Codruţa Iliescu Haliţchi, Wanda Rusu, Oana Temneanu, Ana Pavel, Alina Chirilă, Bogdan Rotaru, Radu Russu and Dan Moraru

ABSTRACT

Diarrhea is a major health problem and a common cause of morbidity and mortality in children, Rotavirus being the most frequent cause of infectious diarrhea in infants and young children. Aim. Evaluation of patients diagnosted and treated at Arcadia Hospital with Rotavirus gastroenteritis associated on admission with leukocytosis with polynucleosis, and development of a prognostic score by analyzing the associated clinical and biological changes. Methods. Included in the study were 70 patients diagnosed with Rotavirus diarrheea in which several clinical and biological parameters were analyzed in view of determining the changes occurring in those associating leukocytosis with polynucleosis at onset. By statistical analysis the “profile” of the patient with Rotavirus diarrhea associated with leukocytosis with polynucleosis was outlined. Thus we formulated a porgnostic score classifying Rotavirus gastroenteritis into 3 forms: mild (score < 11), moderate (score = 12-20) and severe (score > 20). Clinical course in patients associating leukocytosis with polynucleosis was considered favorable within approximately 1½-3 days, corresponding to prognostic score 12-20. Conclusions. Leucocytosis with polynucleosis at onset in patients with Rotavirus gastroenteritis is not an indicator of bacterial infection, but a negative prognostic factor. This score is easy to calculate and use in clinical practice in patients with acute Rotavirus diarrheea and allows a rapid formulation of prognosis and estimation of disease progression.

Key words: diarrheea, Rotavirus, child, prognostic score

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