaluated. Bacteriological, virological and parasitological analysis were done in stool samples taken from patients. All the samples were at first examined as macroscopic and microscopic. Microscopic investigation was done in terms of being exist of erythrocytes, leucocytes, parasite cyst and trophozoites. In virologic investigation; exsisting of rotavirus and adenoviruses were examined with latex agglutination method. As bacteriologic, for Salmonella, Shigella and Campylobacter cultures were done. While at 55,3% of patients pathogens were determined, at 44,7% of patients were not found any etiologic agent. At 36,3% of patients viral agents, at 11,3% parasitologic and at 7,7% bacterial agents were determined. Rotavirus was the most frequent pathogen with the rate of 31,9% (130 patients). This was followed by G. intestinalis with 10,1% (41 patients) and Campylobacter with 4,7% (19 patients). Adenoviruses were determined with the rate of 4,4% (8 patients), E. histolytica 1,2% (5 patients), Shigella 2,0% (8 patients) and Salmonella 1,0% (4 patients).In conclusion, it was understood that viral agents were causing more frequent acute gastroenteritis during childhood and this was followed by respectively parasitologic and bacterial agents.