Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that failure to isolate children with RVI is associated with a high rate nosocomial infection. To determine the value of rapid identification of RV and resulting institution of enteric isolation in reducing nosocomial spread, patients admitted during a 5 wk period when RV was prevalent in the community had stool tested by ELISA on admission and 3X/wk.
Patients with diarrhea also had stool tested for RV within 24 h of admission or development of symptoms by latex agglutination (LA). Of 110 patients, RVI occurred in 24; 14 (14%) were nosocomial (onset ≥ 72 h after admission). In 5, RVI developed after discharge. Diarrhea occurred in 52 (47%) of hospitalized patients; 19 of 48 tested had RV by LA. Of the 19, 6 were isolated when diarrhea began, 6 when the LA result was known 24 h later, and 7 were discharged before test results were known. When compared with ELISA, LA gave 4 false positives and 1 false negative. Three RV infected patients were asymptomatic and were not tested by LA. Rapid testing resulted in more timely and appropriate isolation of RV infected patients but transmission of RV remained appreciable, suggesting that spread can occur in spite of isolation or in the brief interval prior to RV identification.
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Dennehy, P., Veloudis, B., Tente, W. et al. USE OF RAPID ROTAVIRUS (RV) TESTING TO CONTROL NOSOCOMIAL ROTAVIRUS INFECTION (RVI) ON AN INFANT WARD. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 256 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00534
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00534