[Analysis of fecal mucus in children with prolonged and acute diarrhea].

The fecal mucus obtained from 110 samples in 50 children with diarrhea was studied. Leukocytes were present in 44 cases and 66 samples were negative. Patients with E. coli 0111 did not show fecal leukocytes in contrast with those with E. coli 0119. Patients with shigellosis showed fecal leukocytes of polymorphonuclear predominance, the same as patients with non-thyphoid salmonellosis. But when septicemia was present, either from salmonella or from other enterobacteria, there was a striking increase in percentage of mononuclears. Several patients with negative stool cultures showed fecal leukocytes of polymorphonuclear predominance which suggested residual inflammatory reaction or presence of bacteriologically unidentified invasive E. coli. The index of diagnostic prediction for this test was 73%. Its routine use is recommended in any child with acute or protracted diarrhea, before the initiation of antimicrobial treatment.