Campylobacter Data in Childhood from a University Hospital

Background and Objectives: Due to underdiagnosis because of the technical difficulties plus inadequacy of laboratories, actual incidence of campylobacteriosis may substantially be greater than the reported incidence in many countries including Turkey. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and emphasize the diagnostic methods of campylobacteriosis, and the clinical and laboratory data of children with Campylobacterial gastroenteritis.

Methods: This study was conducted in Yeditepe University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Clinical (demographical data, symptoms and findings) and laboratory (stool microscopy, rapid antigen tests, culture, and multiplex PCR and blood test results) variables of children with Campylobacter infection between January 2010 and October 2012 were evaluated retrospectively from the hospital database.

Results: Out of 1275 stool cultures, Campylobacter spp. was detected in 90 of them (7%). The diagnosis was made by positive stool culture (n = 87) and/or multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test (n = 8, whereas 3 of them were culture negative). The distribution of Campylobacter isolates were; C. jejuni (85.5%), C. upsaliensis (8.9%), C. coli (1.1%), and others (4.5%). The presenting symptoms were diarrhea (100%), fever (68.9%), abdominal pain (34.4%), dehydration (27.8%), vomiting (25.5%), bloody diarrhea (5.6%), and convulsion (1%). Hospitalization was required in 25.5% of patients.

Conclusions: Although stool culture is a reference method in diagnosis, the PCR test can be used in culture negative patients with clinical manifestations. Diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and vomiting were most commonly encountered symptoms whereas bloody diarrhea and convulsion were rarely seen in campylobacteriosis. Also antibiotherapy and hospitalisation were not commonly required.