Intestinal diseases in children. Causes of a viral intestinal infection

The incidence of intestinal infections in the world, including in Russia, is quite high. Intestinal infections are next after SARS and influenza in terms of frequency of occurrence. Almost every person is familiar with their signs, as many have had intestinal infections in childhood.

What is important to know about intestinal infections in children?

Intestinal infections in children can be caused by various types of viruses and bacteria. All these pathogenic microorganisms are resistant to negative environmental factors; they can retain their activity at low temperatures outside the human body for a long time.

They live on food, household items and dirty skin of the body. It is very easy to bring an infectious agent into the gastrointestinal tract, infection occurs through the mouth. The process of treating an intestinal infection in children will take a lot of nerves from parents and cause even more suffering to the child.

Intestinal infections are divided into the following diseases:

1. Bacterial intestinal infections: salmonellosis, dysentery, escherichiosis, yersiniosis, campylobacteriosis, cholera, botulism, typhoid fever, acute intestinal infection caused by Klebsiella, clostridia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococcus and others.
2. Viral intestinal infections that cause rotaviruses, enteroviruses, adenoviruses and others.
3. Fungal intestinal infections caused by Candida.
4. Protozoal intestinal infections: amoebiasis, giardiasis.

Treatment of intestinal infections in children is complicated by the fact that specialists need about 3 days to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease. During this period of time, pathogenic microflora begins to show activity in the biological material collected from the patient. While the analysis is being carried out, the child receives treatment with drugs that are effective against the overwhelming number of pathogens.

Symptoms

Symptoms of intestinal infection in children are divided into local and general.

General signs of the disease:

• intoxication: fever, headache, general weakness;
• dehydration: rare urination, dark urine, dry mucous membranes and skin, impaired skin turgor.

Local symptoms of intestinal infections in children:

• by type: stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, loose stools;
• by type: pain in the stomach and umbilical region, vomiting, watery stools with mucus;
• by type of gastroenterocolitis: persistent pain in the abdomen of a diffuse nature, vomiting, loose stools mixed with blood, which does not bring relief;
• by type of colitis: pain in the lower abdomen, pain during defecation, loose stools with an admixture of mucus and blood, false urge to go to the toilet.

The severe course of the disease can cause the following complications, each of which has its own signs:

• neurotoxicosis: restless behavior, disorder of consciousness, delusions and hallucinations, convulsive syndrome;
• circulatory disorders: low blood pressure, cyanosis of the skin, weakness of cardiac activity;
• renal failure: pain in the lumbar region, a decrease in the volume of urine excreted or its complete absence;
• hypovolemic shock resulting from dehydration: retraction of the eyeballs, weight loss, sharpening of facial features.

How to distinguish a viral intestinal infection from a bacterial one?

In order to make a correct diagnosis and choose an effective treatment, it is important to find out what caused the intestinal infection, what became its basis - a bacterial or viral infection?

Bacterial intestinal infections develop as a result of the ingestion of bacteria such as salmonella, dysentery bacillus, etc. Such an infection can be distinguished from a viral one by the following signs: the disease begins as a poisoning with a simultaneous rise in body temperature from 37 to 38 °.

Viral intestinal infections are also not uncommon. Experts distinguish 10 groups of intestinal viruses. The most common pathogens are rotaviruses and enteroviruses.

Rotavirus infection is called intestinal flu, it occurs in half of patients with a viral intestinal infection. Viral infections develop acutely, like a cold or flu, the body temperature suddenly rises to critical levels - from 39 ° and above, the stool becomes watery and plentiful, colored yellow. Therapeutic tactics for intestinal infection of viral origin is different from the treatment of the bacterial form of the disease.

What to do before the arrival of the doctor?

How to treat a child with an intestinal infection, the doctor will tell.

Prior to his arrival, you can help the child in the following ways:

1. Offer as much fluid as possible. Even infants should be given boiled nipple water to combat dehydration.
2. From 6 months the child can be given Enterosgel or Activated charcoal. Dose calculation is simple: 1 tsp. gel or 1 tablet of coal per 10 kg of the child's weight.
3. It is important not to give children any food. Food products, getting into the digestive tract irritated by the infectious process, irritate it even more and aggravate the signs of an intestinal infection in a child. Only children under one year of age can still be offered breast milk if they are breastfed.

What can not be done?

With symptoms of an intestinal infection in a child, it is forbidden to do the following:

1. Give pain medication. Analgesics can blur the picture of the disease, as a result of which the doctor may make an incorrect diagnosis and postpone the provision of the necessary specialized care indefinitely.
2. Give astringents or fixatives, such as Loperamide or Imodium. It is impossible to stop diarrhea, since pathogens and their toxins leave the intestines along with feces. If you stop diarrhea, then the bulk of the pathogenic microflora will remain in the body, aggravating the situation.
3. Do not do enemas at home.
4. You can not hesitate to call a doctor and self-medicate a child. Acute intestinal infections can hide surgical pathology, so an ambulance should be called immediately, otherwise the consequences can be sad. The younger the child, the more dangerous for him an intestinal infection.

