Main symptoms of dysentery. Dysentery: symptoms in children, adults, treatment, routes of infection. Symptoms of amoebic dysentery

Dysentery is one of the gastrointestinal diseases, an acute infection that, in most cases, affects the intestines and also causes complications in other digestive organs.

A little history. The first mention of such a disease as dysentery in historical manuscripts dates back to the first century AD. It has claimed millions of human lives over eighteen centuries. Because people didn't know the reasons of this disease, they could not treat him effectively. The disease itself and its complications caused a real epidemic, which left its mark on history and entered it as the “disease of dirty hands” and fever.

But already at the end of the eighteenth century, scientists discovered why people get dysentery and found an effective treatment that gave many patients a chance to live. But how often do people get dysentery today? What are its symptoms and treatment? Can it be prevented? These questions will be answered in this article.

What is dysentery

Dysentery or shigellosis is infection, which affects the large intestine and leads to general intoxication of the entire body. This infection is caused by a bacterium, Shigella, which multiplies quickly in a nutrient medium. Because bacteria secrete a large number of toxins, damage to the liver and even the nervous system occurs. Dysentery, however, like any infectious disease, is important to recognize in time and begin immediate treatment.

Anyone can get dysentery. What is it due to? If sanitary and hygienic standards are not observed, then this is a favorable environment for the pathogens of this disease. Most often this happens during military conflicts or in underdeveloped countries. Statistics show that a third of the sick are children. preschool age. Why? It is at this age that children learn about the world and taste everything. Through dirty hands and objects that enter their mouth, and accordingly, bacteria are colonized in the body. Adults also suffer from dysentery. Most often this happens in the fall and summer, since it is at this time that a lot of berries and fruits ripen, which people eat not sufficiently processed. But these are only some aspects of the disease, and there are many of them.

Types of dysentery

Dysentery is caused by shingella. Today, scientists say that there are four types of these bacteria:

• zonne
• boydie
• flexner
• shingella dysentery.

Chingella does not form a form for long-term existence in extreme conditions (spores). Their life activity depends on the temperature of their environment, humidity and the amount of toxins. AND prerequisite for their life there must be availability of food. Dairy products are an excellent environment for their habitat and reproduction.

Dysentery can be chronic (the course of the disease progresses slowly with remissions), catalytic (the large intestine is affected), gastroenteric (the small intestine and stomach are affected) and gastroenterocolitic (the entire mucous zone is affected).

Depending on the symptoms and manifestations of the disease, three forms can be distinguished: mild, moderate and severe.

Dysentery: symptoms in adults

Depending on the stage of the disease (peak, decline or recovery), the symptoms of dysentery in adults can be described. But most often, as with any infection, the following appears:

Fever is the first sign of dysentery. If the temperature rises sharply, the disease progresses, and if it declines, the person gradually recovers.

Dehydration

Also abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, signs of intoxication.

Intoxication is manifested by weakness, muscle pain and headaches, fainting and delirium (manifested in severe dysentery). This occurs due to decreased immunity and infection of the entire body.

Separately, one can note such a symptom as stool. With dysentery, a person can have bowel movements, on average, more than twenty times a day. The stool may be liquid, sometimes mixed with mucus. In severe cases, the stool is mixed with blood and pus.

Symptoms do not appear immediately and not all of them. They can be observed only on the third day after infection for a week.
In adults, the symptoms of dysentery appear as follows:

• stomach ache;
• urge to vomit;
• loose and frequent stools;
• exhaustion of the body;
• loss of appetite;
• thirst;
• dehydration.

Diagnosis of the disease

The faster the disease is diagnosed, the faster a person recovers and the likelihood of complications decreases.
A mild form of dysentery can be treated at home, but this does not mean that you can start the disease and bring it to a chronic or complex form, which is already treated in a hospital with more radical methods. Such a patient is dangerous to the people around him.

When a patient arrives at the hospital, he must undergo a number of mandatory tests:

• General blood analysis. It is this analysis that shows a shift in the leukogram, monocytosis and an increase in red blood cells.
• Stool analysis determines deviations from the norm.
• Cultures help confirm the diagnosis.

Doctors also conduct additional studies, such as:

• serological diagnostics;
• sigmoidoscopy.

Treatment

The earlier treatment is started, the greater the likelihood of avoiding disease progression and complications. Treatment for dysentery can be:

• medicinal;
• diet;
• folk remedies.

