The aim of this study was to determine the burden, management and outcomes of rotavirus infection in young children presenting to a tertiary paediatric hospital in Sydney, Australia. All laboratory-confirmed cases of rotavirus in children aged <5 years were identified and medical records reviewed. In 2004, 80 children aged < 5 years presented to the hospital with rotavirus gastroenteritis confirmed by stool testing. Infants aged <24 months comprised 75% of cases, with more males than females affected. Most children (86%) acquired rotavirus infection in the community, with a mean length of hospital admission of 2·3 days. There were eight cases of nosocomial infection at a rate of 3/10 000 admissions. The rates of intravenous fluid management (46%) and antibiotic use (28%) were high, reflecting the severity of disease presenting in a hospital setting. These data will help inform the assessment of the recently introduced rotavirus vaccination programme in Australia. © 2008 Cambridge University Press.
CITATION STYLE
Inglis, E., Kesson, A., Newall, A. T., Macartney, K., & MacIntyre, C. R. (2009). The burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children presenting to a paediatric hospital. Epidemiology and Infection, 137(7), 943–949. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268808001520
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