Comparison of Community-Acquired Rotavirus Infection with Nosocomial Rotavirus Infection; Evaluation of Epidemiology, Severity and Economic Burdens

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic data of patients with community-acquired rotavirus (CAR) gastroenteritis, the incidence of patients with nosocomial rotavirus gastroenteritis (NRG), the length of hospitalization and direct costs of these two groups, and the effect of NRG in pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: The records of patients aged 0-144 months who were admitted to Halfeti State Hospital between July 2017 and July 2019 and who hospitalized for rotavirus gastroenteritis and patients who developed nosocomial rotavirus infection (NRI) while hospitalized for any reason were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic characteristics, laboratory data, direct cost analysis of patients with CAR infection and patients with NRI were examined and comparisons were made between these two groups. Results: A total of 195 patients were included in the study, of which 29 were patients with NRI. Patients in both groups were most frequently between 25-60 months. The length of hospitalization was on average 6 days more in patients with NRG. While the average hospitalization cost of patients with positive NRI was 175.2 USD, the average hospitalization cost of patients without NRI was 120.6 USD and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Rotavirus infectio; especially in children under the age of five which is common mostly in winter, can be highly nosocomial and creates a serious burden on the health system. Applications such as hand washing, the use of personal protective equipment of healthcare workers, patient isolation can reduce NRI