Ascariasis complicada en niños en un hospital de referencia en Medellín, Colombia

Ascaris lumbricoides is a facultative parasite that resides in the human gastrointestinal tract, and is associated with malnutrition, iron deficiency, malabsorption, intestinal obstruction, pulmonary complications, and poor weight gain. Ascaris lives between the stomach and the ileocecal valve, however unfavorable local conditions are associated with their migration to other regions of the intestinal tract where they can cause complications such as pancreatitis, cholecystitis, liver abscess, or pneumonia. We do not have recent data of the incidence of intestinal parasites in Antioquia, nor the incidence of acute complications secondary to the massive roundworm infestations in the pediatric population.ObjectivesTo describe the frequency of complicated ascariasis in pediatrics in a tertiary care center in Medellin, Colombia, between June 2011 and June 2013.Materials and methodsActive case finding of complicated ascariasis was performed in the Hospital General de Medellín and review of medical records was performed.ResultsEight patients with complicated ascariasis were included. All cases were patients that lived inrural areas, and 6 of them were children under 5years. Only 1 had normal anthropometric classification.ConclusionAscariasis remains a significant public health problem in Antioquia even today, despite massive deworming and government campaigns to improve access to safe drinking water in the department, still cases of complicated ascariasis associated with malnutrition in the pediatric population can be identified