Epidemiological description and analysis of Enterovirus-related Admissions in One Taipei Municipal Hospital

Jiang DD

2005 Vol.21 NO.2

Correspondence Author：

Abstract：

In this study, the medical histories of inpatients of one Taipei municipal hospital with illness caused by enterovirus between 1998 and 2000 were analyzed. In addition, criteria of hospital pediatricians for admission of patients with uncomplicated enterovirus infections were surveyed and analyzed with a semi-structured questionnaire. The case number was 442. The results showed that there was no gender difference between enterovirus-infected patients in the three years. More than ninety percent of patients were less than five years old, and the average age was two years old. Forty-four percent of patients were admitted through the emergency department, and the admission duration was about five days. As to the route of admission, in 1998 when there was an epidemic of enteroviral infection in Taiwan, the percentage of patients admitted through the emergency department and the duration of their hospitalization were significantly higher than that in 1999 and 2000 (p< 0.01 respectively). Comparing the diagnoses of each year, the percentage of patients with hand-foot-mouth disease was highest in 1998, and lowest in 1999. The main symptoms of the patients were anorexia, fever, and blisters or ulcers on the oral mucosa. The percentage of patients with herpangina was highest in 1999, and lowest in 2000. The major symptoms in order of frequency of presentation were fever, oral blisters or ulcers, and anorexia.