Clostridia are representatives of the normal microflora of the human intestine . They mainly live in the large intestine, but can also be found in some other parts of the digestive system, as well as in the genital tract and on the skin.
What is clostridia?
Clostridia are gram-positive bacteria. They secrete an enzyme that is involved in the breakdown of protein into amino acids. "Klostridia" from Greek is translated as "spindle". This name is due to the process of their reproduction (during this period, bacteria thicken in the central part and narrow at the ends).
The number of clostridia, which are part of a healthy intestinal microflora, varies. Their number depends on the age of the child. In children under one year old, 1,000 colony forming units per gram is considered the norm, in children over one year old, the norm is up to 100,000. All this is taken into account during the diagnosis.
What is the danger of clostridia?
Clostridiosis is an acute infectious disease that affects humans and animals. Clostridia cause such dangerous diseases as pseudomembranous colitis, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, botulism, gas gangrene, tetanus, toxicoinfection and necrotic enteritis. The pathogenic effect of bacteria is due to the release of toxins A and B and a protein that inhibits bowel contraction.
Pseudomembranous colitis and antibiotic-associated diarrhea infection occurs mainly in a hospital. This is due to the fact that the hospital uses many different antibiotics and disinfectants, which contributes to the formation of microorganisms that become resistant to disinfectants. Also, taking antibiotics is a factor contributing to the appearance of clostridia or an increase in their number. During treatment with such medicines, pathogenic bacteria of the intestine are not only destroyed, but its microflora also suffers.
If clostridia is found in the feces of a child, then parents do not need to sound the alarm. It should be remembered that these bacteria are representatives of a healthy intestinal microflora, which are involved in protein breakdown and stimulate peristalsis. But in order to avoid the development of serious diseases, it is necessary to monitor their number, that is, regularly diagnose.
Causes of Clostridiosis
The clostridium genus includes more than 100 species, which are divided into 5 groups. Most of them are not dangerous to humans. Clostridia live in the intestines of both humans and animals. With feces, bacteria enter the earth, there they can live for a long time in the form of spores, and they can also be found in water. The sources of clostridiosis are animals and people.
The transmission method is fecal-oral. The route of infection is contact-household (through dishes, toys, clothes and the hands of staff). The cause of infection with clostridia is mainly a violation of personal hygiene.
What affects the composition of the intestinal microflora?
Factors affecting the intestinal microflora are divided into external and internal.
External:
• environmental conditions in the place of permanent residence;
• frequent stresses;
• the nature of the diet (clostridia in the feces of a child are detected if the baby is early transferred to artificial feeding; in adults, the risk of developing clostridiosis increases when eating foods with a long shelf life);
• an example of antibacterial, hormonal and immunosuppressive drugs.
Internal:
• weakness of the body's defenses;
• mental retardation (postnatal hypoxia);
• immaturity of the central nervous system;
• prematurity;
• intestinal infection with nosocomial bacteria;
• sleep disturbances;
• surgical interventions;
• acute respiratory viral infections.
Clostridia Symptoms
Antibiotic-dissociated diarrhea develops not only due to clostridia. The causative agents of the disease are also salmonella, candida, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella. This type of diarrhea is a consequence of nosocomial infection. But infants are not susceptible to this disease, since they receive a large number of immune factors with breast milk that inhibit the growth of clostridia.
Antibiotic-dissociated diarrhea can have various symptoms: from mild diarrhea to severe pseudomembranous colitis, which, if untreated, leads to death in 30% of cases.
Pseudomembranous colitis develops on the 4th-10th day after the start of antibiotic administration. The main symptoms are:
• characterized by acute onset;
• body temperature rises above 39.5 ° C;
• bloating;
• appetite sharply decreases;
• weight loss occurs;
• signs of severe intoxication are rapidly beginning to appear;
• severe cramping abdominal pain;
• repeated vomiting;
• upon palpation, the patient feels pain in the intestines;
• a stool is plentiful, liquid, watery, green with a putrid odor;
• feces contain mucus, blood, and scraps of fibrinous deposits.
Enteritis is the mildest disease, which usually ends without complications. The symptomatology of the disease does not have certain features.
Necrotic enteritis is determined by the formation of ulcers and erosions that destroy the mucous membrane. Symptoms
• the appearance of sites of hemorrhagic necrosis at the beginning of the small intestine;
• hemorrhagic areas of red color;
• there is a narrowing of the lumen of the intestine in the area of inflammation;
• the patient is shivering; severe fever is observed;
• vomiting;
• bloody foamy diarrhea.
Clostridia in infants cause severe forms of the disease. Clostridiosis is especially dangerous for premature babies. Symptoms
• a sharp significant deterioration in the condition of the child;
• rapid shallow breathing;
• increasing signs of toxicosis and exicosis;
• lack of exercise;
• paralytic intestinal obstruction.
In newborns of premature babies as a result of the disease, more often than in older children, intestinal injuries and peritonitis are formed. In most cases, clostrodiosis in infants results in death.
When is it necessary to examine the intestinal microflora?
• Prolonged intestinal disorders that are not treatable.
• Clostridia in the feces of a child can be, if mucus is present in the feces, slices of undigested food; uneven coloring of the stool.
• The unstable nature of the chair.
• Flatulence and intestinal colic that do not respond to therapy.
• Anemia, rickets.
• Atopic dermatitis with elements of secondary infection.
• Frequent acute respiratory viral infections.
• Sepsis.
Diagnosis of clostridiosis
Diagnosis of clostridiosis occurs according to the following signs (patient's history):
• a high connection between the development of the disease and the use of antibacterial drugs;
• in most cases, the disease affects young children;
• clostridiosis is characterized by an acute onset;
• severe fever;
• signs of severe intoxication are characteristic;
• symptoms of colitis.
Laboratory diagnostics:
• clostridia in the feces in a child are detected by bacteriological examination (crops on selective nutrient media):
• an endoscopic examination is prescribed;
• in some cases, a biopsy of the mucous membrane is indicated;
• computed tomography allows you to determine the presence of thickening and swelling of the colon wall.
Clostridia: treatment
Before starting treatment for clostridiosis, it is important to stop taking antibiotics.
If the child has clostridia, treatment should be to restore a healthy intestinal microflora. For these purposes, prescribe drugs "Bifidumbacterin", "Lactobacterin", "Bifikol", "Hilak-forte", "Linex", etc.
Most groups of clostridia are sensitive to Vancomycin, Metronidazole. In severe forms of the disease, the patient is given infusion therapy to restore fluid loss in the body.
In all cases, treatment of clostridia in children and adults includes eubiotics, enzyme preparations (Mezim-Forte, Omez, etc.), vitamins (group B) and enterosorbents (Polysorb, Smecta, Enterosgel " and etc.).
Clostridiosis Prevention
The main preventive measure that will help to avoid infection with clostridia is the observance of sanitary and hygienic standards: regular hand washing (after walking, before eating, after visiting public places), washing and scalding vegetables and fruits with boiling water before use, prolonged heat treatment of products. In addition, it is necessary to constantly maintain a healthy intestinal microflora and the functioning of the immune system. Important: antibiotics should only be started after a doctor’s appointment.