All issues > Volume 46(12); 2003

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2003;46(12):1217-1223. Published online December 15, 2003.

Pediatrician Perspectives on the Evaluation and Treatment of Acute Gastrointestinal Infections, Jeonbuk, South Korea, 2002

So Hee SH Lim¹, Yang Sim YS Koe¹, Dae Sun DS Jo¹, Sin Jae SJ Lee², Pyoung Han PH Hwang¹, P. P Kilgore³, B. B Nyhambat³, Jung Soo JS Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea
²Epidemiological Department, Jeonbuk Provincial Health Center, Jeonju, Korea
³Internationl Vaccine Institute, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Jung Soo JS Kim ,Email: kimjsp@moak.chonbuk.co.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: This study was conducted to assess clinical practices related to the evaluation and treatment of patients with acute gastrointestinal infection(AGI) in infants and children. This survey also evaluated the current opinion regarding the use of rotavirus vaccine.
Methods
: This survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire provided to 82 pediatricians in private clinics of Jeonbuk province. From April to June, 2002, 63 of 82 pediatricians(76.8 %) responded to the survey.
Results
: The annual proportion of patients with AGI was 13%. The highest proportion of patients with diarrhea were reported for the months of October through December. For the treatment of diarrhea, pediatricians preferred to prescribe lactobacillus products, oral rehydration solution, enzyme products, anti-emetics, anti-diarrheal formula, nothing by mouth(NPO) and bowel movement inhibitors in descending order of frequency. Most pediatricians(79.4%) prescribed antibiotics in less than 20% of patients with AGI. Amoxicillin was the most commonly prescribed antibiotics followed by trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole(TMP/SMX) and amoxicillin/clavulanate. Clinical manifestations that pediatricians considered as important factors in prescribing antibiotics were bloody diarrhea, mucoid diarrhea, high fever, persisting disease and abdominal pain. Diagnostic procedures that pediatricians preferred for AGI patients were stool examination(rotavirus antigen, RBC, WBC), abdominal X-ray, and serum electrolytes. Pediatricians had a strong interest in rotavirus vaccine(71.4%).
Conclusion
: Acute gastrointestinal illness remains a common problem, especially during the winter months in Korea. AGI manifesting as watery diarrhea is appropriately treated with commonly available agents but pediatricians appear ready to consider additional approaches to decrease the sizable disease burden of AGI among children in Korea.

Keywords :Acute gastrointestinal infection, Pediatrician, Survey