One of the most common dangerous intestinal diseases is salmonellosis. Symptoms and treatment in adult patients are practically no different from the signs and treatment of an ailment in children. But still, the course of the disease may have its own characteristics, depending on the age of the patient.
What is salmonellosis?
How to treat salmonellosis, it is important to know even to those who have never encountered such a problem. After all, the disease has become so famous throughout the world that every year the number of people who have become infected is steadily increasing. To understand the nuances of treating the disease, you need to know what kind of pathology it is, how it manifests itself and what consequences it is fraught with.
Salmonellosis is a class of acute infectious ailments provoked by pathogenic microorganisms. In particular, the causative agent of this disease is salmonella. In most cases, with timely diagnosis and timely initiation of therapy, the prognosis for recovery is quite favorable.
How does infection happen?
Salmonellosis in children, the symptoms and treatment of which cause many questions in parents, proceeds in the form of gastrointestinal tract dysfunction. The most common manifestations are gastroenteritis and colitis. It is not difficult to become infected with this disease, especially since the source of infection is often people themselves, as well as birds and animals. Signs of salmonellosis in humans (how to treat the disease - only a doctor will give answers to this question, self-medication can be dangerous) most often occur in the hot summer season.
In addition, salmonella often settles in the human body after eating contaminated foods. The harmful microorganism can be found in meat, milk, butter or dirty, untreated water. With insufficient heat treatment, bacteria remain in the product, entering the digestive tract. It is almost impossible to discern the presence of salmonella, for example, in a piece of meat: it does not have the slightest effect on the taste of an infected product or its appearance.
Who is at risk?
In order for the pathogenic bacterium to enter the body by the oral-fecal route, it is enough just not to wash your hands once after the toilet or upon returning home from the street. It is not surprising that the question of how to treat salmonellosis most of all concerns parents.
Children under the age of 12 are the main risk group for infection, as they most often do not follow basic rules of personal hygiene. Infection of the baby is most malleable, since babies still do not have time to develop stable immunity.
The incubation period and the manifestations of salmonellosis
4 days after infection, salmonellosis will begin to manifest itself. Symptoms and treatment in adults are usually determined by the presence of an incubation period during which certain signs of the disease may occur. The absence of pronounced symptoms can be called one of the main reasons for the impossibility of timely early therapy.
Meanwhile, after the 4-day latent phase of the infectious disease, patients of any age begin to worry about painful unpleasant manifestations, similar to signs of food poisoning, including:
- pain and abdominal pain;
- flatulence, a constant feeling of bloating;
- prolonged diarrhea, accompanied by a fetid odor;
- possible presence of blood or mucus in the feces;
- persistent vomiting, nausea;
- dehydration of the body;
- refusal to eat due to lack of appetite;
- high body temperature;
- muscle aches and bones;
- mild neurological symptoms.
The last group of signs of infection include dizziness, migraine and sleep disturbances. If any of the symptoms appear above, it is important to isolate the patient from other family members as soon as possible.
The predominant part of
intestinal infections is characterized by a high degree of spread of the disease.
Features of childhood symptoms
A distinctive feature is salmonellosis in children. Symptoms and treatment are largely dependent on dehydration. In childhood, this symptom of infection is considered the most dangerous. In babies up to 1 year old, dehydration with salmonellosis can develop in a matter of hours. In this case, a group of additional symptoms appears:
- dry mouth
- lack of tears during crying;
- general weakness of the body;
- pallor of the skin;
- cold limbs;
- drowsiness.
Hospitalization and diagnosis
For adults, the state of dehydration is also dangerous. In severe cases with a complicated course of the disease, the patient may even fall into a coma, therefore, at the first signs of significant fluid loss, urgent hospitalization is necessary, especially for pregnant women and the elderly.
Before treating salmonellosis, it is important to do all the necessary laboratory tests. The doctor will give the patient directions for the analysis of feces, biochemical and clinical blood tests.
Further action is possible only after the doctor makes an accurate diagnosis and confirms salmonellosis. From what the infection came from, it can also matter to a specialist, therefore, often with this infection, the remains of undigested products in the esophagus are taken for research.
Heavy drink with salmonellosis
Before starting serious drug therapy aimed at the maximum elimination of pathogenic bacteria in the patient's body, it is necessary to adjust the diet and drinking regimen. The primary task of doctors in inpatient facilities where salmonellosis is treated is to restore the patient’s water-electrolyte balance. You can eliminate dehydration with the help of constant heavy drinking. As a rule, doctors recommend:
- weak tea (black or green) without sugar;
- mineral water in small sips;
- saline solution.
Diet for intestinal infection
Dieting is an equally important fundamental step in the treatment of salmonellosis. The objective of a limited diet is to restore the full functioning of the digestive system.
