© 1977 by Oxford University Press
research-article |
The Pattern of Bacterial Diarrhoeal of the Newborn in Mulago Hospital (Kampala)
Registrar Mulago Hospital Department of Paediatrics P.O. Box 7072, Kampala
Diarrhoeal disease has been a common problem in the Mulago Hospital Special Care Unit. A three year retrospective study was undertaken to see the frequency of the disease, its outcome and to determine the common offending organisms. A six month prospective period was used to look at the clinical features.
E.Coli 0119 and 086 were the commonest organisms and occurred in epidemics. Other E.Coli serotypes were less common and sporadic. In all 13.5% of low birth-weight babies and 1.9% of full term babies get infected with these organisms. Infection rate declined over the three year period. 18% of low birth weight infected babies died; there was no death among full term infants. There were two epidemics of salmonella senfstenberg and in one of them the mortality was 64%. Other salmonella species were rare. Shigella was even less common. Clinical features in E.Coli and Salmonella infections were similar and did not differ very much from those reported elsewhere. Blood in the stool was, however, associated with E.Coli infection — a factor that has not been commonly reported.