Medical treatment

Treatment of intestinal infections in children should be carried out in a complex manner, involving the organization of oral rehydration, symptomatic, etiotropic and pathogenetic treatment, and diet therapy.

The diet in children in the treatment of intestinal infections is based on a reduction in the volume of food and an increase in the frequency of feeding, using foods in an easily digestible form or artificial mixtures in infants with protective factors.

The treatment of symptoms of intestinal infection in children is based on oral rehydration of the body with special solutions of salts and glucose (drugs Regidron, Citroglucosolan). You should also pay attention to drinking plenty of water. If it is impossible to drink enough liquid, the child is prescribed infusion treatment with intravenous administration of a solution of albumin, glucose, and others.

Etiotropic treatment of symptoms of intestinal infection in children is carried out using the following drugs:

• antibiotics: Gentamicin, Polymyxin;
• intestinal antiseptics: Furazolidone, Nalidixic acid;
• enterosorbents: Smecta;
• bacteriophages of specific importance: salmonella, klebsiella, dysentery and others;
• immunoglobulin: antirotavirus and others.

Pathogenetic treatment is carried out for intestinal infections in children, the symptoms of which require the appointment of enzyme preparations (for example,) and antiallergic drugs (for example, Suprastin, Loratadin).

Symptomatic treatment of intestinal infections in children includes antispasmodic (eg, Drotaverine, No-shpa) and antipyretic drugs (eg, Paracetamol, Panadol).

Food

After examining a doctor and prescribing all therapeutic measures aimed at eliminating the symptoms of an intestinal infection in children, treatment must be continued with proper diet therapy.

Breastfeeding children under one year of age should offer the breast more often and give boiled water from the nipple so that the baby quickly restores the fluid lost by the body. Children who are bottle-fed during treatment and for some period after recovery are shown to be given a low-lactose or lactose-free mixture.

Children older than a year should receive the most sparing, easily digestible food, for example: vegetable purees, vegetable and rice soups, low-fat dairy products, fruits and berries, cereals and cereals cooked in water, freshly squeezed juices without sugar. You also need to remember about the drinking regime: to prevent dehydration, the child needs to drink often. As a drink, you can offer boiled water, black tea, chamomile decoction, fruit drink, non-carbonated mineral water.

Prevention

In order not to think about how an intestinal infection is treated in children, attention should be paid to the prevention of this disease. General recommendations come down to personal hygiene, mandatory hand washing after using the toilet and the street, careful processing of food, especially washing fresh vegetables and fruits.

If a family member or child has symptoms of an intestinal infection, treatment should be carried out in a separate room where disinfection should be carried out. The sick person is provided with separate bedding, towels, crockery and cutlery. After each visit to the toilet, you need to treat the toilet bowl or baby potty with any disinfectant if the child goes to it.

Finding signs of an intestinal infection in a child is an urgent reason to see a doctor. There can be no talk of any self-treatment in this case. It is necessary to consult a pediatrician, undergo a proper examination and receive adequate medical care.

Useful video about the treatment of intestinal infections in children

Acute intestinal upset is a disease that most often occurs in children. It can be accompanied not only by loose stools, but also by vomiting, weakness, high fever. The most common causes of intestinal diseases are non-compliance with hygiene standards, improper food storage conditions, poorly washed vegetables and fruits, and even flying flies. The causative agents of diseases can be various viruses, pathogens and bacteria that enter the body with everything that a child puts in his mouth. Symptoms of the disease differ in severity, but in any case, timely help and treatment is needed.

Classification of intestinal infections

Acute intestinal infections (AII) are either bacterial or viral in nature. It is very important to understand what caused the intestinal upset in the baby, since the quality of the medical care received and the choice of treatment method will depend on this. The two types of OKI have several subtypes, each of which manifests itself in different ways. General characteristics of intestinal infections are presented in the table:

Causes of intestinal infection and ways of infection

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If the infant has elevated acetone, the doctor will suggest hospitalization. In the hospital, the child will be given drips to replenish fluids during detox.

Use of antibiotics

Antibacterial therapy for acute intestinal infections is prescribed in extreme cases and only if it is established that the disease is of a bacterial nature. Preparations of this group have a negative effect on the intestines, often their intake is not justified and ineffective.

WHO has approved a list of dangerous conditions in which the appointment of antibiotics is mandatory - severe cholera, persistent diarrhea, blood in vomit and stool. In such cases, Nifuroxazide, Ciprofloxacin are usually prescribed.

Replenishment of fluid losses

Dehydration can complicate the severity of AII, so the main treatment is to drink enough fluids (oral rehydration). For this purpose, solutions of glucose, salts, mineral water are used. You need to drink your baby often and in small portions. His well-being and the further period of recovery largely depend on this. The liquid helps to replenish the mineral balance and remove toxins. The stages of rehydration are given in the table below:

Antipyretic

The question of whether it is necessary to bring down the temperature during OKI for a child and with the help of what medications worries many young parents. An increase in temperature is evidence that the body is fighting inflammation and infection. Of course, high temperature readings can be dangerous. The child is allowed to bring down the temperature if it is above 39 degrees (in infants - 38.5 degrees), or he does not tolerate low values. Antipyretic drugs are given when seizures occur.

