Objectives: Although the passage of blood in stools in children represents a medical emergency, children seeking emergency department (ED) care remain poorly characterized. Our primary objective was to compare clinical characteristics and etiologic pathogens in children with acute diarrhea with and without caregiver-reported hematochezia. Secondary objectives were to characterize interventions and resource utilization.
Methods:We conducted a secondary analysis of the Alberta Provincial Pediatric EnTeric Infection TEam (APPETITE) database. Children <18 years presenting to two pediatric EDs within a 24-hour period and <7 days of symptoms were consecutively recruited.
Results: Of 1,061 participants, 115 (10.8%) reported hematochezia at the enrollment visit at which time those with hematochezia, compared to those without, had more HEMATOCHEZIA IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE DIARRHEA SEEKING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT CARE -A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY INTRODUC TI ON Acute onset of blood in stools is a medical emergency 1 with etiologies varying with age. 2 Bacterial infections are a common consideration in children with hematochezia across all age groups 2 with Shigella spp., Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Yersinia spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, and other Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) being most often implicated. 1 However, viruses such as rotavirus, enteric adenovirus, and norovirus have also been detected in children in whom the diarrhea contains visible blood, but the pathogenesis remains unclear. 3,4 Furthermore, Clostridioides difficile infection must also be considered in the appropriate clinical scenario, with the most important risk factors being recent antibiotic use and hospitalization. 5,6 Pediatric bacterial enteric infections are associated with an acute onset of diarrhea, greater stool frequency in the 24 hours before emergency department (ED) presentation, abdominal tenderness, absence of vomiting, history of fever, 1,3,7-12 and spring/summer seasonality. 8,10,12-14 Although reports have described the etiologies of bloody stools associated with gastroenterology consultation and care, to the best of our knowledge, no publications have focused on the clinical features, infectious etiologies, and health care resource use of children with acute hematochezia seeking ED care. We sought to fill this knowledge gap by conducting a secondary analysis of the Alberta Provincial Pediatric EnTeric TEam (APPETITE) dataset. The latter was created through the conduct of a large, prospective cohort study of children with vomiting and diarrhea that conducted extensive stool testing using a broad, nucleic acid-based, enteropathogen detection strategy. 15-19 Our primary objective was to describe and compare the clinical characteristics and infectious etiologies of children with acute diarrhea and hematochezia presenting for ED care to those without hematochezia. Secondary objectives included a description and comparison of health care resource utilization by children with and without hematochezia.
ME THODS
Study design and p...