You should not self-medicate or take any medications without the doctor's knowledge.

The doctor clearly attributes the appointment antibacterial agents, antibiotics. Adsorbent and digestion-improving drugs are also prescribed. Then you need to normalize the microflora in the intestines. For this, the patient takes eubiotics and also vitamins.

Patients with moderate and complex forms of dysentery are hospitalized; this is also done if the patient has complications in the respiratory, cardiac and nervous systems.

Since there is a high probability of infecting others, patients are placed in separate boxes in the infectious diseases hospital. Although visiting such patients is not prohibited, precautions should be taken into account.

The patient is prescribed therapeutic diet. Food needs to be steamed. It should be low-fat and non-spicy food. Such nutrition should be done for a month after treatment.

Medicines also have a therapeutic effect traditional medicine, because nature has endowed people with many useful plants. Burdock leaves can be used to treat dysentery in adults.

Make tinctures from the leaves and flowers of wild rosemary and blueberries.

Oak bark is a miracle cure for dysentery. They make tinctures from it and drink it.

Propolis extract, golden mustache tincture and regular black tea can help the patient recover quickly.

Remedies that can be prepared at home:

Potato starch should be diluted in water 1:10 and drunk once a day for a week.
You also need to use products to cleanse the body of intoxication. Such means can be Activated carbon, saline and glucose solutions.
During illness, a person’s immunity decreases, so it is necessary to take vitamin complexes to normalize the body's protective functions.

Consequences of dysentery

If you do not consult a doctor in time and do not adhere to the correct treatment, then dysentery can have a detrimental effect on the entire human body.

The patient may experience exacerbation of existing gastrointestinal diseases.

If treatment is not started on time, the patient may experience remissions and exacerbations.

Dehydration, ulcers, intestinal dysfunction and dysbiosis. All these are consequences of dysentery.

Disease prevention

It is important to know! Shengella bacteria die at 60 degrees within half an hour, and in boiling water - instantly. When treated with disinfectants, they die within a few minutes. They can live in food and water for several weeks.

Maintaining good hygiene is vital. What does this include? Wash your hands thoroughly, handle food before preparing it, and avoid contact with people with dysentery. Don't neglect these simple tips that will help protect yourself and your family.

Dysentery is infectious disease, occurring with primary damage to the large intestine and symptoms of general toxicosis.

This disease belongs to the group of acute gastrointestinal infections.

The causative agent of dysentery

The causative agents of dysentery in adults are bacteria from the genus Shigella, belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. Among them, four types are distinguished: Shigella dysentery, Grigoriev-Shigi, Sonne and Flexneri. Shigella are represented by immobile gram-negative rods; they do not form spores or capsules.

Dysentery bacilli can produce exotoxins - enterotoxins, cytotoxin and a strong neurotoxin; when destroyed, they release endotoxin. These toxic substances cause intestinal damage with corresponding symptoms.

The main mechanism of Shigella infection is fecal-oral. It is carried out in three ways - water, contact and food. Infection occurs through various household items, food, water, soil, hands, etc.

Symptoms of dysentery in adults

IN clinical picture Symptoms of dysentery are divided into 4 stages: initial, height of the disease, extinction and recovery. Usually the disease has an acute onset.

The first signs of dysentery in adults are:

• chills;
• feeling of heat;
• elevated temperature;

Fever up to 38-40 degrees persists from several hours to 5 days. In some cases, the disease occurs with a slight rise in temperature or without fever. This picture is observed in weakened individuals and elderly people.

Signs of damage to the nervous system for dysentery include:

• brokenness;
• weakness;
• unstable mood or apathy;
• headache;
• decreased blood pressure;
• heart rhythm disturbances;

The main manifestation of dysentery is. Patients complain of cutting, cramping pain in the abdomen, which is localized in the iliac regions (mainly on the left).

Painful sensations occur before each bowel movement and are layered on it. The appearance of tenesmus is characteristic - a painful urge to defecate. They manifest themselves as excruciating nagging pain in the rectum. Most often, these urges are fruitless, bowel movements do not bring relief.

With dysentery, the function of all departments is impaired gastrointestinal system. Dry mouth occurs, the motility of the stomach and intestines changes, and the acidity of digestive juices decreases.