You can stick a special antipyretic patch. Intramuscular injections of Papaverine with Analgin and Diphenhydramine are effective. With vomiting and diarrhea, oral preparations and suppositories will not give an effective result. Folk methods (for example, wiping) will also not be able to give the desired result. The room in which there is a child with a high temperature should be constantly ventilated.

Sorbents

Any intestinal infections are accompanied by the appearance of a mass of toxins in the digestive tract, which are carried with the blood throughout the body. This negatively affects the general condition of the child.

The toxic effect of pathogens in children of different ages can be treated with the following means:

• activated charcoal medicine - give in the proportion of 1 tablet per 10 kg of baby's weight, every 6 hours for 1-2 days;
• Smecta powder - relieves signs such as colic and bloating, removes toxins and infection;
• Polysorb means - well removes intoxication in case of poisoning and acute intestinal infections, has a strong adsorbing effect;
• Paste Enterosgel - the agent binds and removes toxins, has an antispasmodic effect.

Diet

In the acute period of vomiting and diarrhea, the child should not be fed (we recommend reading:). You can give some tea and unleavened crackers. On the second or third day, when the baby gets better, you can offer the child dietary food. Dishes should be carefully processed, prepared from fresh quality products.

Under the ban milk, berries and fresh vegetables, fruits, salted and smoked dishes, fatty broths. The nutrition of the child should be portioned, on average, the frequency of meals can reach 5-6 times a day.

How long does the disease take to heal?

The acute period of intestinal infection usually lasts from 3 to 7 days, but a longer course (up to 10 days) is also possible. Some of the diseases pass without severe vomiting and diarrhea, fever. Others, on the contrary, are accompanied by diarrhea for a week, but the frequency of bowel movements gradually decreases.

During the recovery period, probiotics and symbiotics can be prescribed, including Linex, Hilak Forte, Bifidumbacterin, Lactobacterin. How many drugs a child needs, and in what dosage, is determined by an infectious disease specialist or pediatrician.

A three-week recovery period may be accompanied by a deterioration in well-being, dizziness, and unstable stools. A weakened body is susceptible to attacks by viruses and pathogens. If care is not taken, the child can easily catch a cold, contract SARS or a new intestinal infection.

For prevention, the following rules must be observed:

• carefully process meat, chicken and fish, observe the technology of cooking meat dishes;
• store perishable foods in the refrigerator, do not offer the child food with an expired or doubtful expiration date;
• protect food from insects - flies, cockroaches and other carriers of infection;
• do not swim in dirty water bodies, on public beaches, when the water temperature is above 25 degrees (at this temperature, bacteria multiply well);
• thoroughly wash toys and rattles that the child actively pulls into his mouth;
• boil nipples;
• allow the child to drink only purified boiled water or special bottled water for children;
• change clothes and bedding on time.

Every parent wants the baby to never encounter an intestinal infection and experience first hand how difficult it is. However, no medicine can protect against this. Even if all security measures are followed, the risk of infection still remains. If it so happens that the child is still sick, parents should not panic and make the baby nervous. It is important to calmly do all the procedures prescribed by the doctor. In this case, recovery will come quickly.

Intestinal infection, or as it is often called "dirty hands disease", refers to a separate subgroup of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which are transmitted mainly by the fecal-oral route. The most common are dysentery (pathogen - bacteria of the genus Shigela), salmonellosis (most often the pathogen is Salmonella typhimurium), escherichiosis (pathogen - Escherichia coli) and rotavirus infection.

Symptomatic picture of AII

Signs of an intestinal infection are growing very quickly. Usually the first symptoms appear within a few hours after infection. The clinical picture consists mainly of obvious signs of damage to the organs of the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system, which are combined with a distinct dehydration of the child's body.

Common signs of AII, regardless of the type of pathogen, are vomiting, diarrhea, and severe abdominal pain. In this case, the signs of gastrointestinal disorders are determined by the location of the inflammatory process, and not, again, by the bacterium that caused the disease. In view of this, with an intestinal infection, an exacerbation of one of the diseases is possible:

Gastritis. Clinical manifestations of AII will be concentrated at the level of the stomach. That is, the main symptom of the disease will be repeated vomiting, which is accompanied by constant nausea. This condition is usually caused by staphylococcus aureus.

Enteritis. The inflammatory process affects the small intestine, therefore, the defining signs are: frequent defecation, stools while plentiful and watery, cutting pain in the intestinal area, bloating.

The nature of the bowel movements indicates the causative agent of AII:

• copious frothy discharge distinguishes infection with rotavirus;
• with salmonellosis, feces have a greenish tint;
• clear mucus is not a defining feature, as it can indicate any ailment.

- inflammation of the mucous membrane of the colon. Signs: liquid stools of small volume, blood streaks and cloudy mucus are often found, bouts of cramping abdominal pain, tenesmus (false urge to defecate, accompanied by new bouts of pain). Such symptoms are defining for dysentery.

