Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Main purpose of the study is to evaluate characteristics of the hospitalized children in the pediatric service with the diagnosis of gastroenteritis and to assess their parents’ knowledge and attitude related to rotavirus vaccination.

METHODS

A questionnaire-based survey was carried out on parents of 142 children with gastroenteritis who were hospitalized in pediatric service during September 2013 and May 2014. Demographic characteristics of the patients, socio-demographic characteristics of the parents and their knowledge and attitude related to rotavirus vaccination were included in the questionnaire. Rotavirus antigen test results were recorded from the laboratory database. and p<0.05 was accepted for statistically significance.

RESULTS

142 infants, in the age group of 1-48 months, were participated in the study. 59.2% of them were male and 40.8% of them were female. Acute gastroenteritis was seen most commonly in the age group of 7-12 months. Rotavirus antigen was found to be negative for 25.4%. Vomiting was the most common co-existing complaint of diarrhea. It was found out that 93% of them were not given the rotavirus vaccine appropriately. Among all participants in this study, 80.3% of them were not given the vaccine since they did not hear of it.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

It is observed in the study that rotavirus was one of the important etiological factors in most of the hospitalized infants with gastroenteritis. The most of the patients with diarrhea were younger 24 months and the most co-existing symptoms were vomiting and fever. The parents of children who participated in our study were insufficiently informed about rotavirus vaccine.