Intestinal infection symptoms in children 3 years old. Tips for treating intestinal infections in children. Differences between a viral stomach infection and a bacterial one


Acute intestinal infections – a type of gastrointestinal disease caused by viruses or bacteria. Unfortunately, every second child on the planet faces intestinal diseases that can become a threat to his health.

They worsen in the summer, because this season is favorable for the development of pathogenic microbes. After all, it’s in the summer, kids for a long time are located on fresh air, at the same time they have a desire to have a snack on the street, forgetting about dirty hands.

The main factors for introducing infection into the intestines also include:

  • flies that carry a huge number of microbes on their legs;
  • Improper storage of food products in which microorganisms instantly multiply, thus making your food toxic.

Acute intestinal diseases can be provoked by various pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi).

Bacterial

Bacterial intestinal infections are most often caused by bacteria such as dysentery bacillus, salmonella, escherichia.

Dysentery

Often, a child gets sick in July-August. The causative agents of dysentery are Shigella, which penetrates the child’s body when drinking contaminated water, food, or simply through dirty hands.

Salmonellosis

  • Read also:

Signs adenovirus infection are detected by runny nose, conjunctivitis and loose stools , since the child’s small intestine is affected. The acute stage of the disease lasts about 2-3 days. A baby is considered contagious if 10 days have not passed since the initial symptom of infection appeared.

Infection of bacterial etiology is typical elevated temperature(up to 38C), vomiting, change in stool (stool becomes frequent with a greenish tint, sometimes with mucus and blood).

Treatment

Therapeutic therapy can be carried out both in a hospital and at home. Children are hospitalized in a hospital if a moderate or severe form of the disease is detected (with convulsions, loss of consciousness and signs of dehydration).

First aid

Parents should provide first aid to the child - call a doctor who will correctly assess the symptoms and identify the causative agent of infection. Before medical help arrives, try to lower your baby's temperature. You can wipe it weak alcohol solution, then put on cotton socks. There is no need to wrap the little ones in a warm blanket, just cover them with a sheet.

  • Be sure to read:

If the baby does not have gag reflexes, you can give an antipyretic based on Ibuprofen or Paracetamol. An antipyretic suppository is used if there is no diarrhea.

It is allowed to use enterosorbents(if you follow the instructions) - medications that bind toxins and remove them from the body:

  • Smecta;
  • Enterosgel.

Rehydration

Rehydration (soldering) – restoration of fluids and minerals after vomiting and diarrhea. As soon as you notice signs of dehydration in your baby, start dehydration. Many parents believe that he should be given as much water as he wants. You can drink in small portions (5-15 ml) from a spoon.

A portion one year old baby– 1 teaspoon at a time, toddlers from 1 to 3 years can be given 2 teaspoons, and older children can drink a tablespoon at a time. The proportion per day should be 100 ml per 1 kg of baby’s weight - this is the required rate of fluid intake.

In case of need for rehydration, parents' first aid kit should contain the following solutions:

  • Oralit;
  • Glucosalan.
  • ready-made carrot-rice broth, which is available in the pharmacy chain.

  • Be sure to read:

If it is not possible to purchase medicine, prepare a decoction of rice or raisins, or simply use boiled water. It is forbidden to give your child sweet liquids (sweet tea, carbonated water, etc.)

If, after all the above procedures, restoration of the normal state is not observed, they resort to hospitalization. IN inpatient conditions special solutions are infused intravenously. When restoration and stabilization of the functioning of the body has occurred, they then return to soldering.

Antibiotics

Since, basically, the antibiotic acts in wide range, that is, it affects all pathogenic microbes and kills intestinal microflora. In no case, do not use dietary supplements, all kinds of herbs and grandma’s recipes, especially antibiotics, without the advice of a doctor!

All medications, excluding sorbents, are prescribed only by a doctor. When talking with parents about examining the baby, he will correctly determine the source of infection and prescribe therapy. You should not use the experience of your neighbors whose baby suffered from a similar disease, much less add the antibiotic that was recommended to you to the treatment list!

An antibiotic is not prescribed for mild and moderate forms of intestinal infection, only for invasive diarrhea:

  • typhoid fever;
  • dysentery;
  • salmonellosis;
  • campylobacteriosis;
  • enteroinvasive escherchiosis.

The largest group of antibacterial agents are beta-lactams. It is effective to use an antibiotic that is resistant to beta-lactamases. These drugs include:

  • sulbactam (+ beta-lactamase inhibitor);
  • augmentin (+ clavulanic acid);
  • 3rd generation cephalosporins.

  • Interesting to know:

An antibiotic of the aminoglycoside group is prescribed for severe and septic forms of acute intestinal diseases. Netromycin is also most often recommended, but these drugs are characterized by side effects.

If treatment is repeated antibacterial drug, which was used before, then resistant strains of microorganisms arise. Therefore, a reserve antibiotic is prescribed (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, pefloxacin, ofloxacin).

IN medical practice use a fluoroquinol antibiotic if there is no result from previous treatment for a long time. Also recommended are nitrofuran antibiotic, nevigramon, kanamycin monosulfate.

Diet

Medical nutrition is one of the main components in the treatment of intestinal diseases. The diet is aimed at restoring the functioning of the digestive tract processes. The diet should exclude “hunger” and “water-tea breaks”, since in severe cases of infection, digestive functions remain, and a “starvation diet” weakens the immune system.

The diet should be designed taking into account the following requirements:

  • food should be easily digestible and varied;
  • the menu should consist of boiled, steamed and pureed products;
  • the diet excludes fats, carbohydrates, calories and table salt from the diet;
  • you need a diet rich in protein;
  • the diet includes low- and lactose-free products, a fermented milk menu enriched with bifidobacteria;
  • food should be reduced in quantity by 15-20% when primary symptoms appear;
  • food is prescribed in 5 or 6 doses.

The diet prohibits the consumption of sour berries and fruits, juices, raw vegetables, butter and vegetable oils. The diet does not include whole milk. Meals at acute course infection consists of dairy products. When the consequences disappear, the diet allows the use of cottage cheese, meat, lean fish and steam omelet.