Gastroenteritis combines the symptoms of gastritis and enteritis, that is, frequent vomiting is combined with frequent profuse liquid emptying.

With enterocolitis, there are frequent bowel movements with liquid stools that have a specific smell and impurities of blood, greenish mucus, frequent false urges to empty.

The baby has repeated vomiting, diarrhea, and mucus and blood are noticeable in the feces.

With AII, signs of a violation of the central nervous system are rapidly growing. This is due to the fact that bacteria in the course of their life produce toxins that have a negative effect on the central nervous system. Such violations include:

• high body temperature often above 39;
• weakness, severe headache, dizziness, rapid deterioration of health;
• the baby's anxiety is quickly replaced by apathy and oppression, which can even lead to loss of consciousness,
• the appearance of hallucinations and delirium, convulsions (against the background of general intoxication of the body and high temperature);
• there is a change in skin color: from unnatural pallor to the appearance of "marbling" (skin
• acquires a grayish tint, on which the capillary network is clearly visible, forming a marble pattern);
• baby's hands and feet are cold to the touch;
• increase or decrease in blood pressure;
• severe shortness of breath.

In addition, dehydration is no less dangerous for the baby. Together with vomit and feces, he loses a huge amount of fluid for him, as well as sodium and potassium, which ensure the normal functioning of the central nervous system and heart.

Important! Dehydration is extremely dangerous for young children, since it occurs almost instantly (usually within 3-5 hours), and rehydration is possible only in a hospital.

In view of this, it is necessary to note the first manifestations of dehydration:

• strong thirst;
• dryness, peeling of the skin (especially noticeable on the lips, where the skin is very delicate and begins to immediately
• "crack" at the slightest lack of moisture);
• weakness and lethargy;
• drowsiness;
• the baby rarely urinates, and the urine is very concentrated and has a rich hue.

If you do not provide timely assistance, signs of dehydration will only increase:
eyeballs sink;

• in infants, a retraction of the fontanel is noted;
• the child's facial features are sharpened;
• body weight is reduced;
• the pressure drops, the arms and legs become literally "icy", there is a rapid decrease
• body temperature;

The severity of certain signs is determined by the severity of the course of the disease. There are severe, moderate, mild (in which you can do without hospitalization).

The severity of the symptoms of the disease is determined by several main factors:
1. type of pathogen (dysentery and escherichiosis, cholera and salmonellosis occur in an extremely severe form, as a result of which effective treatment is possible only in a hospital setting);
2. the duration of the asymptomatic course of the disease, during which there was an active reproduction of microorganisms-causative agents of AII;
3. the age of the baby (the disease is most severe in newborns and babies under 2 years old);
the correctness of assistance in the first hours of infection.

Causes of an intestinal infection

The causative agents of AII are ubiquitous, and therefore it is very easy to get infected with some of them. Children are especially susceptible to this kind of disease. This is due to low immunity and immaturity of the digestive tract. Even after an intestinal infection, persistent immunity is not formed, and therefore there is always a risk of re-infection.

Factors contributing to the development of AEI include:

• poor water supply with poor-quality purification of water supplied to consumers;
• poor sewerage system;
• poor sanitary and hygienic conditions, which are excellent for the development of AII pathogens;
• non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene (washing hands before eating, washing fruits and vegetables);
• the use of water from open reservoirs without preliminary treatment (at least by boiling);
• swimming in open water bodies not intended for this;
• improper storage of food (especially in summer);
• refusal to breastfeed newborns. Subject to the rules of personal hygiene by a young mother, milk always remains sterile, and therefore cannot cause OKI in a baby;
• the lack of a balanced diet leads to the exhaustion of the child, as a result of which his immunity weakens and the baby becomes defenseless against aggressive pathogens of intestinal ailments.

Parents should remember that in summer the risk of infection with dysentery, escherichiosis and salmonellosis increases especially, but in winter you can “catch” rotavirus.

Diagnosis of the disease

Diagnostic measures to identify the causative agent of the disease in children combine several areas.

Conducting bacteriological cultures of feces and vomiting is the main diagnostic method that allows you to quickly identify and determine the cause (causative bacteria) of the disease.
To analyze the bowel movements, a scraping from the anus is taken from the baby. The biomaterial is sown on a specific nutrient medium. After 6-7 days, bacterial colonies grow and can be studied in more detail by examining under a microscope.

(analysis of feces) allows you to determine the area of ​​​​damage to the gastrointestinal tract by the degree of digestion of various foods, to detect blood streaks, the nature of feces and to identify pathogens from the order of protozoa (giardia, amoeba).

TA blood test, or determination of the number of antibodies formed to a specific pathogen microorganism. The doctor, having studied the history of the baby, and taking into account the defining manifestations of the infection, indicates several possible pathogens. After that, according to the analysis, an increase in the number of antibodies to a specific AII pathogen is noted, and therefore it will be possible to make a correct diagnosis and prescribe the most effective treatment. However, this analysis in medical practice is carried out very rarely.

