LABORATORY CHARACTERISTICS AND DIAGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF ANTIBIOTIC-ASSOCIATED DIARRHEA IN YOUNG CHILDREN

Objective. To determine the specific laboratory characteristics of AAD in early childhood and assess the diagnostic value of fecal calprotectin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and coprological parameters in differentiating disease forms. Materials and Methods. A prospective single-center study was conducted between 2023 and 2025 at the Department of Propaedeutics of Childhood Diseases, Samarkand State Medical University, and the Samarkand Multidisciplinary Medical Children’s Center. The cohort included 140 hospitalized children aged 1 month to 3 years with clinically confirmed AAD following antibiotic therapy. Laboratory investigations comprised measurement of fecal calprotectin, serum CRP (immunoturbidimetric method), leukocyte count, and detailed coprological analysis. Patients were divided into three subgroups: 1). Clostridioides difficile–associated AAD (CDI+); 2). Bacterial but C. difficile–negative AAD; 3). Noninfectious AAD. Conclusion. Comprehensive laboratory evaluation—especially quantitative assessment of fecal calprotectin and CRP—serves as an effective, noninvasive diagnostic tool for differentiating infectious and noninfectious forms of AAD in early childhood. Integration of these parameters into routine diagnostic algorithms improves diagnostic accuracy, supports rational antibiotic use, and facilitates personalized therapeutic decision-making in pediatric practice.