The diet for the baby’s recovery includes the consumption of fruits and vegetables (apples, carrots and potatoes). Infant nutrition consists of mother's milk up to 10 times a day (50 ml every 2 hours). The diet is prescribed by the doctor taking into account the child’s age and the severity of the disease.

Prevention

Intestinal infection in children - a problem that can be avoided. Indeed, in 90% of cases of illness, the cause is the consequences of parents’ failure to comply with basic hygiene standards and improper supervision of the child. It's very simple - keep yourself and your baby clean and tidy. These preventive measures will help you keep your family healthy!

The child complains of abdominal pain, is lethargic, inactive, suffers from nausea and frequent bowel movements. These are suspicious symptoms. Ring the bells - a possibility has arisen.

Adults and children are affected by the disease. Intestinal infection in children is caused by bacteria that, when ingested, affect the esophagus and lead to intoxication in the body. Intoxication is characterized by poisoning of the body, leading to weakening. The child’s intestines are weaker than adults and need urgent treatment.

Find out the symptoms of intestinal infection in children. The symptoms directly depend on the sources that led to the child’s infection. Options: dysentery, escherichiosis, salmonellosis, rotavirus.

  1. Dysentery – infection lasts up to 7 days. The characteristics of the disease are diarrheal syndrome with an acute onset, pronounced stool, pus, and blood.
  2. Escherichiosis - lasts 5 days. Characterized by fever due to intestinal intoxication, cough in sputum, vomiting, loose stools, pain in the lower abdomen. The condition is noticeably worsening.
  3. Salmonellosis lasts up to 2 weeks. The disease is accompanied by vomiting, pain in the stomach, liver, spleen and other organs located in the center.
  4. Rotavirus – duration 5-7 days. The first signs are vomiting, fever, intoxication. Rotavirus includes varieties: groups A, B and C.

Treatment of intestinal infection in children

It is important for people with dysentery to undergo a course of therapy of up to a week. Ideally, patients adhere to bed rest, are engaged physical therapy. Eat right and your body will recover. Eat light meals - soup, porridge, boiled chicken. Don’t forget about recovery pills; take Fthalazol 4-5 times a day before meals (up to a week).

With Escherichiosis, it is not permissible to indulge in self-medication at home. You need to go to the hospital. If you decide to treat yourself, choose a course lasting up to a week. If you are being treated with antibiotics, use Levomycetin. Use 0.5 grams 4 times a day half an hour before meals. In severe cases, the dose is increased to 1 gram at a time.

Rotavirus

The child’s lethargy during the day, low appetite, abdominal pain, nausea - you may not suspect it, but the baby may be sick with rotavirus. It is necessary to find out the symptoms and treatment methods in children.

  1. The beginning is banal - sore throat, cough, signs of inflammation of the stomach, loose stools.
  2. The baby complains of pain in the gastrointestinal tract - the first signal about the development of the disease.
  3. The child looks tired, sleepy, refuses to eat, and holds his stomach - a sign of rotavirus.

Take a course of medications. For the first type, Loperamide tablets are suitable. They will help straighten the stool by reducing the frequency and volume. The second type is better off taking Acipol - it digests food and helps absorb vitamins in the body. The third type is suitable for antigen. Helps intestinal function and the immune system fight different types of bacteria.

In the external environment, children come into contact with other children every day. You cannot prevent communication. Frequent prophylaxis will not be superfluous. If you notice signs of infection in your child, give Phosphalugel - it will help cope with the infection and prevent it.

Rotavirus is divided into types. There are 9 of them, the first three types are more common: A, B, C. The causative agent in children is group A rotavirus. It is transmitted through things, objects, and food. More often appears in autumn and winter. Infection ranks 2nd after ARVI. The virus recedes after 2-3 weeks, the mucous membrane will finally restore its functioning after 8 weeks.

Treatment of rotavirus

Stick to a strict diet until full recovery body. Eliminate dairy products, juices, drinks. Don't forget to take pills to improve bowel function. You can take Cefriaxon. Blocks the bacterial process leading to the death of unnecessary microorganisms. If the disease is not treated, the gastroenteric process will progress to the point of no return.

At rotavirus infection It’s better to undergo prevention - it begins as slight cold- rather than treating the disease later.

  1. Make sure children wash their hands. 90% of infections occur due to dirty hands, which children inevitably put into their mouths.
  2. Visit your pediatrician regularly.
  3. Get vaccinated. Injections are given to children up to one year old or one year old - no later. Vaccination – great way protection, helps to avoid disease. Not recommended for children with allergic reaction. The reason is risk anaphylactic shock. It will be more difficult to save a child than from rotavirus infection.

Important for rotavirus proper care, appropriate treatment. After complete recovery, the disease has no consequences. The main thing is to prevent the disease in time and treat it correctly. Aminocaproic acid is used for rotavirus infection.

After rotavirus, problems with the stomach and intestines may occur. Negative consequence– decreased production of esophageal enzymes. It is better not to joke with rotavirus infection - it leads to a slowdown in digestive functions, deterioration in food intake, and the death of a species of bifidobacterium. The process of fermentation and putrefaction takes place in the intestines.

White stool after rotavirus infection

After infection white feces- an unsurprising consequence. Gastroenteritis, stomach and intestinal flu, and a weakened immune system appear. Gastroenteritis is caused by E. coli and other viruses.

The appearance of white feces is caused by harmful bacteria remaining in the body. It is impossible to remove them immediately. They lighten the stool until bacteria are completely eliminated. Take probiotics right away - they will return your stool to its natural color and improve intestinal function.

If you have started treatment, do not stop - inaction is fatal. How long to treat to achieve full recovery? The exacerbation period lasts up to 5 days. It takes two to three months for complete recovery. It is recommended to take Creon. Improves digestion and helps the body fight harmful bacteria.

If your child constantly sleeps after rotavirus, do not worry - the body has suffered stress and it takes time to recover. A month and a half will pass and the child will return to an active life.

Signs of intestinal infection in a child

The disease can be recognized by intoxication of the body, temperature, headaches, mucous discharge with pus and blood. There are:

  1. Viral – mild symptoms. Characteristic headache, fever, weakness, mild diarrhea (without blood, mucus, pus).
  2. Intestinal – the infection is more complicated. Characterized by vomiting, pain in the center of the abdomen, diarrhea (with mucus, pus, blood), poor health, and loss of fluid. If there is an infection, the child will be weak and lethargic.

