An unusual intestinal infection causing intractable diarrhoea of infancy

Abstract

An eight week-oldmale infant was referred to our hospital with twodayhistory of non-bloodydiarrhoea andaweight lost of 600g ithin two days (more than 10% of body weight). He was the first hild of healthy non-consanguineous parents born spontaneously t termwithaweightof3720ganda lengthof54 cm.Pregnancyand eonatal period were uneventful. Physical examination revealed a atigue infant with a substantial dehydration, reduced skin turgo, o fever, bodyweightof5000g (12thpercentile,Germanreferences rand & Reinken), length of 59.5 cm (82nd percentile) and a head ircumference of 40 cm (57th percentile). Clinical examination neiher revealed organomegaly nor rashes and there was no evidence fneurological disorders onneurological examination.Aparenteral ehydration therapy was started using 0.9% saline solution. The atient developed chronic diarrhoea with 5–14 bowel movements er day. Aiming to restore his homeostasis and replace the masive fluid loss he received between 150 and 390ml/kg/day via aso-gastric tube and parenteral nutrition (PN). Racecadotril 10mg hree times daily (Tiorfan®, Abbott GmbH, Wiesbaden, Germany) nd Lactobacillus GG (Infectodiarrstop® LGG, Infectopharm, Hep-