Incidence of pediatric patients with diarrheal diseases in the health post tres cerritos - pasaje in the period 2020 - 2022

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to determine the incidence of diarrheal diseases in pediatric patients of the Tres Cerritos Health Post in the Pasaje Canton during the period 2020 - 2022. Methods: A cross-sectional observational-descriptive study was conducted. The pediatric population studied consisted of 5,774 children, among whom 76 cases of acute diarrhea were observed in children of both sexes. The PRAS system (Plataforma Registro de Salud) was used for data collection. Statistical analysis was carried out with Epi Info and Excel, presenting qualitative variables with frequency values (f), percentage (%) and quantitative variables with measures of central tendency and dispersion (mean, median/standard deviation, interquartile range). Results: According to the data collected in PRAS, an incidence of acute diarrhea of 13.16 per 1,000 inhabitants was determined. The average age of the affected children ranged from 2 to 9 years, with a predominance of the male sex (54%). The most affected age group was 2 to 4 years (49%). The most frequent symptomatology was diarrhea (42%), followed by the combination of diarrhea and vomiting (16%). Conclusion: The incidence of diarrhea in the Tres Cerritos Health Post was relatively low in the pediatric population. This is due to the fact that respiratory pathologies predominated during the study period, affecting the male sex more frequently.