More often, a baby becomes infected through water, food, unwashed hands, dirty toys, and contact with children. A child with a weak immune system is susceptible to infection. The disease manifests itself in summer and autumn, when there are many factors for infection. Parents should protect the child, carefully monitor his actions so that he does not put dirty hands in his mouth, and before eating, wash his hands and the food he is going to eat.

Acute intestinal infections in children

Infection is in 2nd place after the respiratory type. Causes:

  1. Failure of a child to comply with personal hygiene rules.
  2. Eating dirty, unwashed foods.
  3. Products produced by cattle.
  4. Inadequate sanitary conditions.
  5. Stopping breastfeeding at an early age.
  6. Bacteria that are pathogens.

Acute intestinal infection in children depends on the pathogens, the method of intestinal damage, the quantitative composition of toxins, and the entry of bacterial substances into the blood. Symptoms in a child: weakness, lethargy, abdominal pain, fever.

The digestive tract consists of duodenum. Through oral cavity harmful elements enter the intestine. Saliva serves as a protective barrier, separating good substances from bad ones. But functioning is not enough to prevent a negative process. Parents need to supervise their children. If you see manifestations of the disease in a child, immediately give Ceftriaxone tablets. If medications don't help, call a doctor and get treatment in the hospital.

Don't forget about simple prevention. Maintain hygiene, store, process, and consume food correctly.

After an intestinal infection, complications are allowed, accompanied by shortness of breath, renal failure. Urine is retained in the body, which contributes to poor functioning of organs.

Cold treatments affect infections. Give your child an enema and the problem will go away. For the effectiveness of treatment, it is recommended to use the drug Remantadine. The structure of the medicine helps to restore the body faster. The drug is recommended for prevention. If you take Remantadine at an early stage, the disease may not manifest itself.

How long does it take to treat an intestinal infection?

The exacerbation passes within 3-4 days. The infection is completely eliminated from the body in a month or two. Necessary correct treatment, compliance with recommendations:

  1. Maintain personal hygiene.
  2. Drink plenty of water - 2 liters per day.
  3. Rinse vegetables and fruits before eating.
  4. Eat right:
  • Breakfast: rice or semolina porridge (with water), tea with crackers.
  • Second breakfast: compote or jelly with crackers.
  • Lunch: low-fat soup, boiled meat.
  • Afternoon snack: jelly or a glass of rosehip decoction.
  • Dinner: oatmeal with water, steamed cutlet, compote.

Anti-epidemic measures in the outbreak:

  1. Hospitalization;
  2. Burial;
  3. Insulation;
  4. Disinfection;
  5. Prevention.

Concept of wound infections

Infection occurs when germs enter a wound. The wound becomes inflamed and pus forms with a rash. The body is able to fight infections on its own. In a mild form of injury, with further sterilization of the wound, bacteria do not form pus.

The occurrence of infection depends on established factors. Microbes settle in their usual habitat. If a child gets an infection, it means he did not adhere to the rules of personal hygiene, and you did not sterilize the wound correctly. The issue may be weak immunity baby. It is advisable to periodically strengthen the immune system. Vitamins will help the child - in a couple of weeks the immune system will become stronger.

If your hand accidentally gets into water or dirt, infection is guaranteed. A fungus or rod will be found under a microscope. The worst thing is the risk of contracting tetanus in its acute form. The disease strikes nervous system, interferes with the functioning of the heart and breathing, the medical history can end sadly. Take tetanus pills and try to prevent it from appearing in the future.

Treatment of intestinal infection

  1. Children from .
  2. Infants.
  3. Children with digestive problems.
  4. Children with typhus.
  5. Children with cholera.

The child must have a diet. Infants are given non-calorie formulas. For older children, puree, vegetables (pumpkin, carrots), crackers, vegetable soup, porridge, boiled meat, yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, fruits (apples, bananas, pears, lemon) and drink plenty of water.

Drink more fluids - it helps remove unnecessary substances from the body. At feeling unwell It is advisable to use potassium permanganate. If there is increased fluid loss, it is recommended to drink 2 liters of water per day. If water does not help cleanse the body, use an enema. If it doesn't help, go to the hospital immediately.

How to treat an intestinal infection:

  1. Rehydration therapy. Used for acute dehydration. If there are no signs, do not delay prevention. Children under 2 years old can drink 100 ml. water, over 2 – 200 ml.
  2. Antibacterial therapy. Designed for infants. They treat with folk remedies, rub with herbs, and give tinctures.
  3. Assistive therapy. Normalizes the microflora of bacteria. It is recommended to use Bifidumbacterin.
  4. Diet therapy is the child’s compliance with nutrition.

Nursing process for intestinal infections

Nursing process is a term in medicine aimed at helping the patient. The process is called nursing care.

  • examination;
  • diagnostics;
  • intervention planning;
  • intervention;
  • degree of achievement, result.

Nurses care for patients, help, monitor, and fill out sick leave. More exposed to infection. To prevent infection, patients are isolated. The ward is disinfected daily, the staff goes to gauze bandages, protective clothing is used, equipment is sterilized.

In case of medical damage (skin, mucous membranes), the nurse provides assistance and informs the older nurse and the manager. For prevention, the employee observes precautionary measures. The main thing is to wear individual gloves.

The nurse makes sure that patients with symptoms of an intestinal infection and those recovering do not end up in the same room. People suffering from intestinal infections develop psychosomatic symptoms and bleeding. The patient becomes agitated and anxious. The phenomenon is similar to delusion combined with hallucinations. The differences between delusions and hallucinations: in the first case, a person lies calmly and talks in an unconscious state, in the second, visions come to him, the patient becomes insane. If a relapse occurs, the patient is brought to life with the help of narcotic drugs.

If after 6 hours the viral infection does not stop, turning into bleeding, the patient does not eat, does not drink, does not move, he is given a transfusion. If there are no complications, sitting is allowed after 10 days, and walking after 15 days. The patient can be completely cured within a month. During this time, bed rest is observed.

For a long time after cleaning and transfusion, the patient complains of lack of appetite. In a week he will be able to eat normally. Stick to it for a month special diet– light soups and porridges are recommended.