Character of stool in dysentery

The frequency of stools with shigellosis can reach thirty times a day, and sometimes more. During each bowel movement, a very small amount is released feces. The total volume of bowel movements is rarely more than 500 ml per day. At the very beginning of the disease, the stool has a liquid or semi-liquid fecal character, often mixed with mucus.

After some time, instead of feces, only transparent thick mucus begins to be released, in which blood appears in the form of streaks, and later pus. Because of this nature, dysentery stool is called “dysentery spit.”

The peak period lasts from 2 to 9 days. Then comes the phase of fading of symptoms. All manifestations gradually weaken and disappear. The recovery period can take up to several weeks. If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner or receive inadequate therapy, functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system can persist for many months.

In people with reduced immunity, chronic infection is possible; such persons can become a source of infection for others even in the absence of signs of illness.

Clinical options

According to the clinical picture, the following variants of dysentery are distinguished:

• colitis;
• gastroenteric;
• gastroenterocolitic;

In the colic variant, the symptoms of colitis, which are described above, predominate.

The gastroenteric variant is characterized by signs of gastritis and enteritis. These include nausea and vomiting, and large, watery stools.

In the gastroenterocolitic form of dysentery, dysentery first predominates, then enteritis occurs. Gradually, the volume of stool decreases as colitis occurs. The further course corresponds to the colitis variant.

Dysentery can take a protracted (more than two months) or chronic form. Chronic shigella infection is characterized by alternating periods of exacerbation and remission. Relapses are similar in symptoms to acute shigellosis. In addition to acute and chronic forms of the disease, shigella bacteria carriage is isolated. In this case, Shigella multiplies in the intestines and is excreted in environment, But obvious signs no disease.

Diagnosis of dysentery

The diagnosis of dysentery is made on the basis of characteristic complaints and symptoms. Laboratory tests are also carried out in adults:

• blood test (in particular, young forms of neutrophils, ESR increases);
• urinalysis (in severe cases, casts, protein, and red blood cells are found in the urine);
• serological blood test for the presence of antibodies or antigens of bacteria;
• microscopic and bacteriological examination of feces (shigella is detected, their type and sensitivity to antibacterial agents are determined);
• scatological examination of stool (mucus, accumulations of neutrophils, red blood cells, and a large amount of epithelium are found in the stool).

Among instrumental methods diagnostics, sigmoidoscopy is used. Using an optical device, the mucous membrane of the rectum and colon is examined. Dysentery is characterized by the presence of erosions and ulcerations, swelling and redness inner shell intestines.

Treatment of dysentery

For mild cases of acute dysentery, treatment is possible at home. More severe forms, presence of other concomitant diseases suggest hospitalization in an infectious diseases hospital. Hospitalization can also be carried out for epidemiological reasons.

Treatment for shigella infection in adults includes:

• diet (with mechanical and chemical sparing of the gastrointestinal tract);
• bed or semi-bed medical and protective regime;
• drug therapy.

Drug treatment

For etiotropic treatment of dysentery, antibacterial agents are used (chloramphenicol, nitrofuran derivatives, sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, etc.). In case of severe intoxication, saline and colloid solutions are administered intravenously.

IN recovery period vitamins, immunomodulators, enzyme preparations, probiotics (hilak forte, bifidobacterin, colibacterin) are prescribed. To quickly heal intestinal erosions, use methyluracil in suppositories, sea ​​buckthorn oil, fish fat in the form of microenemas.

Disease prevention

In the prevention of shigellosis in adults, the main role is given to compliance with anti-epidemiological and sanitary and hygienic requirements. All cases of the disease are subject to mandatory registration. Disinfection cleaning is carried out at the source of infection.

To prevent the spread of dysentery, early detection, hospitalization and treatment of patients are necessary. The patient is discharged from the hospital after three bacteriological examinations, provided a negative result is obtained.

Which doctor should I contact for treatment?

If, after reading this article, you think that you have symptoms characteristic of this disease, then you should

Dysentery is acute or chronic infection, which occurs with symptoms of general intoxication and primarily affects the human large intestine. The disease can be either acute or chronic. The causative agent of dysentery in adults and children is various types of E. coli that enter the body during consumption of contaminated food or through contact with a sick person. The spread of dysentery is facilitated by unsanitary conditions and failure to comply with basic rules of personal hygiene. Because of this, dysentery received the apt name - “the disease of dirty hands.”

