Acute diarrhea and types of dehydration in Libyan children

Aisha A Sehari, Abdurrhman A Baitalmal andAshraf M Ayad

University of Tripoli, Libya

Abstract

Acute Diarrhea is a leading cause of illness in developing countries. About seventeen of per cent Libyan children suffer from diarrhea. Diarrhea causes about 12% of mortalities in children aged 0-5years. The aim of this study is to estimate to estimate the types and the degree of dehydration and to find out the correlation between types and degree of dehydration and contributing risk factors. Seasonal variations were studied also. A retrospective study was done on all children patients admitted to Tripoli pediatric hospital during the year 2006 (from01/01/2006 to 31/12/2006) complaining of acute diarrheal diseases, age group (one month to 60 months),with exclusion of bloody diarrhea. All the cases were evaluated for their clinical presentation and laboratory results. The results of the study was summarized as following: total were 675 admitted patients diagnosed as acute diarrhea which was (14.91 %) out of the total admission (4526patients) to this hospital during that year, 408males, accounts for (60.44%), females were267 patients (39.56%). Moderate dehydration was the commonest type of dehydration (374patients=55.44%), followed by severe type (239child=35.4%) the least was mild dehydration (62patients=9.2%). Regarding the types of dehydration isonatremic dehydration was the commonest (458 patients 67.85%), followed by hypertonic dehydration (121patients =17.93%), the least was hyponatremic type (96 patients=14.22%).Out of these children patients 8 children died (1.19%) due to complication of acute diarrhea except one child who got other major contributing cause of mortality.

The peak of the acute diarrheal disease in this studied group was during winter and spring (months 2, 3 and 4), total patients were (276 child 40.89%). Low incidence was reported during summer and early autumn (113 child16.74%).So we can conclude from our study that acute diarrheal diseases is a common problem and a common cause of emergency admission to hospitals, especially those with moderate isotonic dehydration followed by severe isotonic type. Mild hypernatremic dehydration was the least. Dehydration is a major risk factor especially in association with other significant illness. A lower incidence of hypertonic dehydration was reported in this study compared with our previous one. The value of ROTA virus vaccination is still to be further evaluated by multicentre studies.

Biography

Aisha A Sehari has been graduated from Tripoli University in January 1981 as Medical Doctor (MBBCh), with the specialties and Diploma in pediatric (DCH) from the same University but the course and the exam. For diploma was done by Glasgow University teaching staff. Later she obtained post-graduation from Alexandria University and she got Master degree in pediatric gatoenterology and Doctor of pediatrics (MD) in pediatric hepatology. Started working at government university hospitals in Tripoli.