What is shigellosis and how to treat it

Quite a lot of people have heard about a problem like dysentery. What is shigellosis, the characteristics of this disease, the causes and ways of getting rid - I’d like to tell you all about this in detail now.

Terminology

Initially, you need to understand the basic terms that are used in this article. So what is shigellosis? Speaking in a more familiar language, this is dysentery, i.e. bacterial intestinal infection. It is caused by bacteria that belong to the Shigella family (this is where the name of the disease itself came from).

Doctors also say that this problem most often occurs in the hot season, i.e. mostly in summer, not winter. People suffer from it equally regardless of gender. However, most often it affects children aged 2 to 4 years.

About the pathogen

The causative agent of shigellosis is bacteria in the Shigella family. Especially tenacious are the Shigella Sonne. They can maintain their functionality for a very long time and even several months (in a particularly hot time). The most favorable conditions for the propagation of these microorganisms are food products (minced meat, boiled meat and boiled fish, milk and dairy products, as well as jelly and stewed fruit). The mechanism of bacterial transmission is fecal-oral. It is transmitted by contact-household, water and food. It is important to note that you can become infected even if less than 100 Shigella cells enter the human body.

Doctors also say that the susceptibility of different people to this disease is different, for example, depending on the blood type. The most sensitive persons are those with blood groups: A (II), Hp (2), Rh (-).

Pathogenicity factors

We further consider what shigellosis is. It must be said that these bacteria themselves have a number of properties that are pathogenic to humans:

  • Infestations. These are special proteins that help a harmful microorganism penetrate the intestinal mucosa. Most often, the lower part of this organ is affected.
  • Endotoxin. It is thanks to these microelements that a person develops symptoms of intoxication.
  • Exotoxin This is a harmful substance that the bacteria releases into the patient’s blood. This is exactly what causes diarrhea.

Symptomatology

If we talk about a problem such as shigellosis, symptoms - that is what you definitely need to talk about. Initially, it should be noted that the onset of the disease is mainly acute. What does a person feel with this disease?

  1. First of all, diarrhea occurs, the so-called "bloody diarrhea".
  2. Abdominal cramps. Initially, the pain is dull, then it becomes acute, it is cramping in nature. Localization: lower abdomen, mainly on the left. The pains may intensify before bowel movements, and false desires often arise.
  3. Fever.
  4. Symptoms of intoxication: an increase in body temperature, pain in the joints and muscles, weakness.

All these indicators appear already on the next day after infection. So, the incubation period of the disease is about 1-7 days (in some cases it can be shortened to 5-10 hours).

Acute dysentery

This disease can have both acute and chronic forms. What is acute shigellosis? It is worth noting that this type of disease is very active. Symptoms are bright. Doctors note that in this case, it is primarily the large intestine that is affected. Symptoms with this type of disease:

  • Fever. The temperature rises. If we are talking about children, then indicators can reach a mark of 40 ° C.
  • Diarrhea. At first, the bowel movements are short-term, have a watery consistency. However, with the development of the disease, the number of trips to the toilet increases, sometimes reaching 30 times per day. In the waste you can find mucus, blood and even pus. It should be noted that it is an admixture of blood in the feces that "says" that a person has dysentery, and not another intestinal disorder.
  • Stomach ache. They are cramping in nature. Gradually increase.
  • Tenesmus. Those. the patient may experience false urge to defecate. There is also pain in the anus after going to the toilet.
  • Less often, but still there is nausea and vomiting.

If you start treatment on time, you can cope with the problem in a week. Otherwise, there is a risk of complications. Moreover, a fatal outcome is also possible.

Chronic dysentery

Chronic shigellosis can be diagnosed if the disease lasts for more than three months. The course of the disease here can be completely different.

So, the problem can occur on an ongoing basis, relapses can occur. This type of disease is also characterized by periods of exacerbations. Symptoms are manifested to a much lesser extent than in acute form. Symptoms of the disease are more smooth, not so pronounced. Most often, there is no blood in the stool, and body temperature indicators do not exceed the mark of 37.5 ° C.

A few words about children

Shigellosis in children most often occurs in preschool age. A huge problem is the fact that the baby often pulls dirty hands and toys in his mouth, and this is how he becomes infected. The statistics of doctors say that approximately 70% of all patients are children.

It should be noted that shigellosis in children proceeds somewhat differently than in adults. What will be characteristic of the smallest patients:

  • The chair is plentiful, fetid, green. It can detect mucus, as well as lumps of undigested food. Blood veins rarely appear.
  • The tummy in children is not retracted, but is inflated.
  • Primary toxicosis is weak, but secondary toxicity is severe. Disturbed metabolic processes, water-salt balance.
  • Otitis or pneumonia, secondary bacterial infections, often develops.
  • The disease has a wavy character. Also, young children have a tendency to chronic disease.

Diagnostics

What else do you need to know about a disease such as shigellosis? Diagnosis (primary) can be carried out even at home. As mentioned above, the main indicator of the presence of this disease is an admixture of blood in the feces. If this symptom appears, you should immediately seek medical help. What will the specialist do?