Therefore, any products that can irritate the patient’s gastrointestinal tract are completely excluded from the daily menu until they recover completely. Among them:
- raw vegetables and fruits (you can only use boiled, steamed, stewed and baked);
- any bread (white and black);
- mushrooms:
- whole milk;
- animal fats;
- seafood;
- sausages, semi-finished products, fast food;
- confectionery;
- carbonated drinks, coffee, alcohol.
Medication for adults
Since it is impossible to treat salmonellosis without drugs, it is worth considering in detail the list of drugs prescribed to patients. On average, drug therapy for salmonella-induced intestinal infections rarely lasts more than 10 days. Meanwhile, how much salmonellosis is treated, largely depends on the patient's condition.
As already mentioned, at the beginning of treatment it is extremely important to eliminate dehydration, which occurs due to intense vomiting and diarrhea. A drug such as Loperamide will help slow down the activity of the intestines. Manufacturers do not recommend taking it for more than 5 days.
An antibiotic for salmonellosis is prescribed in the case when the ailment is severe. The drug is first administered to the patient intravenously. After relief, they switch to oral administration or intramuscular injections. The most common antibacterial drugs are:
- "Azithromycin."
- "Ciprofloxacin."
- Cefotaxime.
- Ceftriaxone.
Cleansing the body of bacteria
For headaches and high temperatures, Ibuprofen and Paracetamol are prescribed. Effective and beneficial for salmonellosis is bowel cleansing with an enema. In addition, sorbents, which are considered indispensable for intestinal infections, will help to remove all toxins from the body. The most famous medicines can be called Enterosgel, Smecta, activated carbon.
For the subsequent normalization of the digestive system, the doctor prescribes enzyme-containing preparations ("Festal", "Mezim", "Creon"). After treatment with antibiotics, it is necessary to drink a course of probiotics that will help restore the disturbed microflora in the intestines. Take such medications for a long time, at least 2-3 weeks. Effective means, which include live bacteria, are Lactobacterin, Bifidumbacterin, Acipol.
The nuances of treating children for salmonellosis
As such, there is no cure for salmonellosis to treat children. The same drugs are used as for adult patients, but in a different dosage. First of all, it is necessary to solder a sick child. To remove all kinds of toxins from the body, it is advisable to give a teaspoon of water or another drink every 5 minutes. In case of severe dehydration, doctors may prescribe droppers with glucose.
Antibiotics and antipyretics for a child can be prescribed only by the attending doctor. In no case should one engage in self-medication. Restrictions that apply to adult patients fully apply to children. It is necessary for the child to adhere to a diet for as long as possible, since it will be difficult for the weakened body of the baby to cope with a sharp load on the digestive system.
Alternative recipes for intestinal infection
Folk remedies for salmonellosis, unfortunately, do not guarantee a one hundred percent positive result. Meanwhile, in combination with drug therapy and diet, home-made recipes for getting rid of intestinal infection can be an additional option that accelerates treatment.
However, the use of absolutely safe at first glance means it is advisable to approach with caution. It is advisable to use at least one of the following recipes only after consulting a doctor.
- Infusion of plantain. You can cure salmonellosis with a herbal potion if you prepare it at the rate of: 1 tbsp. l shredded leaves a glass of boiling water. It is necessary to insist on such an infusion for 10-15 minutes, after which you should drink homemade medicine in small sips.
- Walnut tincture is considered effective against intestinal infection. To prepare it, you need to take a glass of peeled fruits and 2 glasses of vodka. Put the medicine in a dark place for 3-4 days. It is necessary to use the obtained product every 2 hours for 5 drops for children (diluting in 1 tbsp. L. Boiled water) and 10 drops for adults.
- To maintain the general resistance of the body, the most effective remedy is considered to be a chamomile infusion. On 1 tbsp. l collection requires 1 cup of boiling water. In a metal container, put the medicine on a slow fire and cook for about 5 minutes. When the broth has cooled and infused, you can use it. For an adult patient, take medicine at least 4 times a day for 2 tbsp. l after meal.
- To eliminate abdominal pain with salmonellosis, essential peppermint oil will help . Apply it externally, a few drops are enough, after which they are rubbed into the skin with neat circular movements. Such a massage can be done to improve intestinal motility.
Possible complications of salmonellosis
You can not ignore the symptoms of the disease. Any intestinal infection provoked by a pathogenic microorganism is dangerous to the health and life of the patient. Untimely belated therapy to eliminate bacteria in the body is fraught with negative dangerous consequences, including:
- heart and kidney failure;
- sharp jumps in blood pressure;
- respiratory arrest, collapse.
In addition, purulent complications can occur from all internal organs and systems. With salmonellosis, these are often:
- peritonitis;
- appendicitis;
- arthritis.
At the advanced stage of the disease, bacteria, getting through the bloodstream to the meninges, can provoke inflammation and encephalopathy. Infectious-toxic shock, as well as exacerbation of chronic diseases (pancreatitis, cholecystitis) are rare in patients, but such complications in most cases can end in disrepair. In rare cases, salmonella causes blood clotting problems.