If the regime is violated, the child’s condition worsens and there is a risk fatal outcome. If you follow the tips listed above, you can be cured and protect your baby from the problem.


Rotavirus infection, or stomach flu, is a viral disease that affects the digestive tract of people of any age, but more often spreads in children's groups. Treatment of rotavirus in children does not involve specific therapy; the main thing is to avoid dehydration and severe intoxication of the body.

Rotavirus in children - how does infection occur?

A pathogen from the genus Rotavirus is responsible for more than half of cases of childhood intestinal disorders. Most often, children from 6 months to 2 years old get sick. Up to six months, the baby is still protected by specific immunity transmitted through mother's milk and in utero, after which it becomes vulnerable to infection. As a rule, a 3-year-old child has already had rotavirus at least once. Parents and family members caring for a young patient, in turn, also “catch” the infection. In any case, the source of rotavirus is a sick person or an asymptomatic carrier.

The main route of infection is fecal-oral, through dirty hands. Rotavirus actively multiplies in the mucous layer of the stomach and small intestine and stands out in external environment with feces. In children's groups, the infection spreads very quickly, causing outbreaks of acute diarrhea. The patient becomes infectious from the first days of the disease, while incubation period rotavirus in children lasts up to 5 days.

To confirm the diagnosis, the child must be shown to a pediatrician, pediatric gastroenterologist or infectious disease specialist. To clarify the picture, it is advisable to do tests for antibodies:

  • immunofluorescence microscopy;
  • immunochromatographic test.

The latter method allows for rapid analysis of stool, including at home. However, the Rota test can rarely be found in a pharmacy. Basically, test strips are supplied directly to medical institutions.

Doctors often use information about the epidemiological situation. If in kindergarten, the school where the sick child goes, cases of stomach flu have been noted, and the symptoms of the little patient correspond to the clinical picture of this infection, then rotavirus is automatically diagnosed.

Course of the disease

The acute form of rotavirus gastroenteritis is accompanied by all the signs of an intestinal infection: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, general malaise, cramping abdominal pain. The stool is watery, fetid, with a sour odor. On external examination, hyperemia of the mucous membranes of the eyes and throat is noted.

The most typical picture of rotavirus: a child gets up after a night's sleep, lethargic, without appetite, and may vomit on an empty stomach. Any food and drink are rejected by the body, after a while a painful urge to go to the toilet begins with profuse diarrhea. As for the temperature, it reaches 38 - 39 degrees and reacts poorly to taking antipyretics. Hyperthermia can last up to 5 days.

The first symptoms of rotavirus in children manifest 12 to 90 hours after interaction with the carrier. The timing of the appearance of signs depends on the child’s immunity; in addition, the individual characteristics of the body affect the development picture:

  • the disease can begin with respiratory inflammation - runny nose, dry cough, discomfort in the throat, possible conjunctivitis;
  • in the second option, after infection a clinic appears acute poisoning with abdominal pain and diarrhea;
  • Another scenario is more often observed in infants - without pronounced signs of viral intoxication, but with lethargy, refusal to eat and suspicion of intestinal colic.

Rotavirus occurs in children without fever if the body encounters this pathogen not for the first time. After viral diarrhea, immunity is formed, which does not prevent reinfection, but significantly facilitates the course of relapse.

Rotavirus gastroenteritis can be confused with food poisoning, salmonellosis and other dangerous intestinal infections. The pediatrician's task is to differentiate stomach flu from others possible reasons vomiting and diarrhea. If the illness begins according to the “cold” scenario, and the parents are treating the child for acute respiratory infections, such unpleasant consequences, like dehydration and cramps from fever. In any case, the sick person should be shown to a doctor to get the correct diagnosis and prescription.

If you suspect a rotavirus infection, you must call a pediatrician, if possible, give the child Regidron and do not try to feed him. If the baby shows interest in food, under no circumstances should you give dairy or dairy products. The exception is rotavirus in a child 1 year or younger. A breastfed baby can be put to the breast at any time. It is better to feed artificial animals with a lactose-free mixture.

The duration of the disease from the moment the first symptoms appear is 4–7 days. Rotavirus in children ends on their own with complete recovery, and no specific therapy is used. The main danger of infection is dehydration due to severe diarrhea and vomiting. The second alarming point is temperature. You should try to reduce it to an acceptable level.

Symptomatic treatment for rotavirus includes:

  • rehydration;
  • anesthesia;
  • diet;
  • enterosorption;
  • drug support for digestion.

Fighting dehydration

Rehydration is the basis of treatment for intestinal flu. Vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, heat, rejection of food by the stomach - all this causes loss of fluid, and with it - vital salts and nutrients. What baby body expelled with multiple stools, vomit and sweat, must be replenished with an appropriate volume of water. Additional fluid is required to flush out viral toxins through the kidneys and pores and for normal body function.

The required volume of water depends on the age and weight of the baby. To begin with, you need to give 1 small spoon of liquid, and if it has been absorbed, switch to dessert spoons and feed the baby every 10 to 20 minutes. A child of conscious age is quite capable of drinking in large portions if it does not make him vomit.

For rehydration, there are special solutions - Regidron, Oralit, Humana electrolyte and analogues, which are prepared in the proportion of 1 packet of powder per liter of water (check the instructions for the method of use by children of different ages). In the absence of drugs, the following are suitable:

  • warm still water;
  • weak dried fruit compote;
  • chamomile tea;
  • rice water

If the child vomits from any amount of water, you will have to go to the hospital and administer fluid through an IV. They act similarly for too frequent diarrhea and uncontrollable vomiting.

Temperature reduction

A high temperature is a sign that the body is fighting an infection. But if it rises above 38.6, it needs to be brought down. In children under 6 years of age, severe hyperthermia can result in convulsions.

As for antipyretics, children can be given syrup with ibuprofen (Nurofen) or insert a rectal suppository (Cefekon, Efferalgan). Suppositories are used every 2 hours with temperature control - it is not necessary to drop below 38, otherwise the virus will not die. Under no circumstances should you use aspirin-based medications. For temperatures above 39, paracetamol-based tablets or syrup will help.

