Prevalence of Microorganisms in Patients Presented with Gastroenteritis to the Emergency Department

Hakan Oğuztürk; Şevki Hakan Eren; İlhan Korkmaz; Fatma Mutlu Kukul Güven

Hakan Oğuztürk¹, Şevki Hakan Eren², İlhan Korkmaz², Fatma Mutlu Kukul Güven²

¹Department Of Emergency Medicine, Aksaray State Hospital, Aksaray
²Department Of Emergency Medicine, Medicine Faculty Of Cumhuriyet University, Sivas Cumhuriyet

Abstract

Objectives: Gastroenteritis is an inşammatory disorder of gastrointestinal mucosal surface that begins with symptoms and/or sings such as anorexia, nausea and vomiting and manifested with diarrhea of varying degrees and discomfort of abdomen. Acute gastroenteritis is the most affecting diseases in all ages. Determining the probable agents of gastroenteritis provides an easy diagnosis and effective treatment with appropriate antimicrobial agent. The aim of this study was to determine the pathogens in patients presenting with diarrhea to the emergency department.
Materials and Methods: In order to determine the etiologic agents of acute gastroenteritis, patients presented with diarrhea to Sivas Cumhuriyet University Medicine Faculty Emergency Department between May and November 2005 were included in the study. The stool analysis of the study patients was performed to detect bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.
Results: The study group consisted of 79 (52.7%) males and 71 (47.3%) females. In 61 (40.6%) patients the microorganism species were determined. Defined microorganisms were as follows; Giardia intestinalis 12 (8%), Blastocystis hominis 10 (6.7%), Salmonella 10 (6.7%), Entamoeba histolytica 9 (6%), Rotavirus 7 (4.7%), Shigella 5 (3.3%), Clostiridium difficile 2 (1.3%), Adenovirus 2 (1.3%), Cryptosporidium 2 (1.3%) and Candida 2 (1.3%). Fatigue (55 patients) was the most seen symptom in the patients whose pathogen microorganism was identified. Nausea-vomiting (50 patients) and abdominal pain (49 patients) followed it. Fever was the least seen symptom which was only seen in 32 (5%). Antibiogram analyses were performed for Salmonella and Schigella species. All of them were resistant to amikacin and tobramicine. Aztreonam was effective in all. Ciproşoxacin was effective in 14 patients.
Conclusion: The prevalence of protozoa was found to be significantly higher than the rotaviruses and bacteria among patients with gastroenteritis in this region. Key words: Diarrhea; emergency department; gastroenteritis; pathogen.