How to Treat an Intestinal Infection

If signs of AII are detected in a baby, you should immediately consult a doctor. The following are subject to immediate hospitalization in the infectious diseases department:

• children of any age with a severe form of the disease;
• newborns and babies up to 1 year;
• children under 2 years of age with a moderate form;
• if you suspect infection with cholera or typhoid fever;
• kids in closed institutions (sanatoriums, orphanages);
• children whose parents are food workers.

Treatment of acute intestinal infections in children combines adherence to a certain diet, etiotropic (identification of the pathogen and the appointment of appropriate drugs) and symptomatic therapy.

When carrying out etiotropic therapy, antibiotics, antibacterial drugs, specific bacteriophages (as monotherapy for the treatment of mild forms of acute intestinal infections), enterosobents (prescribed for secretory diarrhea, which is a symptom of rotavirus infection), are prescribed. Most often, the following antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs are prescribed: nevigramon, ersefuril, nifuroxazide, furazolidone, kanamycin.

To eliminate and alleviate the symptoms, oral rehydration (rehydron, gastrolith) and correction of dysbacteriosis (linex, bifidumbacterin) are performed, enzyme-containing drugs (pancreatin, creon, pangrol, mezim forte), antihistamines are prescribed (enterosgel is recommended both as a sorbent and as a drug with antiallergic action). It is also possible to symptomatically prescribe antipyretic drugs (nurofen, panadol, efferalgan) and antispasmodics to relieve pain (drotaverine, no-shpa, spasmomen).

Important! Antidiarrheal (such as imodium) and antiemetic (cerucal) drugs are not recommended for children, and if dysentery is suspected, it is completely prohibited!

Diet

It is imperative to feed a baby with AII. Food at the same time should be light and as sparing as possible. Formula-fed newborns are shown lactose-free or low-lactose mixtures.

Children after 1 year with an acute course can eat:

• vegetable puree cooked in water with the addition of vegetable oil;
• as bread - croutons;
• vegetable and rice soups;
• lean boiled meat, chopped with a blender;
• low-fat dairy products (ryazhenka, natural kefir or yogurt);
• fresh berries and fruits (melon, cranberries, watermelon), but apples should be baked in the oven or rubbed on a fine grater;
• rice or buckwheat porridge cooked only on water;
• freshly prepared fruit and / or fruit and vegetable juices, which can be slightly diluted with boiled water, but it is better not to add sugar.

To prevent dehydration, the child should be constantly fed. You need to drink slowly, in small sips: 1 sip every 5 minutes. After loose stools or vomiting, a newborn should “drink” 50 ml of liquid, but an older baby should drink 150-200 ml.

As a drink, a child can be offered a saline solution (hydrovit or rehydron, available in any pharmacy) or non-carbonated mineral water such as Borjomi. In addition, tea with lemon, but without sugar, chamomile broth, cranberry juice is suitable.

Prevention of acute intestinal infections

Prevention of intestinal infections in children is based on early teaching them to the rules of personal hygiene, which includes the mandatory washing of hands after walking on the street and visiting especially crowded places, washing fruits and vegetables. If the child is already ill with AII, he is immediately isolated in a separate room and thoroughly disinfected.

The patient is allocated separate dishes, towels and other personal items. You also need to treat the toilet bowl and children's potty with any disinfectant, not forgetting also about the places where bacteria accumulate most - door handles and switches.

All members of the patient's family, and even the child after recovery, should definitely conduct a bacteriological examination of feces to identify the causative agent of the disease.

When the first manifestations of an intestinal infection are detected in a baby, you do not need to self-medicate. You should always consult with a pediatrician, who, if necessary, will prescribe an appropriate examination and adequate treatment.

Intestinal infectious diseases occur in children with almost the same frequency as SARS. The anatomical features of the digestive system, as well as close contact with possible carriers of infection in children's groups, make it easier for babies to become infected and get sick more often than adults. The consequences of some diseases can be very severe. Parents need to know how to recognize intestinal infections and distinguish them from other diseases. You cannot self-medicate. If you have any warning signs, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Content:

Types and forms of intestinal infections

The causative agents of infection, entering the intestines, begin to multiply, poisoning the body with toxins, which leads to the appearance of characteristic severe symptoms. Children are much more susceptible to infections than adults. This is due to the fact that their body's defenses are weaker, microbes quickly spread to various parts of the shorter intestine. In addition, the acidity of the gastric juice in a child is lower than in an adult, so the viability of pathogenic microorganisms is higher.

Most often, such diseases occur in children under the age of 3 years. Frequent intestinal infections in a child can cause him to lag behind in physical and mental development. Weakened children are especially susceptible to infection.

Ways of infection and types of pathogens

The main routes of transmission of pathogens are contact with a sick person or a virus carrier, as well as fecal-oral (through water, food, dirty hands and household items), airborne droplets (through the air, when the patient coughs) and transmission (rodents and insects spread the infection) .

Foodborne infections are distinguished into a special group, which include cholera, dysentery, salmonellosis, viral hepatitis A. Foodborne pathogens can persist for a long time in products such as eggs, butter, sour cream, cheese, and cottage cheese.

