Retrospective surveillance for intussusception in children aged less than five years at two tertiary care centers in India

Background A rotavirus vaccine could soon become part of India's national immunization program. However the occurrence of intussusception due to rotavirus vaccine is a potential safety concern. This surveillance aimed at the collection of baseline data on childhood intussusception which would facilitate the monitoring of intussusception cases after the introduction of rotavirus vaccines. Methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records of confirmed intussusception cases in children under the age of five, treated during 2007–2012 at two tertiary care hospitals attached to medical schools in India. Demographic, clinical, diagnostic and treatment practices data were obtained from hospital records. Results Over a five to six year observation period, we identified 187 confirmed cases of intussusception, of which 75% were males. The median age of intussusception was 8 months, and we observed a possible trend in the distribution of cases with the highest number of cases being reported in the month of April and lowest in the month of October. The most common diagnostic methods used were ultrasonography and abdominal radiography with most cases being treated surgically (71%). The median length of hospital stay was 8 days (range 1–40) and mean was 10.2 days. Records of any fatality due to intussusception were not found during the review of the records. Conclusions This analysis provides an estimate of the baseline data of childhood intussusception prior to the introduction of the rotavirus vaccination as a part of routine immunization in India. A prospective surveillance system using a standardized case definition is needed in order to better examine the incidence of intussusception in developing countries.