You can reduce the heat and folk ways: Wipe with water or a weak solution of alcohol. But if there is no result, it is better not to risk it and use pharmacology. When the baby has a fever, do not wrap or cover with a warm blanket.

Pain relief

If a child has rotavirus and has a stomach ache, cramping attacks can be alleviated with the help of antispasmodics. Usually every mother has No-shpa tablets; they are suitable for easing painful intestinal spasms. The medicine should be given to the child in an age-appropriate dosage.

If possible, it is advisable to purchase the drug Ribal. This is an antispasmodic, designed specifically to relieve gastrointestinal pain. Among its indications are colic in infants, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating - exactly those problems that accompany rotavirus infection. It blocks intestinal receptors responsible for pain syndrome, and reduces gagging.

A child over 6 years old can be given medicine in the form of tablets: 1 three times a day, adolescents (from 12 years old) - 1 - 2 per dose. For the youngest, the drug is available in the form of syrup, the daily dosage is divided into 3 times:

  • newborns – 6 mg;
  • from 3 to 6 months – 6 – 12 mg;
  • from six months to one year – 12 mg;
  • from 1 to 2 years – 30 mg;
  • rotavirus in a child 2 years of age and older – 30 – 60 mg.

This painkiller can be taken throughout the entire period of illness, on average about a week.

Diet restrictions

In addition to dairy foods, meat, all fatty, fried, sour, and spicy foods are excluded from the diet of a sick child. The basis of the diet is, mashed potatoes without milk, you can add butter; chicken broth. For dessert, bananas, biscuits, crackers, and bread straws are allowed. To drink – jelly, fruit juice, dried fruit compote with a minimum of sugar.

For bottle-fed babies, the regular formula is replaced with a lactose-free one (Nan, Nestozhen with appropriate labeling).

The diet after rotavirus in children continues for at least another 10 days. New dishes are introduced carefully and gradually: protein omelet, vegetable soup, baked cheesecakes. It’s worth the wait to add whole milk, fresh vegetables and fruits, flour products, gluten grains, sweets, and legumes to your diet. All these products create additional stress on the pancreas, increase intestinal motility and gas formation, and provoke the proliferation of pathogenic flora.

Detoxification

With rotavirus, they play a dual role: they help the intestines quickly get rid of pathogens that have invaded the mucous membrane and adsorb toxic substances from the blood. Sorbents for gastroenteritis are an essential part of treatment. They are harmless for children of any age. Any of the drugs will do:

  • Enterosgel;
  • Polysorb;
  • Activated carbon;
  • White coal;
  • Atoxyl.

The only thing parents need to pay attention to is not to overdo the dosage and space out the intake of absorbers with other medications.

Digestion Aid

With rotavirus infection, the patient has a deficiency of digestive enzymes. However, in the first days of the disease, the child should not be given enzyme preparations. They include proteases, which help the virus penetrate the intestinal mucosa. But after the acute phase, Mezim-Forte, Creon and other digestive medications will help to establish the digestion process that is disrupted by the stomach flu.

For normalization intestinal microflora and stopping diarrhea, probiotics are recommended - preparations containing beneficial lacto- and bifidobacteria. These medications should be included in therapy on the 3rd day of illness. They are easy to use even for newborns and are completely harmless. The choice of probiotics for children is wide:

  • Baktisubtil;
  • Bifidumbacterin;
  • Acipol;
  • Lactobacterin and others.

After recovery, continue taking medications for dysbiosis.

Antiviral therapy

How to treat rotavirus in a child antiviral agents and intestinal antiseptics, and whether this should be done, only a doctor should decide. Antibiotics against this pathogen are useless, but in some cases Enterofuril, Nifuroxazide, Enterol are prescribed if there is doubt about the diagnosis and there is a risk of a bacterial infection.

There is no antiviral drug that would destroy intestinal flu. For support protective system The body can use immunomodulating and immunostimulating agents:

  • Interferon;
  • Lycopid;
  • Viferon;
  • Cycloferon;
  • Kipferon;

It is preferable to administer interferons in the form of rectal suppositories to activate local immunity in the intestines. Course – 5 days.

Prognosis of the course of rotavirus infection in children

Every person experiences viral diarrhea at least once in their life. The peak incidence occurs in children aged six months to 2 years, and it is for this category of patients that rotavirus poses the greatest danger. Babies quickly develop critical dehydration, and infants experience neurological consequences as a result of high fever. What does this mean:

  1. Loss of fluid leads to a drop in blood pressure, pulse, convulsions, the child may develop a coma, and death is possible.
  2. Water deficiency causes blood thickening, which impairs the functioning of the cardiovascular organs and lungs. Pneumonia is one of the most frequent complications intestinal infection.
  3. A drop in sugar levels in the body provokes the production of acetone. Ketone bodies are detected in the blood and urine, which have a toxic effect on the child’s brain.
  4. Failure to follow a diet during illness can result in pancreatitis.

If you follow the rotavirus treatment regimen correctly, the patient feels better already on days 2–3, risk dangerous consequences decreases. It is not necessary to hospitalize a child if the parents cope well with the temperature and manage to give the baby water. If any alarming signals appear - convulsions, fever below 40 degrees, streaks of blood in the stool, lack of urination, vomiting when trying to give water - an ambulance is immediately required.

After recovery, the child develops immunity, which makes the disease less severe and dangerous the next time it is infected. A person can get sick in his lifetime stomach flu unlimited number of times. Antibodies to the pathogen last up to 6 months, but during this time there is still a chance of becoming infected with another strain.

Prevention

Rotavirus in children, as well as in adults, is considered a disease of dirty hands. Careful hygiene, washing after going outside and in public places, disinfecting toys, linen, and dishes help destroy the causative agent of the disease. But in cases of close contact with a carrier in a family or group of children, these measures do not always save. According to statistics, the appearance of one sick person in a group in 90% of cases leads to an epidemic of infectious diarrhea.

The only truly reliable method of prevention today is vaccination with Rota Tek and Rotarix. These are drops for oral administration. The famous doctor Komarovsky, in a program about the treatment of rotavirus in children, gives the following figures for the effectiveness of vaccinations:

  • protection against infection – 70 – 80%;
  • prevention of severe forms of rotavirus – 95 – 100%.

