Intussusception cases among children admitted to referral hospitals in Kenya, 2002–2013: implications for monitoring postlicensure safety of rotavirus vaccines in Africa

Abstract

To describe the epidemiology of intussusception before introduction of the rotavirus vaccine, we reviewed the records of 280 patients younger than 5 years who were hospitalized in Kenya between 2002 and 2013. The patients who died (18 [6.4%]) had sought care later after symptom onset than the patients who survived (median, 5 vs 3 days, respectively; P = .04). Seeking prompt care may improve therapeutic outcomes.