Food infections also include the so-called zooanthroponoses. These are brucellosis, foot and mouth disease, tuberculosis, anthrax. The carriers of the infection are animals. You can become infected by eating meat and milk (dairy products) of sick animals.

Microorganisms that cause diseases

The causative agents are most often bacteria. These include, for example, dysenteric bacillus, cholera vibrio, salmonella, campylobacter. If the baby is physically strong, he has a fairly strong immune system, then most of the bacteria are neutralized by saliva, gastric juice, and are suppressed by beneficial intestinal microflora.

Warning: If a child does not chew food well, eats on the go, overeats, he does not have time to secrete enough saliva that can destroy harmful bacteria. The use of alkaline mineral water reduces the effectiveness of exposure to hydrochloric acid of gastric juice. Antibiotics kill beneficial microflora, which prevents pathogenic microbes from developing.

There are so-called opportunistic bacteria (staphylococci, E. coli), which are an integral part of the natural intestinal microflora and do not harm the body. However, under adverse conditions (lack of useful lactobacilli, weakening of the immune defense), they begin to multiply intensively.

In addition to bacteria, viruses (rotaviruses, adenoviruses, enteroviruses), protozoa (amoebae, giardia), and fungi can cause diseases.

The most common infectious diseases in children are dysentery, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, rotavirus, staphylococcal infection. The disease develops in a single baby (sporadic infection), but often in children's institutions there are outbreaks (epidemics) of severe intestinal infectious diseases, which are often seasonal. It is noted that the peak incidence of dysentery falls on the summer-autumn season, and rotavirus infection - in the winter.

Flow forms

Intestinal infection in children can develop in mild, moderate and severe forms. Depending on how pronounced the symptoms are, the course of the disease can be typical and atypical (with erased symptoms).

Pathogens can affect the digestive tract not completely, but only some of its departments. Depending on which part of the gastrointestinal tract the infection develops, the following types of diseases are distinguished:

• gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining);
• duodenitis (inflammation of the duodenum);
• enteritis (damage to the small intestine);

Very often there are mixed forms of the disease, for example, gastroenteritis, gastroenterocolitis.

Phases of the course of diseases

In the development of an intestinal infectious disease, 3 phases are distinguished.

Acute phase can last up to 1.5 months.

Protracted called the phase of the disease, which does not stop after 1.5 months.

Chronic- This is the phase in which episodes of the disease recur periodically, as the infection continues to remain in the body for more than 6 months.

Video: Causes and types of intestinal infectious diseases

Causes of infection

The causes of infection are usually:

• non-observance of hygiene rules (the child eats with dirty hands, is not accustomed to washing them after visiting the toilet, playing with a pet);
• consumption of poor-quality water and food;
• employment in children's institutions (especially in the kitchen) of persons who do not have a certificate of the absence of infectious diseases (not only the intestines, but also other organs, skin);
• poor sanitary and living conditions (an abundance of flies, cockroaches - carriers of infection, dirt in the premises, poor water supply).

Viruses and bacteria enter the stomach and intestines through the mouth. Contact infection is possible when communicating with a sick person or a virus carrier. There are several sources.

Poor quality food. The use of stale dishes, expired products is very dangerous for any person, especially for a small child. Proper storage of food in the refrigerator is essential.

Warning: Uncooked foods should not be kept near raw meat or fish, where they are easily exposed to pathogens of serious infections. Only well-boiled eggs can be given to a child. It is dangerous to buy food for him on the street, in stalls and kiosks, where the rules for its preparation and storage may be violated. Acute intestinal infection in children, especially in the warm season, occurs due to the use of cream cakes, in which bacteria multiply very quickly.

Poorly purified water. The quality of raw tap water often does not meet sanitary standards. The use of low-quality water is the most common way for intestinal bacteria and viruses to enter the body. This often results in mass infection of people.

household items(dishes, toys) contain a lot of intestinal bacteria on their surface. Once in the child's mouth, they penetrate the gastrointestinal tract.

Complications of infectious diseases of the intestine

Getting into the gastrointestinal tract of children, the causative agents of intestinal infections injure the mucous membranes, which leads to their inflammation, indigestion, and the ingress of toxins into the blood. In this case, symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fever occur. There is a sharp loss of fluid and salts.

Together with the liquid, potassium, sodium and calcium salts leave the body, without which the functioning of all body systems is impossible. Therefore, dehydration is the most dangerous consequence of the development of an infection in the digestive tract in a child. Indomitable vomiting and diarrhea can lead to his death within a few hours.

Dehydration causes a sharp decrease in the volume of circulating blood, clotting disorders, blood clots, pulmonary edema, kidney and heart failure.

Symptoms of individual diseases

It is important to consult a doctor in time, who, by symptoms and with the help of an examination, will be able to diagnose the presence of a specific pathogen and take all measures for effective treatment. Various intestinal diseases differ in the nature of the course and have specific manifestations.