However, it makes sense to vaccinate up to 6, or, in extreme cases, eight months, when the antibodies received by the newborn from the mother lose their protective power. The drugs are dripped twice, not earlier than the baby is 1.5 months old, with an interval of at least 40 days. After 2 years, the infection is no longer so dangerous, and when the disease reoccurs, it is much easier. After the initial entry of rotavirus into the body, vaccinations are completely useless.

To prevent infection of others, the patient must be isolated and given strict by individual means hygiene, dishes, household items. The room must be ventilated, washed with antiseptics, and, if possible, quartzed. Children's clothing, linen, and towels must be boiled, and other items must be disinfected.

In addition to public places and child care facilities, the risk of “catching” rotavirus increases in the summer and when traveling to a humid, hot climate. During these periods:

  1. Hands should be washed with soap more often, and it is advisable to treat them with an antiseptic, special wipes and sprays.
  2. Never drink from the tap. Use exclusively bottled water for food, brushing teeth, and washing fruits.
  3. Food prepared outside, perishable, stored without refrigeration is not for children.

In the apartment where he lives Small child, you should definitely have a first aid kit with Regidron, antipyretics and enterosorbents - these medicines will keep the baby alive and healthy in case of rotavirus.

Intestinal infections are common in children. Symptoms and treatment should not be treated without medical supervision, as children quickly become dehydrated.

One of current problems In pediatrics, for many years there has been an intestinal infection in children, the symptoms and treatment of which should be known to every parent. After ARVI, infections affecting gastrointestinal tract(Gastrointestinal tract), occupy one of the leading positions in the structure of morbidity among children.

All acute intestinal infections (acute intestinal infections) are characterized as intoxication with elevated body temperature, damage to the gastrointestinal tract and the development of dehydration (dehydration) due to pathological fluid loss.

In children, intestinal infections are mostly acute diseases infectious nature, which and/or viruses. Susceptibility to pathogens of acute intestinal infections in childhood significantly higher (2.5–3 times) than in adults.

Every year, sporadic outbreaks are recorded that provoke intestinal infections. The high likelihood of OCI in a child is explained by the immaturity of protective mechanisms, unstable microbial flora in babies (especially premature babies), frequent contacts in closed groups (kindergartens, nurseries, schools), and neglect of hygiene.

The variety of pathogens that cause intestinal infections in childhood determines a large number of clinical signs and treatment methods that use tablets, solutions, syrups, suppositories. All this dictates the need for every parent to understand this topic in more detail.

Symptoms of intestinal infections in childhood

Any OCI is accompanied by fever, poor general health, diarrhea and vomiting. Loss of water as a result of these disease manifestations can lead to severe dehydration. High lack of fluid in the body small child to this day is the cause of death from intestinal infections. There are many microbes that can cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract; the main diseases to which they contribute are discussed below.

Dysentery

This intestinal infection is caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella (shigellosis). The pathogen enters the child’s body from unwashed hands, household items and toys. The frequency of occurrence in the pediatric population is quite high.

The characteristic features of dysentery are as follows:

  • the incubation period of the pathogen (time from infection to the appearance of the clinic) is 1–7 days;
  • high fever (up to 40°C);
  • severe intoxication (weakness, chills, lack of appetite, headaches);
  • at severe course loss of consciousness and convulsions, delirium are possible;
  • vomiting is a variable symptom;
  • the pain is cramping and localized in the lower abdomen;
  • frequency of bowel movements per day from 4 to 20 times;
  • tenesmus (false urge to defecate);
  • stool of a liquid consistency, with cloudy mucus, streaks of blood;
  • As the disease progresses, stool becomes scanty and takes on the appearance of “rectal spit.”

Salmonellosis

This disease affects children of any age; its most dangerous occurrence is in infants. Infection with salmonella is possible through consumption of milk, meat, eggs, or through contact with objects contaminated with the feces of a sick person (furniture, toys, towels, pots).


The main clinical manifestations of salmonellosis are different.

  1. It begins acutely with the appearance of a feverish state.
  2. Vomiting can be repeated.
  3. Rumbling in the right iliac region.
  4. The pain is localized depending on the level of the pathological process, in any part of the abdomen.
  5. When the stomach is damaged, gastritis develops, small intestine– enteritis, colonic – colitis, there may be a combination of these forms.
  6. Severe intoxication.
  7. Reactive enlargement of the liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly).
  8. Feces are liquid, with mucus, greens, sometimes streaked with blood, watery (like “swamp mud”, “frog spawn”).

Escherichiosis

A group of infections that are caused various types coli. It occurs more often in children under the first 3 years of age. The incidence of this infection increases in the summer. The following types of escherichiosis are distinguished (depending on microbiological properties): enteropathogenic, enterotoxic and enteroinvasive.

Symptoms characteristic of infections caused by coli, such:

  • intoxication syndrome (decreased appetite, lethargy, headache, weakness);
  • fever up to febrile levels;
  • vomiting is not repeated, but persistent, in infants - regurgitation;
  • severe bloating;
  • watery diarrhea;
  • stool yellow-orange, sputtering, with mucus - hallmark Escherichiosis;
  • dehydration (exicosis), which is very difficult to treat.

Clinical manifestations that indicate the development of exicosis:

  • dry skin, visible mucous membranes (the spatula sticks to the tongue);
  • sunken and dry eyes;
  • crying without tears;
  • decrease in tissue turgor (elasticity), skin elasticity;
  • the large fontanel in infants sinks;
  • diuresis (urine output) decreases.

Rotavirus infection

A viral infection that occurs more often in winter period. It is transmitted by consuming contaminated dairy products, water, or contact with sick people.


The symptoms caused by rotavirus intestinal infection in children are as follows:

  • the incubation period lasts 1–3 days;
  • severe intoxication syndrome and fever;
  • the disease occurs in the form of gastroenteritis;
  • catarrhal phenomena (hyperemia of the pharynx tissue, runny nose, sore throat);
  • repeated vomiting is a mandatory symptom of rotavirus;
  • the stool is watery and foamy and persists for a long time during treatment;
  • the frequency of bowel movements reaches 15 per day.

Treatment of acute intestinal infections in childhood

As usual, children should begin with routine activities and organizing treatment table. Medications(tablets, suppositories, solutions, suspensions) and the routes of their administration into the body are selected depending on the age and severity of the condition.

