Causes of bacillary dysentery in infants

For infants, their stomachs and intestines are relatively weak. If they do not pay attention to their diet or catch a cold, their health may be damaged. If they are infected with bacteria at this time, it may cause bacillary dysentery, which is relatively harmful to the health of children. Especially in recent years, the incidence of bacillary dysentery in infants and young children is very high. On the one hand, we need to strengthen prevention, and on the other hand, if an illness occurs, timely treatment should be provided.

1. The age of onset is getting younger and younger. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend of bacillary dysentery in infants and young children. This is because the diet of infants and young children has become more diversified, and some babies have been given complementary foods too early and with too many varieties. For example, parents start feeding their babies watermelon juice, applesauce, etc. to babies who have just turned one month old. Some parents also feed their babies fish, shrimp, meat floss, etc. too early. These foods can easily be contaminated by pathogens during storage and feeding, thus increasing the chance of infection.

2. The disease season is no longer limited to summer and autumn. At present, bacillary dysentery can be seen almost all year round, and even in winter, it is not uncommon for infants to have bacillary dysentery. This is because in recent years, fruits, fish, shrimp and other foods can be eaten all year round. It is not uncommon for infants and young children to be infected with bacillary dysentery after eating watermelon in winter.

3. Bacillary dysentery in children can easily be confused with common diarrhea. The younger the age, the more atypical the clinical symptoms. At the beginning, the stool is mostly watery, often accompanied by vomiting, and then the frequency of bowel movements increases, but the stool volume decreases, becomes sticky, and contains mucus. Children with recurrent illnesses may also experience rectal prolapse. If stool tests are not done, it is easy to miss the diagnosis or misdiagnose. Therefore, it is best for parents to keep some stool before seeing a doctor and take it to the hospital for examination within 2 hours.

5. Water and electrolyte imbalance and poisoning symptoms are likely to occur. The intestinal wall of children is thinner than that of adults, but rich in blood vessels. Once the intestines are infected, it is more likely to lead to dehydration and absorption of toxins, resulting in high fever, convulsions, mental disorders, and even toxic dysentery, which is life-threatening. Therefore, bacillary dysentery in children must be treated early and never be taken lightly.

6. Children have difficulty taking medication and often fail to adhere to a sufficient course of treatment. Many drugs that are effective in adults, such as sulfonamides (cotrimoxazole), quinolones (such as norfloxacin), and aminoglycosides (gentamicin, kanamycin), are not suitable for children. The third-generation cephalosporin (such as Juncet) has a good effect when injected intravenously, but is often rejected by children and parents due to the fear caused by intravenous infusion.

1. Isolate the sick child and treat him under the guidance of a doctor.

2. The air in the ward should be fresh and the child's clothes should be washed and dried immediately.

3. Rest in bed and take medicine as instructed by the doctor. The treatment must be thorough. After the symptoms disappear, do not stop taking the medicine without the doctor's instructions to avoid recurrence of dysentery or transformation into chronic dysentery.

4. When the child has a high fever, he or she should take some antipyretics under the guidance of a doctor. When the fever exceeds 39.5℃, physical cooling measures should be taken.

5. Let the child drink more water, preferably some sugar and salt water, and eat some easily digestible food.

6. Closely observe the changes in the child's condition. If the child is found to be listless, pale, and has cold limbs, it may be toxic dysentery and should be treated by a doctor immediately.