Dr Kim Kavanagh, a final year registrar with the western training programme in general practice, along with her colleagues from Galway University Hospital, looked at all children admitted to the hospital with rotavirus infection between October 2004 and May 2005.
Almost 8 in 10 of the children were under the age of two. On average, the children spent two and a half days in hospital; most required rehydration with intravenous fluids as a result of severe diarrhoea and vomiting.
Some 134 patients with the bug were admitted to the hospital over the eight month period. The researchers found the cost of treating the young children affected by rotavirus gastroenteritis was €140,878, which accounted for approximately 2 per cent of hospital spending on paediatric admissions. The average cost per child was €1,154.
"Rotavirus in children is a significant illness which nearly always results in an expensive hospital stay," said Dr Kavanagh.
"Now that a safe and effective vaccine is available further studies should be done to assess its cost effectiveness in an Irish setting," Dr Kavanagh told the annual meeting of the Irish College of General Practitioners.
In separate research, Dr Elaine Walsh, of the southeast general practice training programme, studied the impact of a medication review among older patients in an urban practice. The formal ten minute review found that just over half of over 65's were receiving inappropriate medication. Dosage errors were detected in 32 per cent of cases. Following the review, a drug was stopped in seven out of 10 patients.
"A ten minute medication review reduces polypharmacy and improves prescribing in the elderly. It is associated with a high level of patient satisfaction", she told doctors at the meeting.
Dr Clare Buckley and her colleagues from Listowel, Co Kerry carried out a study designed to detect patients with undiagnosed chronic kidney disease in their practice.
Some 36 new cases of chronic renal disease were found when a new, more sensitive, test of kidney function was used to screen practice patients over the age of 70.
The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) has been shown to be more effective in identifying kidney problems that the measurement of creatinine in the blood.
The doctors found that six of the 36 new cases of chronic kidney disease were taking drugs known to be toxic to the kidneys. These medications were immediately stopped. Dr Buckley pointed out to doctors that the early detection of kidney problems would help in the prevention of heart disease and lead to the earlier and more appropriate referral of patients for specialist care. An audit of the use of computer guidelines in a Waterford general practice received the Irish Society for Quality and Safety in Healthcare Award for 2008.