High Frequency of Viral Etiology and Antibiotic Utilization Patterns in Pediatric Acute Diarrhea: A Cross-Sectional Study at a Tertiary Hospital in Vietnam.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this research is to (1) determine the frequency of viral acute diarrheal disease in 2 months to 5 years of aged children admitted to the hospital; (2) describe the clinical and laboratory characteristics among children diagnosed with viral acute diarrheal disease; and (3) evaluate patterns of antibiotic utilization in treating pediatric acute diarrheal disease. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 232 pediatric inpatients at the Department of Gastroenterology, Can Tho Children's Hospital from March 2023 to February 2024. This study utilized real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify etiological pathogens responsible for infection. Results: Real-time PCR detected viruses in 140/232 (60.3%) of acute diarrhea cases, with 85/232 (36.6%) being only virus infections. Age, sex, and nutritional status showed no significant differences between the viral infection only and other case groups (P > .05). Vomiting predominated in viral infections only (P < .05), while mucoid-bloody stools and elevated C-reactive protein marked other cases (P < .05). Antibiotics were used in 52.9% of viral and 60.3% of total cases. The study found no differences in hospitalization time, fever length, or duration of diarrhea between the antibiotic use and non-antibiotic use groups (P > .05). Conclusion: Viruses were the predominant cause of acute diarrhea in children, yet antibiotics were frequently used without clinical benefit. Among children with confirmed viral infections, antibiotic use showed no advantage in reducing hospitalization duration, fever length, or diarrhea resolution. These findings support the need to limit unnecessary antibiotic use in pediatric diarrhea management.