Magnitude, risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of and , among children with diarrhea in Southern Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed at identifying and infection, their antibiotic susceptibility pattern and associated risk factors among children with diarrhea who attended Alamura Health Center.

METHOD

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 263 children aged below 14 years with diarrhea. A structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data after obtaining the necessary consent from their parents or caretakers. The culture and sensitivity tests were performed using the standard operating procedure of the microbiology laboratory.

RESULTS

Accordingly, 20/263 (7.6%), 95% confidence interval: 4.4%-11.4% and 1/263 (0.38%), 95% confidence interval: 0.0%-1.1% were isolated. was dominant 11 (4.2%), followed by spp. 9 (3.42%) and 1 (0.38%). The isolates showed 71.4% overall resistance to ampicillin and 61.9% for augmentin and tetracycline, whereas 95.2% of the isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, 85.9% to ceftriaxone and ceftazidime, 81% to gentamycin, 76.2% to chloramphenicol, 66.7% to cefuroxime and 52.4% to cotrimoxazole. The habit of washing hands after toilet use for a while (adjusted odds ratio: 235.1, 95% confidence interval: 20.9-2643.3, p < 0.000) and storing cooked food in an open container for later use (adjusted odds ratio: 36.44, 95% confidence interval: 5.82-228.06, p < 0.000) showed a statistically significant association.

CONCLUSION

High level of and single was isolated. Ampicillin, augmentin and tetracycline were resistant and ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, gentamycin, chloramphenicol, cefuroxime and cotrimoxazole were relatively sensitive. Hand-washing after defecation for some time and storing of foods for later use in an open container were statistically associated. Therefore, to alleviate this infection, the concerned body should focus on imparting health education for hand-wash after defecation and storing food in a closed container for later use is mandatory.