Dysentery

The infection is localized mainly in the large intestine. Manifestations occur 1-5 days after infection. There is severe diarrhea, cramping pain in the abdomen, more on the left.

The temperature rises to 39-40°C. The child becomes weak, vomits, complains of a headache, and is delirious. The baby is shivering, convulsions, fainting may appear. Loose stools with impurities of mucus and blood occur up to 15-20 times a day. In severe dysentery, intestinal bleeding occurs.

In young children, symptoms of poisoning of the body (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, loss of consciousness) are more pronounced than in older ones. For large children and adolescents, the phenomena of colitis are more characteristic (alternating constipation and diarrhea, bloating, pain in the intestines).

With timely treatment for 4-5 days, the patient's condition improves, by the 15th day the main symptoms disappear. Full recovery occurs in about 1 month.

salmonellosis

Bacteria infect the stomach, large and small intestines.

In a mild form, such an intestinal infection in children is accompanied by a rise in temperature to subfebrile values ​​​​(37.5-38 ° C). The stool has a liquid consistency, dark greenish color, impurities of blood and mucus appear. The patient has an enlarged liver and spleen. Vomiting occurs, weakness is observed. Most often, children recover quickly after treatment. For an infant, a fatal outcome is possible due to severe poisoning of the body.

Sometimes there is a development of respiratory and typhoid-like forms, in which a runny nose, sore throat, and heart disorders (tachycardia, decreased blood pressure and pulse rate) join the symptoms of intestinal damage. In very rare cases, children of several months of life develop a septic form of the disease - the most dangerous. At the same time, severe complications develop (pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis).

Rotavirus infection

After an incubation period of 1-3 days, symptoms of gastritis and enteritis develop within 1 day. The child has frequent foamy stools, vomiting, weakness caused by intoxication. The temperature rises to 38 °. These symptoms are combined with manifestations of a respiratory disease (cough, irritation of the throat, runny nose). Recovery usually occurs within 4-7 days.

Video: Treatment for rotavirus

staph infection

Manifested by severe toxicity. Fecal masses are watery, green in color, have mucus impurities. As a rule, such an intestinal disease manifests itself against the background of bacterial damage to other organs, accompanies pneumonia, purulent otitis media, tonsillitis. Recovery depends on the severity of the underlying disease.

campylobacteriosis

Transmitted to humans from sick animals through meat and dairy products (zoonotic infection). Most often, preschoolers are infected. Bacteria begin to develop in the small intestine, then spread through the lymph nodes to the rest of the departments. The incubation period is 2-3 days.

There are muscle pains, convulsions, temperature up to 40-41 ° C, diarrhea (frequent, liquid, fetid stools), nausea, vomiting. There is a sharp dehydration, exhaustion of the body, a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood, an increase in the liver.

Common complications are appendicitis, gastroenterocolitis. Perhaps the appearance of foci of purulent inflammation in the heart, lungs, joints.

Video: Symptoms of various intestinal diseases

What to do with signs of bowel disease in a child

Doctors advise, without wasting precious time, to take the baby to the doctor. It is necessary to remember what he was fed recently, which product could be contaminated.

Do not try to immediately stop diarrhea and vomiting. The body must be cleansed of toxins. If the child is sick, but there is no vomiting, it should be called specifically. To speed up the elimination of toxins, you can use a cleansing enema (boiled water with a temperature of 20 ° is used).

The occurrence of dehydration can be judged by the darkening of urine, rare urination, and the absence of tears when crying.

It is necessary to immediately call an ambulance if the pain in the abdomen increases, there is continuous vomiting, so that the child cannot be drunk. The patient shows signs of severe dehydration: he has not urinated for more than 6 hours, the skin has a grayish tint, dark circles under the eyes, and the tongue is dry. There was blood in the stools.

Diagnostics

The main method for diagnosing intestinal diseases is a bacteriological analysis of feces, vomit, and blood. In this case, the type of causative agent of the infection is established.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is performed to identify pathogens by the presence of antibodies.

Deciphering the coprogram obtained after an extended analysis of feces allows you to establish the localization of the infection by the color of the feces, their consistency, smell, the presence of mucus, blood, and undigested food debris.

Intestinal infection in children may be similar in symptoms to pathologies such as lactose deficiency, pancreatitis. Analyzes allow you to accurately determine the nature of the disease and determine the need for treatment.

Note: If there are no complaints about feeling unwell, but bacteria or viruses are found, then the child is their carrier, and his immune system copes with the infection, preventing the baby from getting sick. For others, it is contagious, treatment is required to neutralize the infection.

Treatment

When symptoms of an intestinal infectious disease appear in a child, first of all, the fight against dehydration of the body is carried out, a strict diet is introduced. The patient should be given water not just with water, but with special saline solutions (such as rehydron, gastrolith, humana) to make up for the loss of essential minerals.

At home, in the absence of ready-made preparations, you can give the child a solution prepared from 1 liter of water, 1 tsp. table salt, 1 tsp. baking soda and 2 tsp. Sahara. In order for the fluid to be absorbed faster, it must be heated to the patient's body temperature. In a hospital, if it is impossible to give a child a drink in the usual way, saline solution with glucose is administered intravenously.

