Title: Clinical profile and etiology of diarrhea more than 2 weeks duration in children aged 1 month to 12 years of age in a Pediatric tertiary care centre in Tamil Nadu
Authors: Dr S. Nanthakumar, Dr Dheivamani Nirmala MD DM, Dr Bavanandam Sumathi MD DM
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i9.99
Abstract
Introduction: Diarrhoea is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old. Chronic Diarrhoea has a variety of etiologies; a specific diagnosis cannot be established in all cases.
Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the etiology and analyze the clinical profile of diarrhoea in children aged 1 month to 12 years lasting more than two weeks in a tertiary care centre.
Methods: This was a prospective study done in children in study age group attending Gastroenterology OPD or admitted in medical /gastroenterology ward of Institute of Child Health and Hospital for children, Egmore, Chennai, satisfying the inclusion criteria during October 2016 to September 2017.
Results: Mean age of onset of chronic diarrhoea in this study was 23 months. Chronic diarrhoea was more common in children less than 1yr of age (48.8%). Mean duration of diarrhoea in this study was 93.74 days. 62.7% of study population were malnourished, Vitamin A deficiency detected in 9.6%, anaemia in 69.8% of children and hypoproteinemia in 25.65%. Urinary sepsis detected in 9.3% of study population. Commonest cause of chronic diarrhoea in our study was intestinal infections (25.58%), followed by cow’s milk protein allergy (20.93%) and inflammatory bowel disease (4.65%).
Conclusion: Chronic diarrhoea was more common in children less than 1yr of age, 62.7% of study population was malnourished and the commonest etiology was intestinal infections followed by cow’s milk protein allergy.
Keywords: Diarrhoea, chronic, etiology, malnutrition, anthropometry, clinical profile.
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