Burden of Acute, Persistent and Chronic Diarrhea, Thailand, 2010
Sumitr Sutra MD*, Pensri Kosuwon MD*, Aroon Chirawatkul MSc**, Kaewjai Thepsuthammarat PhD***
Affiliation : * Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand ** Department of Biostatistics and Demography, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand *** Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Background : The incidence of diarrhea in Thai children under five years of age increased over the last decade while mortality
dramatically decreased. To evaluate the effectiveness of MCH services under Universal Coverage Schemes, health outcomes
should be performed.
Objective : To assess the burden and pattern of childhood diarrheal diseases in Thai children under five.
Materials and Method: The information on Intestinal Infectious Diseases ICD10: A00-A09 was divided into two groups: 1.
Infectious diarrhea: A04, A05, A08, A09 and 2. Dysentery: A02, A03. The authors investigated the number of OPD visits,
IPD, mortality, length of hospital stay and co-morbidity of severe cases.
Results : The burden of diarrhea was: 3.7 million (1:1) episodes, 756,552 OPD visits (1:5), 124, 403 IPD admissions (1:30),
202 (1:18,460) persistent diarrhea and 48 (1:77, 685) deaths. Diarrheal incidence had two peaks: cool season and early
rainy season. Admissions lasted a collective 309,398 days. Diarrhea was persistent in 202 episodes (1.6 per 1,000 admissions)
and the associated factors included: age, sepsis, anemia, chronic diseases, malnutrition and HIV. The risks for diarrhea-
related mortality included: infant, septicemia and dehydration.
Conclusion : The incidence of diarrhea was higher than expected albeit mortality was low. The mortality rate was associated
with age under one year, persistent diarrhea, septicemia, chronic and underlying diseases.
Keywords : Burden of acute diarrhea, Persistent diarrhea, Chronic diarrhea
