Background: Diarrhoea has been defined in many ways, as an increased water content of stools, altered consistency, increased frequency or combinations of all these three. A lot has been studied regarding diarrhoea which establishes beyond doubt that, there are geographic variations in clinico-epidemiological profiles of diarrhoeas. Such differences are largely due to the pathogenic variance, levels of endemicity of diarrhoeal diseases, veritable degrees of host–parasite relationships leading to immunological adjustments, the modalities of treatment and management, as well as the behavioural patterns & life styles of the community including water sanitation, faeco-oral contamination, eating habits and movement of population. In the light of this, the present study of clinico-epidemiological presentations of diarrhoeas was conducted.

Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out during 6 months of 1^st January to 30^th June 2016 on 168 under five patients admitted in paediatric ward of Tertiary care hospital of Miraj, Dist. Sangli. Data was collected using predesigned proforma and analysed using statistical software.

Results and Conclusions: Out of the total 168 cases of diarrhoea, 54.76% were males and 45.24% were females. Maximum were infants, reported in January, from urban area, belonged to 4^th socio-economic status as per modified B.G. Prasad’s classification, practising hand washing, with illiterate mothers and labourer fathers, non- satisfactory surrounding’ cleanliness. About 22% reported positive epidemiological history. Frequency of loose motions was more than 10 per day in most of the patients. Also diarrhoea was not associated with blood or mucus in stool most of the patients. Majority of the cases had mild dehydration with no complications and treated with oral rehydrating solution. Zero mortality was seen in the study. Health education on preventive measures of diarrhoea should be given to community.  

Keywords: Diarrhoea, under-five, clinicoepidemiological profile, Maharashtra. 

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Tanuja Ravindra Brahmankar

Janta Raja Colony, Makhmalabad Naka,

Panchavati, Nashik.422003, Maharashtra, India

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