Impact of community-acquired paediatric rotavirus gastroenteritis on family life: data from the REVEAL study

Abstract

BackgroundRotavirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and the most frequent cause of severe diarrhoea in children aged less than 5 years. Although the epidemiology of rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) is well documented, there are few data on the impact of RVGE on the families of affected children.MethodsData associated with the burden of RVGE, including number of working days lost, levels of parental stress, the need for alternative childcare arrangements and additional nappies used, were extracted from questionnaires completed by parents of children participating in a prospective, multicentre, observational study (Rotavirus gastroenteritis Epidemiology and Viral types in Europe Accounting for Losses in public health and society, REVEAL), conducted during 2004-2005 in selected areas of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom to estimate the incidence of RVGE in children aged less than 5 years seeking medical care as a result of AGE.Results1102 children with RVGE were included in the present analysis. The proportion of RVGE cases that required at least one parent or other person to be absent from work was 39%-91% in the hospital setting, 44%-64% in the emergency department, and 20%-64% in primary care. Self-reported levels of parental stress were generally high (mean stress levels, ≥ 5 on a 10-point visual analogue scale). Additional childcare arrangements were required in up to 21% of RVGE episodes. The mean number of nappies used per day during RVGE episodes was approximately double that used when the child was not ill.ConclusionsPaediatric RVGE cases cause disruption to families and parental stress. The burden of RVGE on children and their families could be substantially reduced by routine rotavirus vaccination of infants.

Improvement in hospital Quality of Care (QoC) after the introduction of rotavirus vaccination: An evaluation study in Belgium

“…9 This has been documented by epidemiological data, but the consequences have not been fully investigated. 10,11 Overcrowding leads to high turnovers, with consequent potential for premature discharge and high readmission rates. [12][13][14][15] Over-stressed conditions for staff may be associated with high sickness rates requiring recruitment of temporary personnel, which in turn may be associated with a risk of incorrect diagnosis and/or treatment.…”

Increase in the detection rate of viral and parasitic enteric pathogens among Egyptian children with acute diarrhea

“…Viruses, including rotavirus (RV), norovirus (NoV), enteric adenovirus 40/41 (AdV) and astrovirus (AsV) have been shown to be important causes of acute diarrhea in children during the early years of life [8][9][10][11]. RV and NoV are considered the most important causative agents of viral gastroenteritis [12,13] and surveillance studies have demonstrated that RV is one of the most common causes of diarrhea among children seeking hospital care for their illness [14]. RV infections are responsible for millions of childhood hospitalizations and thousands of potentially preventable deaths in developing countries each year [15].…”

Do current cost-effectiveness analyses reflect the full value of childhood vaccination in Europe?

“…15 The mean number of working days lost ranged from 2.3 d (France, hospital setting) to 7.5 d (UK, primary-care setting), which constituted a considerable economic burden from a societal perspective. 15 Additional childcare arrangements were required in up to 21% of episodes in this study, representing an economic burden on families affected.…”

“…15 The mean number of working days lost ranged from 2.3 d (France, hospital setting) to 7.5 d (UK, primary-care setting), which constituted a considerable economic burden from a societal perspective. 15 Additional childcare arrangements were required in up to 21% of episodes in this study, representing an economic burden on families affected. However, while there is some evidence demonstrating a high burden to care givers, there is a need for further research data to more accurately quantify the economic impact of this, as this can have a considerable impact on the findings of cost-effectiveness analyses.…”