At mild form During the course of the disease, treatment should begin with the establishment of semi-bed rest, for moderate cases - bed rest, and with the development of dehydration - strict bed rest for the entire period while rehydration (replenishment of lost fluid) continues.

The child's nutrition is based on a dairy-vegetable diet, with the exception of rotavirus infection, where the consumption of milk is prohibited.

The portions are small, the frequency of meals increases up to 6 times. The food is mechanically and chemically gentle. Infants should receive mother's milk or an adapted milk formula (preferably lactose-free). Complementary foods are not introduced during illness.

It is very important to give your child water to prevent dehydration. Drinking should be plentiful, at a temperature close to body temperature. You need to offer liquid in small sips (a teaspoon), often. It is important not to give large volumes at once, as this will lead to overdistension of the stomach and provoke vomiting. You can drink sweet, weak tea, compote, raisin decoction, or slightly alkaline mineral water without gas.

Main directions drug therapy OKI.

  1. Rehydration (oral - through the mouth) with glucose-saline solutions (Regidron, Citroglucosolan, Gidrovit) should begin with the appearance of the first symptoms.
  2. with an established bacterial pathogen (Ampicillin, Ceftriaxone, Gentamicin, Erythromycin).
  3. Enterosorbents – enveloping the intestinal mucosa and removing toxic substances and pathogenic microbes from feces(Smecta, Enterosgel, Polyphepan). These drugs, along with rehydration, should occupy the bulk of treatment.
  4. At high temperatures, antipyretic drugs are necessarily prescribed for any indicator, since fever contributes to even greater fluid loss (syrup and suppositories with ibuprofen can be alternated with Paracetamol).
  5. Antispasmodic therapy is designed to relieve spasm from the smooth muscles of the intestine and relieve pain (No-shpa, Papaverine suppositories for children older than six months).
  6. A complex product containing immunoglobulin and interferon - Kipferon suppositories for children.


The effectiveness of treatment measures determines how many days the illness lasts and how quickly the symptoms go away. In children, treatment should be comprehensive and carried out under the supervision of a doctor, especially in children in the first years of life.

Causes of OKI in children

All children's intestinal infections are highly contagious and, if they enter the baby's body, are likely to cause pathological processes. But there are still predisposing factors that increase the child’s chances of getting sick, these are:

  • chronic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract that a child may suffer from;
  • reduction of local and general protective forces;
  • prematurity (determines susceptibility to infections);
  • lack of breastfeeding;
  • lack of care and poor hygiene skills;
  • intestinal dysbiosis;
  • visiting places where there are large concentrations of children.

The main causes of ACI in childhood are presented below.

  1. Gram-negative enterobacteria - affecting the gastrointestinal tract (Shigella, Campylobacter, Escherichia, Salmonella, Yersinia).
  2. Opportunistic flora that lives in the intestines and disease-causing only when the balance of the intestinal biocenosis is disturbed (Klebsiella, Proteus and staphylococci, clostridium).
  3. Viral agents (rota-, entero-, adenoviruses).
  4. Protozoa (giardia, coccidia, amoeba).
  5. Fungal pathogens (candida, aspergillus).

Carriers and excretors of pathogens of intestinal infections can be: domestic animals, insects (flies, cockroaches), a sick person with an erased form of the disease or with obvious signs of the disease.

Harmful microbes can enter a child’s body through fecal-oral (the infectious agent enters through water, food, unwashed hands) and contact-household (use of contaminated dishes, household items, toys) routes.

In childhood, endogenous (internal) infection often occurs with opportunistic bacteria, which are typical representatives of intestinal microbiocenosis.

Any illness of a child is a serious cause for concern for parents. If you experience symptoms indicating damage to the gastrointestinal tract, you should definitely consult a doctor. Only by establishing the correct cause of the disease can treatment begin effectively. Therapy should continue until the symptoms causing dehydration begin to subside.

All food and water that people consume, unfortunately, are very far from sterile. Every day and every hour, billions of different bacteria enter our bodies. Nothing bad happens from this, because nature came up with effective ways neutralization of microbes. “Good” bacteria, saliva with bactericidal properties, and poisonous gastric juice do not allow foreigners to take root in the body and destroy it.

But a child’s body is very delicate and receptive, so miracles do not always happen to him. Unfortunately, says Dr. Komarovsky, intestinal infections happen to children with almost the same frequency as ARVI. What should parents do if they suspect their toddler has an intestinal infection, and are there ways to prevent dangerous infection? Let's try to figure this out.

Cause of intestinal infection

There is not a single person who has never caught an intestinal infection. This is so because there are many ways to neutralize a huge amount of the body's defenses: neutralizing an acidic drink with an alkaline drink gastric juice, destroying your own microbes with antibiotics, swallowing food without chewing it and many others.

Still, these pests get into the body quite often, says Dr. Komarovsky. Intestinal infections are really not necessary for an adult, much less a child. Their main reason was, is and will be non-compliance with the simplest hygiene standards: unwashed hands, improper storage of food, flocks of flies flying between the toilet and the dining table. No matter how magnificent the protective powers the human body in general and the baby in particular possess, there will always be microbes that are impossible to neutralize.

An intestinal infection in any family member is a huge alarm signal for everyone else. The patient needs separate dishes, and the rest need to wash their hands more often, organize perfect cleanliness, all dishes should be boiled, sparing no disinfectants.

The main principle of helping with an intestinal infection is to replenish the loss of salts and fluids as quickly as possible. Dried fruit compote and green tea will do.

Pathogens of infections

Like many others, intestinal infections in babies can be viral and bacterial. From their name it is clear that the difference is in the nature of the pathogen. Among the huge number of infections in children, the most common is rotavirus.

In addition, there are also the most common infections in children: dysentery, enterovirus and salmonellosis.

Every year (according to WHO statistics), about 2 million children under the age of 5 die from a disease called intestinal infection in children. Komarovsky believes that if all the necessary measures were taken, this figure would be much lower.

Self-medication or professional experience?