  1. Bacteriological method. It consists in sowing feces, which will make it possible to identify pathogenic microorganisms.
  2. Serological method. In this case, antibodies to shigella are sought in the blood. But it should be noted that this method is practically not used. After all, all the information can be obtained thanks to an easier and more reliable bacteriological method.
  3. PCR This method is also used extremely rarely, since it is very expensive. Essence: determination of shigella genes in feces.

Treatment

We further consider a disease such as shigellosis. Treatment and ways to get rid of the problem - this also needs to be told. What drugs can a doctor prescribe?

  • The drug "Rehydron." It helps to regulate the water-salt balance, which is definitely disturbed if the patient has diarrhea.
  • Sorbents. These are drugs such as Smecta, Enterosgel. Their main goal is to minimize the toxic effects on the body, as well as the fight against diarrhea.
  • Antibiotics. If the disease is mild, their use is not required. However, in most cases, if there is an admixture of blood in the feces, doctors most often prescribe a drug such as Ciprofloxacin. You can also use such drugs as Tetracycline, Ampicillin. The duration of admission may be different, but on average it is 5 days.

Attention! The use of antidiarrheal drugs, such as Loperamide, Immodium, is strictly prohibited. They slow the release of the pathogen from the intestinal lumen. And this significantly lengthens the process of recovery and elimination of harmful bacteria from the body.

Nutrition, diet

From this article it is clear that shigellosis is dysentery, i.e. a problem regarding the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. That is why, along with treatment, a certain diet is prescribed to the patient. If the patient has diarrhea, table No. 4 is shown to him. Its essence: a reduced content of fats and carbohydrates with a normal amount of protein consumed. It is important in this case to exclude food products that cause increased gas formation and flatulence.

Recommended products:

  1. Wheat crackers.
  2. Soups on light broth with cereals.
  3. Soft boiled poultry and fish meat.
  4. Fresh low-fat cottage cheese.
  5. Porridge on the water: oatmeal, rice, buckwheat.
  6. Eggs: steamed or boiled soft-boiled, no more than 2 pcs. in a day.
  7. Boiled vegetables.

Taboo Products:

  1. Flour and bakery products.
  2. Fatty broths and soups based on them.
  3. Fatty meat, fish.
  4. Milk and its derivatives.
  5. Pasta.
  6. Porridge: wheat, pearl barley, barley.
  7. Legumes
  8. Fresh vegetables and fruits.
  9. Cocoa, coffee, carbonated drinks.

If the stool is normal, you can go on a diet number 2. She is much softer than the previous one. In this case, the following foods can already be included in the diet:

  • Stale bread.
  • Meat and fish.
  • Dairy products.
  • Ripe fruits, as well as grated berries.
  • Sweets: marmalade, candy, caramel.

Prevention

To avoid a problem like shigellosis, prevention is what matters. After all, observing certain measures, it is not difficult to prevent the development of this disease.

  1. You need to wash your hands as often as possible. This is especially important after going to the toilet.
  2. Young children from a very young age should be taught the rules of personal hygiene.
  3. It is important to properly store and cook various foods.
  4. After contact with the patient, be sure to wash your hands. Patient's underwear should be disinfected.
  5. Patients should not visit crowded places, groups (go to work, school, kindergarten). After all, they are carriers of infection. This can be done only after the negative results of bacterial sowing.

Particularly attentive to all of the above precautions should relate to employees of public catering establishments.

Complications

What is shigellosis - figured out. At the very end, you need to recall that this disease, with improper treatment, can lead to various complications. What, then, should be feared?

Prolapse of the rectum. This can happen due to tenesmus and frequent going to the toilet.

Dehydration. It occurs with copious watery stools. It is fraught with negative consequences that can affect all organs and systems of the body.

Sometimes intestinal bleeding also occurs. In this case, the patient is shown immediate hospitalization.

Severe intoxication (in medicine this condition is called toxic megacolon). Here there is a stretching of the lower part of the large intestine, its walls thicken. As a result, a lot of toxin is absorbed into the blood. This condition can even be fatal.

Normal kidney function may be impaired; severe renal failure may occur. The first manifestation of this problem is oliguria, i.e. a sharp decrease in the amount of urine excreted by the patient.

Hemolysis of red blood cells. In this case, the patient may develop severe anemia, the platelet count in the blood is significantly reduced.

Bacteremia. In this case, bacteria enter the patient’s blood. This condition most often occurs in malnourished patients. It proceeds very hard and often ends in death.

Secondary infection It occurs due to the depletion of the body. In this case, diseases such as urinary tract infections or pneumonia often occur.

After recovery, stool disorders may persist for a while. All this can happen due to the fact that during shigellosis the intestinal mucosa is affected, which leads to the occurrence of serious lesions.

In young children, after suffering a serious illness, a weakness of the body, exhaustion, and fatigue may remain for a couple of months. Also, a problem such as dysbiosis often arises.


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