All issues > Volume 16(5); 1973

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1973;16(5):381-387. Published online May 31, 1973.

Clinical Study of Infantile and Childhood Diarrhea

Sung Kyu Whang¹, Yong Kuk Kim¹, Suck Hee Kim¹, Churl Young Chung¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Catholic Medical College Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Clinical evaluations on 566 cases of infantile and childhood diarrhea patients who were admitted to St. Mary Hospital from Jan. 1967 to Dec. 1971 are carried out. The results are summarized as follow: 1.Diarrhea patients were totaled 566 cases (15.1%) among 3,759 children who were admitted during last 5 years from Jan. 1967 to Dec. 1971. There was no significant difference in annual incidence. 2.Monthly incidence revealed most frequent in Oct. with 146 patients (25. 8%) and next, in Jul. with 82 patients (14. 5%). 3.Age incidence showed the highest rate in below 1 year of age (39. 2%) with relatively high rate, 10. in 6 months to 1 year of age. 4.Sex incidence showed that male to female predominated in a proportion of 2. 5 to 1. 5.Fever, highly manifested below 2 year of age (72.1%) was the most common clinical manifestation except diarrhea. Fever, vomiting, abdominal distension and dehydration were decreased, but headache and abdominal pain were increased with age. 6.The nature of stool was relatively high incidence of bloody-mucus stool, but watery diarrhea was most common(35%). 7.The incidence of diarrhea by feeding method was 52. 2%, 19. 8% and 28. 0% to breast, bottle and mixed feeding respectively. 8.Stool cultures for etiologic agents were done in 384 cases out of 566 diarrhea patients. E. coli and shigella strains were found out 24. 2% and 21.1% respectively, but in the majoritycases (52. 6%), the etiologic agents were not found.

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