Prevalence of cholera in pediatric patients with acute dehydrating diarrhea.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of culture-confirmed cholera in patients with acute dehydrating diarrhea, at a tertiary care center in north India, during a 6-month period from March to August, 2006.

METHODS

We studied 145 children, who presented to the pediatric emergency services of a tertiary care teaching hospital in north India with acute dehydrating diarrhea. Each patient had his/her stool sample collected for Vibrio cholerae culture and hanging drop preparation for darting motility. The stool specimen for hanging drop analysis was immediately transported to the emergency laboratory, where a trained technician prepared the slides and examined them for darting motility characteristic of Vibrio cholerae.

RESULTS

V. cholerae was isolated in 36 (24.8%) patients. Forty-nine (33.7%) patients had a positive hanging drop examination. Hanging drop examination had a sensitivity and specificity of 85.8% and 81.7%, respectively. Severe dehydration (OR 4.3; P<0.01) and hanging drop positivity (OR 12.42; P<0.001) were associated with higher odds of cholera after adjustment for other risk factors.

CONCLUSION

Cholera is an important cause of acute watery diarrhea in pediatric patients in urban north India and should be ruled out in all children presenting with acute dehydrating diarrhea, particularly those with severe dehydration. Hanging drop test is useful for diagnosis in the emergency setting.