Symptom profiling for infectious intestinal disease (IID): Do symptom profiles alter with age?



Donaldson, Anna L ORCID: 0000-0002-5760-2753, Harris, John P, Vivancos, Roberto and O'Brien, Sarah J
(2022) Symptom profiling for infectious intestinal disease (IID): Do symptom profiles alter with age? PLOS ONE, 17 (6). e0269676-.

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.
[img] Text
Symptom profiling for infectious intestinal disease (IID) Do symptom profiles alter with age.pdf - Published version

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Symptom profiles have previously been identified for infectious intestinal disease (IID) which distinguish bacterial from viral organisms. However, there is evidence that the seasonality, severity, and duration of IID may differ between children, adults and elderly. A secondary data analysis was undertaken to explore whether symptom profiles for bacterial and viral IID vary across different age groups. Data from 844 cases of IID were divided into three age categories: <16 years, 16-65 years and >65 years. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to compare the significance of different symptoms across the three age groups. The odds of bacterial IID in children were increased by onset in the summer, diarrhoea in the absence of vomiting and fever. These symptoms were also associated with lower odds of a viral pathogen. In adults, diarrhoea but no vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and diarrhoea lasting more than 3 days were associated with increased odds of a bacterial organism, whilst onset in the winter or spring and a loss of appetite were associated with viral IID. In the elderly, diarrhoea in the absence of vomiting and diarrhoea lasting more than 3 days were associated with higher odds of bacterial IID and lower odds of a viral cause. Only diarrhoea in the absence of vomiting emerged as a key symptom across all three age groups. Variation in symptom profiles by age has implications for clinicians, public health specialists and epidemiologists who use symptoms to guide presumptive diagnoses in the absence of microbiological confirmation.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Humans, Bacterial Infections, Virus Diseases, Intestinal Diseases, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Child, Intraabdominal Infections
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 12 Jul 2022 15:42
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 20:56
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269676
Open Access URL: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269676
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3158311