Clinical Features in Hospitalised Children with Acute Gastroenteritis: Does the Rotavirus Syndrome Exist?

ABSTRACT. In a prospective study of children referred to hospital, rotavirus was identified in 37 % of 128 patients with acute gastroenteritis. As compared with patients with non-rotavirus gastroenteritis, those with rotavirus gastroenteritis showed the following clinical characteristics: (1) Age between 5 months and 4 years. (2) Occurrence of the rotavirus infection almost exclusively during the winter season. (3) Severe vomiting. (4) Absence of gross blood in the stools. However, these signs did not form a safe basis for the clinical diagnosis of rotavirus gastroenteritis. One or more signs of upper respiratory illness were observed in 36 % of the patients with rotavirus gastroenteritis and in 35 % of those with non-rotavirus gastroenteritis. Consequently, the existence of a rotavirus syndrome is questioned. It is argued that upper respiratory illnesses in patients with rotavirus gastroenteritis could be due to a separate infection occurring coincidentally.