A severity score for gastroenteritis in children

January 01, 0001

A severity score for gastroenteritis in children

Acute gastroenteritis is a common condition in childhood, with a wide range of clinical severity. These Canadian and US endeavored to evaluate the reliability, validity, and ease of use of a severity score for gastroenteritis, the modified Vesikari score (MVS). This score, which does not require in-person assessment, was used to assess the global severity of disease in a cohort of children 3 months to 2 years old presenting to 11 ERs with acute gastroenteritis. In this prospective study, caregivers recorded symptoms at home in a diary and reported the results via telephone at follow- up evaluation 14 days later.

The authors found: "A total of 455 children were enrolled, and 415 were successfully contacted for follow-up evaluation. Internal reliability was acceptable, with Cronbach's of 0.59. Disease severity was correlated with day care and work absenteeism. The MVS was normally distributed, and mean scores did not differ between the 11 sites."

The authors concluded: "The MVS seems to measure effectively the global severity of disease in a cohort of children with acute gastroenteritis. These data support the use of the MVS as an outcome measure in future clinical trials."

This study suggest the modified Vesikari score us useful in measuring overall severity of gastroenteritis which could be useful in determining the course of treatment.

For the full abstract, click here.

Pediatrics 125(6):e1278-e1285, June 2010
© Copyright American Academy of Pediatrics
Evaluation of a Gastroenteritis Severity Score for Use in Outpatient Settings. Stephen B. Freedman, Mohamed Eltorky, Marc Gorelick, and the Pediatric Emergency Research Canada Gastroenteritis Study Group.

Category: D. Digestive. Keywords: gastroenteritis, pediatric, severity score, assessment, modified Vesikari score, prospective cohort, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 3rd August 2010

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