But parents should not be scared and despair. Etarotavirus intestinal infection is not the worst thing that can happen to their baby. Komarovsky claims that over 90 percent of all cases of infection can be overcome without the use of special medications. But the remaining 10% are the most insidious and terrible. This is exactly the case when self-medication should under no circumstances be used! The most important thing in this situation is to bring the baby to infectious disease specialists as soon as possible.

Indications for calling a doctor

Urgent doctor's help is needed when the following symptoms your child:

  • there are blood clots in the baby’s vomit or stool;
  • it is impossible to give a child something to drink - he either spits up water or cannot swallow it;
  • present obvious signs dehydration - “dry” tongue, the baby has not peed for the last 5-6 hours, there is dry skin and mucous membranes, no sweat and tears;
  • a rash appeared on the child’s body;
  • the baby complains of a headache;
  • body temperature rises sharply and strongly;
  • with diarrhea or vomiting, parents can see that the baby's skin is quite pale and he is very chilly.

Signs and symptoms of intestinal infection in babies

All of the above signs and symptoms describe a situation in which an intestinal infection in children (Komarovsky states this with full responsibility) has already acquired a fairly severe or even deadly form. Fortunately, such situations are not common.

Most cases of infection are usually expressed by several universal symptoms:

  • the baby refuses to eat;
  • there is vomiting or diarrhea;
  • body temperature rises slightly;
  • the baby is drowsy, lethargic and pale.

Who brings the infection to the body?

Not in all cases, intestinal infection in children is terrible and dangerous. Treatment (Komarovsky is convinced of this from the height of his professional experience) must be timely and accurate.

Causative agents of intestinal infections include bacteria (Vibrio cholera, typhoid bacillus, staphylococcus) and some viruses. They can easily multiply in the intestines and lead to disruption of the digestive process. They will contribute to inflammation of all cells of the intestinal mucosa. A common and characteristic consequence of these processes is diarrhea as the main symptom in a situation where Komarovsky is observed. Komarovsky explains that initially the very concept of a disease acquired through infection varies. For a person not versed in medical terms, diarrhea is a guarantee of the presence of infection in the body. For the doctor, it is not the symptoms themselves that are important, but the routes of infection.

Some symptoms are not yet a disease

“Any disease in babies that is transmitted through the mouth (the so-called fecal-oral route of infection) shows what an intestinal infection is in an infant” (Komarovsky). Most clear example- Botkin's disease. The virus penetrates the gastrointestinal tract, in most cases there is no diarrhea, and the liver is affected. That's why you don't need to focus only on diarrhea. After all, there are also other signs of illness - pain in the baby’s tummy, high body temperature, nausea and vomiting, no appetite, the child is weak. Such signs are quite common, but they do not always indicate that there is an intestinal infection in children. Symptoms and treatment (Komarovsky, as a representative of a clan of talented doctors, is convinced that the result will be much better than before the parents went to the doctor) should be: the first - well studied, and the second - applied according to the doctor’s instructions.

Dehydration of a child's body

Only a small part of diseases called “intestinal infections”, treatment (Komarovsky, as a doctor with many years of experience, is convinced of this) which does not require any thought, should be carried out with antibiotics. And the rest pass without such intervention, accompanied by the baby’s immune system. After a few days, she begins to develop the necessary protection against this disease. The main task of any baby is to survive these few days. And the most dangerous risk for a child during this period is the most common dehydration, says Dr. Komarovsky. Intestinal infections cause fluid to leave the body during diarrhea or vomiting. That's why it's so important to renew it.

If mom and dad know exactly how to protect their child’s body from dehydration, then their little one will not be afraid of any intestinal infection.

Features in babies: high fever and antibiotics

Intestinal infection in children - symptoms, treatment (Komarovsky dwelled on this point in detail in his broadcasts) if a situation arises - must first be identified in time, and then eliminated with the help of correctly prescribed drugs.

It is usually believed that if a baby’s body temperature is about 38 o C, then it does not need to be brought down (the body fights itself). But according to Dr. Komarovsky, intestinal infections are a dangerous thing, so lowering the temperature is not only possible, but also necessary. This follows from the fact that heat removes huge reserves of fluid from the body, and it is dehydration during an intestinal infection that is especially dangerous for children.

The toddler (if the body temperature has risen) should be given an antipyretic drug to avoid dehydration and intoxication. You should constantly give your baby something to drink.

Parents, remember: the higher the baby’s body temperature during an intestinal infection, the more he needs to drink!

It has already been said that only a small percentage of intestinal infections require the use of antimicrobial agents to be cured. And the use of any antibiotics in this case is strictly regulated by WHO.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, the intestinal thing is dangerous, but not fatal. You just need to follow all the doctor’s recommendations and not self-medicate. Antibiotics can be used in cases of diarrhea that has lasted for several days, hemocolitis (when there is blood in the stool or vomit) and in severe forms of cholera. Only in these cases is the use of antibiotics for children justified and quite effective.

Treatment of intestinal infections in children: sorbents

Indeed, there is some reason for using sorbents for intestinal infections in children. They can absorb poisons, toxins and other harmful substances inside the gastrointestinal tract, will relieve excess gases. Practicing pediatricians are convinced that, to some extent, sorbents protect the child’s body from dehydration and intoxication. No one has yet been able to prove that the use of such means poses a threat to the child.

Baby's food after getting rid of an intestinal infection

So, what is the diet after an intestinal infection? Komarovsky recalls that during the illness the baby developed a temporary condition. After the illness, it does not last long. It is important to take this into account when creating your baby’s menu.

In the first days after illness, it is necessary to restrain the appetite of the recovering child.

It often happens that after the recovery phase begins, the baby’s condition improves and his appetite returns. So parents (especially grandmothers) are happy to try - they put everything tasty on the table - fatter and thicker. But purely physiologically, the child’s body is not yet ready for such excesses: he does not yet have the enzymes that would digest all this deliciousness.

You should not feed him “heavy” and fatty foods. It is better to extend the therapeutic diet longer, which includes vegetable soups, cereal porridge with water, cookies, and fruit puree. This is only for 5-7 days until enzyme activity is restored.

The child’s diet after an intestinal infection must be followed. Komarovsky advises that you can do it differently: give the recovering baby special enzymes for some time. Although many pediatricians believe that an extended diet is better than “feeding” pharmaceutical enzymes to the child.

Health to you and your children!