The causative agent of dysentery

The infection is caused various types dysentery bacilli. As a rule, the most active species are the Sonne and Flexner species, which settle in the folds of the large intestine. The causative agent of dysentery enters the external environment with the feces of a sick person. Bacteria tend to accumulate in various food products and water. The spread of the disease is facilitated by poor sanitary culture of the population, non-compliance with personal hygiene rules, and late access to medical institutions. Dysentery is often detected in children, especially in the first two years of life, which is associated with the curiosity of children and the habit of “pulling into their mouths” any objects that come to hand.

Once in the human stomach, some of the bacteria die. The remaining pathogens of dysentery penetrate the intestines, where their waste products cause necrotic and inflammatory processes. When diagnosed with dysentery, the symptoms are associated with poisoning of the body with poisonous toxins, which are absorbed by the walls of the colon and rectum, enter the bloodstream and cause general intoxication. Such poisoning is most severely suffered by small children and elderly people. the immune system which are not strong enough to effectively counteract toxic substances.

Dysentery - symptoms of the disease

The incubation period of dysentery is 2-3 days, but in some cases the first signs of the disease may appear within a few hours after eating contaminated products. The main symptoms of dysentery include:

• loose stools with mucus and blood clots;
• tenesmus – false urge to defecate;
• nausea, vomiting;
• headache;
• loss of appetite;
• general weakness, fatigue;
• dehydration of the body;
• increase in body temperature.

Dysentery begins acutely. Initially, patients feel slight chills and loss of appetite, but then these manifestations are accompanied by dull abdominal pain and signs of toxicosis, which can range from light form(minor convulsions) to severe conditions accompanied by confusion and neurological disorders. The frequency of bowel movements also varies - from 2-3 times a day to almost continuous diarrhea. As already mentioned above, when frequent stool Dysentery in adults is often accompanied by dehydration.

In children, dysentery develops somewhat differently. In newborns, the disease is often asymptomatic, but lasts much longer than in adults. If dehydration is accompanied by an incorrect diet and inadequate treatment of dysentery, then in the future the child may suffer from dystrophy. Children over one year of age usually develop enterocolitic dysentery. Symptoms of dysentery are typical for food intoxication, manifest themselves quite acutely and are observed within 7-8 days. To confirm the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the intestines, bacteriological studies of the child’s stool are used.

Dysentery - treatment of the disease

In the process of treating dysentery, compliance plays a huge role strict diet. From the standard diet of patients, foods rich in plant fiber, which irritate the intestines, are excluded. Food for infected people is given boiled and pureed. Soups are recommended dairy-free porridge, souffle and meatballs, and the number of meals increases while simultaneously reducing the single serving of dishes. Since dysentery in adults and children makes serious adjustments to activities gastrointestinal tract, the diet must be followed for several weeks after recovery.

Antimicrobial drugs are used for moderate and severe forms of dysentery. Please note that only a qualified doctor should prescribe certain medications, taking into account all indications and contraindications. For dysentery in children, ampicillin is usually prescribed; for severe cases, aminoglycosides and rifampicin are prescribed. In addition, from the first hours of the disease it is necessary to begin oral rehydration, which is designed to restore the water-salt balance. If dysentery is characterized by a long course, it is advisable to use drugs that increase immunity.

In the treatment of dysentery, restoration of normal intestinal microflora is also of great importance. Typically, bacterial preparations - bificol and bifidumbacterin - are used to treat dysentery in adults and children. For normalization intestinal activity are used astringents, antispasmodics and herbal decoctions in age-specific dosages.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of infectious bowel diseases? Most likely, everyone will remember dysentery. And it is not surprising, because the disease is widespread throughout the world; there is not a single civilized corner where the infection occurs. The danger of dysentery is that the pathogen affects all the body’s defense mechanisms, affecting more and more organs every day.

What is dysentery and what types does it come in? What is the causative agent of the disease? How and where does infection occur? What are the symptoms of the disease? How is dysentery treated and are there ways to avoid it?

What is dysentery

In ancient times, dysentery was the name given to all diseases accompanied by abdominal pain and frequent diarrhea. It was Hippocrates who introduced this term. In translation, dysentery (dysenteriae) is dys - disorder or disorder, and enteron - intestines, that is, this is what all intestinal diseases were called. Despite the fact that the infection was described several years BC, for the first time Full description The causative agent and the disease itself appeared only around the 18th century.

