Role of faecal leucocytes in the diagnostic evaluation of acute diarrhoea.

The value of faecal leucocyte examination was assessed in 400 infants with acute diarrhoea and 40 normal healthy infants. Enteropathogens were isolated from 28.75%. Escherichia coli was the commonest (16.5%) followed by Salmonella typhimurium (7%), Vibrio cholerae (3.25%) and Shigella flexneri (1.5%). Exudative response was observed in 57.1% of stools with Salmonella and 66.6% each with Shigella and E.I.E.C. infections. 81.3%, 89.5% and 87.7% of stools from which EPEC and ETEC and no enteropathogens respectively were isolated showed minimal or no Leucocytic response. The test is useful to recognise probable invasive bacterial diarrhoea and to decide the cases in which stool culture could be advantageous.