Retrospective analysis of intestinal parasitic infections diagnosed at a University Hospital in Central, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE To review the intestinal parasites diagnosed in a university hospital in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). METHODS This is a retrospective analysis of intestinal parasitic infections reported in patients visiting at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, KSA from 1996 to 2003. Information regarding positive cases detected during the study period was collected from the hospital records, using the Hospital Information System database of KKUH. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS During this period, stools examination was carried out for a total of 63,892 patients, 1480 (2.3%) were positive for different intestinal parasites. Giardia lamblia was the most commonly reported parasite. The annual positivity rate for parasitic infections has decreased from 2.9-1.1%. CONCLUSION Although this study was limited to hospital patients, comparison with previous reports indicates an overall decrease in the prevalence of intestinal infections in the study area.