Dysentery can be found in almost every corner of the globe, but the most “populated” places from an epidemiological point of view are the following:

• Africa;
• Central and Latin America;
• most Asian countries;
• some regions of Russia.

Sporadic or isolated cases of shigellosis, another name for dysentery, occur in almost all countries. Those regions where the population is crowded and there are no optimal sanitary and living conditions are most susceptible to the spread of the disease.

The causative agent of dysentery

The causative agent of dysentery is bacteria of the genus Shigella of the Enterobacteriaceae family, that is, they affect the intestines. These are stationary sticks with rounded ends. In nature, there are more than 50 species of such microorganisms that can lead to the development of dysentery in the human body. Bacteria are unpretentious, they easily get along in a suitable environment, but they have their own characteristics:

The dysentery bacillus is a bacterium. But there are several variants of the pathogen that lead to the development of dysentery. Of these, 4 are the main types of bacteria and protozoa. Each of them has its own structural features, and therefore abilities.

Ways of contracting dysentery

In bacterial and amoebic dysentery, the source of infection is a sick person.

The transfer of dysentery pathogens from a patient to a healthy person most often occurs during the development of acute or exacerbation chronic disease. The main mechanism of transmission of dysentery is the fecal-oral route. Transmission factors in this case can be all available objects, food and liquids that have come into contact with the pathogen.

There are several ways of transmitting dysentery. Moreover, for individual species pathogens have their own paths that they prefer.

1. The contact-household route is characteristic of the Grigoriev-Shiga bacterium. That is, infection occurs through accessible environmental objects.
2. The food route is more typical for Sonne, but it also has its own characteristics; the bacterium often lives in dairy products.
3. Flexner's dysentery manifests itself through waterborne infection. In this case, they will become infected open waters, into which bacteria enter through the sewer or the pathogen can enter the water supply system.

This does not mean that each type of microorganism is spread through only one transmission route.

A person can become infected with dysentery amoeba if they encounter the pathogen in the environment. It is characterized by all of the above transmission routes. In this case, the carriers of infection are insects (cockroaches, flies).

Epidemiology of dysentery

Amoebiasis and shigellosis claim thousands of lives every year. According to statistics, both infections affect several million people. At the same time, the number of cases bacillary dysentery fluctuates around 80 million per year, amoebic infection is slightly behind at 30 million. The number of deaths annually ranges from several tens of thousands.

Diseases are characterized by seasonal manifestations. The summer-autumn period is the time when there is a greater chance of contracting dysentery. More often, doctors register cases of infection in July-September. This period accounts for more than half of all cases for the year. In hot regions, the disease occurs year-round.

Pathogenesis of dysentery

In other words, this is the entire life cycle of bacteria inside the human body, its damaging factors.

Shigella enters through oral cavity. Having passed the esophagus, the pathogen passes the stomach, where a significant part of Shigella dies, because the acidic environment is an aggressive factor for it. Then in primary department small intestine Enzymes and natural microflora act on the bacterium, so another significant part of the bacteria dies.

But even all these defense mechanisms are not enough, because bacteria are capable of releasing toxins into the body. Some of them are released at the time of destruction, some of the toxins are formed during the life of the dysentery pathogen. Therefore, even remaining in small quantities, they attach to the intestinal wall and penetrate deep into the mucous layer.

Often the cause of dysentery is the accumulation of intestinal contents during the development of constipation, intestinal dysbiosis and all congestion in the digestive system.

There are several toxins that are released in the human body during the entire period of Shigella life:

• endotoxin, which promotes the accumulation of fluid and salts in the intestines, which leads to the development of loose stools;
• cytotoxin affects intestinal cells;
• exotoxin impairs the functioning of the nervous system;
• The neurotoxin affects internal organs and the central nervous system.

Which organ is most affected by dysentery microbes? In addition to inflammatory processes in the internal organs, it is in the final section of the intestine that more serious changes occur:

• local inflammation;
• inflammatory-necrotic processes, when areas with areas of dead tissue also appear;
• then all this is replaced by the stage of formation of ulcers;
• the fourth stage of a favorable outcome of dysentery is healing.

Symptoms

The incubation period for dysentery is 2-3 days in most cases, but this is on average. Depending on the type of pathogen, the incubation period can last from 1 day to a week. After development acute process a person becomes especially dangerous to others, as the pathogen is released into the environment.

Symptoms of acute dysentery

Acute dysentery is characterized by the development of the following symptoms.