Very often, fasting and abundant therapeutic drinking lead to a complete recovery in a few days without the use of drugs.

The basis of the diet should be liquid soups with the addition of rice and vegetables, as well as porridge from various cereals cooked in water. It is necessary to follow a diet after recovery, gradually adding fruit purees, cookies, boiled lean meat to food.

To restore the work of the intestine, enzymes, preparations with lactobacilli, bacteriophages (dysphage, coliphage, and others) are prescribed. Antipyretics are used, as well as antispasmodics for pain relief.

Treatment with antibiotics (gentamicin, kanamycin), as well as antiseptic drugs (furazolidone, nevigramon) is carried out in cases where blood is present in the feces and vomit, diarrhea does not stop for several days. Such drugs are necessarily used in the treatment of cholera, giardiasis, severe forms of other intestinal diseases.

Often, doctors prescribe enterosorbents (smecta, enterosgel, polysorb, filtrum), which can absorb toxins and accelerate the cleansing of the body from harmful substances.

An acute infectious disease caused by a large group of viruses (rotavirus, enterovirus, adenovirus), bacteria (E. coli, shigella, salmonella, staphylococcus and many others) and characterized by damage to the digestive tract, dehydration, toxic reaction of the body, is called intestinal infection. In terms of prevalence, the disease ranks second after SARS. It most often affects children under 5 years of age. After an illness, immunity to this type of pathogen is developed, and subsequent infection with an infection caused by it proceeds more easily.

The peak incidence occurs in the summer-autumn period.

Why does an intestinal infection occur?

Infection of a child occurs by alimentary (as a result of eating poorly washed vegetables, fruits, herbs), contact-household (through dirty hands, dishes, household items, toys), water (by swallowing contaminated water) way. In children with low immunity, endogenous infection is possible (the causative agent of infection is opportunistic microorganisms - representatives of the normal human microflora).

Symptoms

Symptoms depend on the type of pathogen that caused the disease. However, almost all intestinal infections have common signs of manifestation:

• eating disorder (nausea, repeated vomiting, diarrhea);
• increased gas formation;
• stomach ache;
• lethargy, weakness, malaise;
• lack of appetite;
• an increase in body temperature to 39 ° C and above.

An accurate diagnosis can only be made after laboratory tests.

The most common intestinal infections include: rotavirus, salmonellosis, enterovirus, dysentery.

What and how to treat

At the first symptoms of an intestinal infection, you should definitely call a doctor or an ambulance, especially if the child is small. Usually treatment takes place at home. In severe cases (prolonged body temperature of 39 ° C and above, persistent diarrhea, vomiting, signs of dehydration, febrile convulsions), hospitalization of the child is required.

Intestinal infection in children is treated comprehensively and includes:

• Antibacterial therapy. However, its use is advisable only for intestinal infections caused by bacteria.
• Infusion therapy(performed in a hospital). Intravenous administration of drugs to quickly replenish lost fluids, salts by the body.
• rehydration therapy(at home). The drug Regidron is prescribed to replenish the lost fluid and salts by the body. Also, the patient is shown mineral water without gases, tea, water with lemon, cranberry juice, chamomile decoction. The liquid is injected slowly by a teaspoon, taking a break of 5 minutes, otherwise a large amount of immediately drunk liquid may cause vomiting.
• adjuvant therapy. Appointment of drugs that normalize the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Therapeutic diet. Food should be as sparing as possible. In no case should you force a child to eat if he does not want to. Breastfed infants should continue to breastfeed on demand. If artificially fed, then low-lactose, lactose-free or soy mixtures are shown. Older children are shown easily digestible, pureed food. During an infection, you should not eat whole milk, black bread, milk porridge, beets, citrus fruits, fatty meats, poultry, fish. You can eat potato, pumpkin, squash, carrot puree; dry lean cookies; white bread crackers; vegetable soup with rice, porridge (buckwheat, rice) on the water, boiled pureed meat; low-fat dairy products (kefir, cottage cheese, curdled milk, yogurt), baked or grated fruits (pears, apples, bananas).

Effects

Repeated vomiting, diarrhea lead to a large loss of fluid, and along with the fluid, sodium and potassium salts, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular, renal, muscular, and nervous systems, leave the body. The more the child has lost fluids, the worse his condition

Dehydration in babies can be life threatening.

The first signs of dehydration:

• feeling of thirst;
• drowsiness, weakness, lethargy,
• no urination for more than 4-6 hours;
• decrease in the amount of urine, it becomes darker, a pungent odor appears;
• pallor of the skin;
• lack of tears when crying;
• dark circles under the eyes;
• rapid breathing and pulse;
• weight loss;
• retraction of the fontanel in infants.

To reduce the risk of developing an intestinal infection in a child, following simple hygiene rules will help: wash your hands regularly with soap and water, heat treat fruits and vegetables. It is always necessary to monitor the cleanliness of surfaces in the kitchen where food is prepared, dishes, baby pacifiers, and also limit the use of food on the street.