1. Acute onset with high temperature body from 38 to 40 ºC. It can last for several hours or up to 5 days.
2. Mild forms of dysentery occur without a rise in temperature or with a slight rise in temperature.
3. Damage to the nervous system is noted immediately: apathy, weakness, severe headaches with a sharp deterioration of the condition, all this sharply worsens at the moment of maximum temperature rise.
4. In the typical course of the infection, signs of colitis come first, the first of which is severe abdominal pain with dysentery, localized more in the left iliac region.
5. Pain appears before or during bowel movements.
6. False urges to go to the toilet often occur.
7. With dysentery, loosening of the stool occurs, diarrhea occurs up to 30 times a day, which does not bring relief. At the very beginning, the stool is normal, it can be mucous, then it consists of thick transparent mucus mixed with blood and pus.
8. Signs of dysentery in an adult include not only damage to the final parts of the digestive system, but also to the initial ones: dry mouth due to suppressed salivation, decreased acidity gastric juice, gastric motility is impaired.

The peak period of the disease lasts from 1–2 days to 9. But full recovery organs and body functions will not occur earlier than after 2–3 weeks, although during the period of subsidence of symptoms the person looks healthy.

Symptoms of chronic dysentery

How does a chronic infection proceed? It can be recurrent and continuous.

What are the symptoms of chronic dysentery?

1. The relapsing course is characterized by periods of well-being and exacerbation. Their duration is different each time. More often clinical manifestations the chronic form of the disease resembles mild dysentery or medium degree gravity. It is accompanied by moderate or slight fever (not higher than 38 ºC), weakness, loss of appetite, and loose stools up to 10 times a day. Lasts no more than a week, on average from three to 5 days.
2. The continuous type of chronic development of the disease is characterized by constant weakness, poor general condition, which does not get worse. There are no bright spots in the development of such dysentery. About 6% of all variants of infection develop into chronic dysentery.

Other variants of the course of dysentery

In addition to acute and chronic course, dysentery also differs in the location of inflammation and other features, due to which several more variants of the disease are distinguished.

1. Gastroenterocolitic variant of dysentery. Characterized by a violent onset. The symptoms immediately resemble a food infection. Signs of intoxication predominate, the patient may be bothered by pain in the stomach and nausea, later pain in the intestines and loose stools appear.
2. Gastroenteric variant of dysentery. Symptoms in adults resemble development acute poisoning with signs of dehydration. There is no classic pain in the intestinal area with the formation of ulcerative defects in its mucosa.
3. Prolonged flow. With this option, symptoms last from 1.5 to 3 months, and complete restoration of organ function is observed within 3 months after recovery.

Amoebic dysentery

Scientifically, it sounds like amoebiasis, that is, an infection caused by amoebas. Life cycle dysentery amoeba consists of two main stages:

• vegetative;
• cysts or dormancy.

Vegetative is unstable in the environment and comes in four forms.

1. Tissue - mobile, which is detected during acute infection.
2. A large vegetative form is found in the human body when the intestines are damaged.
3. The luminal form is inactive and is isolated during recovery.
4. The precystic form is also found during recovery or in carriers.

A cyst is a form of amoeba that is more stable in the environment. This type of protozoan organism can be isolated from a recovering person. The patient releases more than 300 million of it into the environment per day.

Where does the dysentery amoeba live? The main habitat is the human intestine, from there it enters the environment with feces. Transmission factors, as in the case of shigellosis, are food, contaminated water and contaminated objects.

Symptoms of amoebic dysentery

What are the symptoms of dysentery amoeba in the body?

1. A slight increase in temperature to 37 ºC or slightly higher, which appears approximately on the 7th–10th day of the onset of the disease.
2. Some experience weakness, fatigue, and general malaise.
3. Headaches, pain in the stomach, then discomfort in the intestines appear.
4. Disordered stools from 5 to 20 times a day with an admixture of mucus, and then blood, which gives the stool the appearance of raspberry jelly.

Dysentery in children

How is shigellosis different in children? Are there any differences from adults?

Absolutely all groups of the population suffer from dysentery. But among the first and most frequently ill people were always children under 4 years old; their number accounted for more than 60% of the total number of sick people. Infants get sick a little less often because they feed on mother's milk.

What are the signs of dysentery in children?

1. Weakness, malaise, and sometimes neurological symptoms with apathy, lack of appetite, and headaches come first.
2. According to the main clinical symptoms, such as abdominal pain, loose stools and false urge to go to the toilet, the course of the disease is no different from its development in adults.
3. What are the distinctive symptoms of dysentery in children? This may be a sharp depression of consciousness, convulsions, cardiopalmus and the appearance of a bluish tint to the skin.

Everything else depends on the severity of the disease and the presence of concomitant infections or other pathologies.

Diagnosis of dysentery

In the presence of typical clinical symptoms, making a diagnosis is not difficult. But a mild course or an atypical form of the disease can cause difficulties in making a diagnosis.

How is dysentery diagnosed? Where do the research begin?

1. To begin with, standard routine research methods are carried out to determine general analysis blood, urine, in which the presence of inflammation can be detected. Otherwise, the indicators do not differ significantly from those for other infections.
2. An important method diagnosis is made by bacteriological examination. In this case, to test for dysentery, feces are taken immediately after going to the toilet. Small particles are sown on enrichment media or other special media. On the second day you can already evaluate the result. There are small disadvantages to this diagnosis - it can be effective in only 25% of cases (although more often it is possible to correctly diagnose in 80% of patients). The latter depends on the stage of the disease, the correctness of the material collection and the well-chosen environment.
3. More modern, therefore expensive, serological methods for studying dysentery (RNGA). The titer increases from the fifth day and maximum 2-3 weeks after the onset of the disease.
4. The usual coprogram, although an auxiliary method, can still help, because in this way it is easy to detect inflammation, mucus residues and visible to the eye blood particles.

Treatment

The primary task in the treatment of dysentery is to determine the severity of the disease. For mild to moderate infection, the patient can be treated at home. Severe degree means immediate hospitalization.

In the hospital, treatment takes place in several stages.

1. A strict diet is prescribed for dysentery. In the first days of the disease, it is as gentle as possible, with optimal heat treatment food and with the exclusion of all foods that irritate the intestines. Then, after all severe symptoms have subsided, the diet is slightly expanded with a gradual transition to the usual table.
2. Antibiotics for dysentery are the basis of proper treatment, because the cause of the disease is a bacterium. For moderate severity of the disease, it is prescribed antibacterial drugs V correct dosage for a period of at least 5–7 days. Moreover, antibiotics for moderate severity of the disease and mild ones are different.
3. In case of severe cases, parenteral antibiotics are prescribed, which are administered through IVs.
4. Treatment of shigellosis is also carried out with detoxification drugs, for which solutions are used to replenish fluid loss. The amount of administered solutions is determined according to the age and body weight of the sick person.
5. Treatment of dysentery additionally includes vitamin therapy to quickly restore all body functions, nourish the nervous system and heal intestinal tissue.
6. Additionally, for better regeneration or healing of intestinal tissue during dysentery, oils and fish oil are used, but with great caution.
7. To restore intestinal functions, polyenzymatic drugs are used.
8. Treatment of dysentery necessarily includes the prescription of drugs to normalize the intestinal microflora.
9. Herbal medicines have not lost their importance - enveloping and astringent preparations are prescribed.

Prevention

Correct treatment diseases are timely prevention of infection. It is aimed not only at combating the pathogen. This is also about educating the population about the cause of the disease. Prevention of dysentery includes a complex of therapeutic and prophylactic, anti-epidemic measures, as well as compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards.

What can you do to avoid getting an infection?

1. The State Sanitary and Epidemiological Services carry out active prevention in places where bacteria are detected. Measures to prevent dysentery include timely identification of patients and bacteria carriers, and their treatment.
2. Disinfection of sources of infection and control of water supply in places where foci of dysentery are detected.
3. To avoid infection with dysentery, all sanitary and hygienic standards should be observed, especially if a carrier or sick person is identified in the house - regular treatment of surfaces with disinfectants, washing hands before eating and handling food.
4. Monitoring of those recovering and full examination of contact persons.
5. Another important stage in the fight against the causative agent of dysentery is vaccination. The vaccine is given to all persons who are at increased risk of encountering bacteria.

For comprehensive prevention, it is necessary to influence every link of the process, from identifying patients to personal prevention.

Whatever the dysentery, it is diagnosed and treated by specialists. This is a fast-acting infectious disease with profound changes in the body. To downplay the significance of even mild forms of an illness is the same as starting a mechanism of self-destruction, only it will affect everyone - the patient and the people around him.