Salmonellosis in children is a deadly disease. Salmonellosis in children is the most dangerous summer disease

Reading time: 6 minutes

If signs of a disease called salmonellosis appear, the symptoms in children progress rapidly, and a chronic pathology occurs. It is necessary to act immediately and treat little patient will be admitted to the infectious diseases hospital. In a weakened body, dehydration develops; mandatory intake of antibiotics is necessary to destroy pathogenic flora. If signs of salmonellosis appear in a child, it is important to understand that this is a dangerous infectious disease and requires urgent treatment.

What is salmonellosis in children

The disease is caused by Salmonella bacteria, which penetrate the child’s body and provoke symptoms of dehydration and intoxication. In infants, salmonellosis occurs with septicemia; in older children it develops as typhus. Carriers of infection are contaminated food and animals. Bacteria are resistant to environment, immune to low temperatures, the effect of certain antibiotics. Dies pathogenic flora when boiling and after using disinfectants. The patient is under medical supervision until complete recovery.

Symptoms of salmonellosis in children

After diagnosing salmonellosis and determining the specific form of the characteristic disease, it is necessary to promptly begin intensive therapy. The incubation period of salmonellosis in children lasts from several hours to 5 days, after which the child is bothered by severe symptoms of intoxication and reduces the quality of life. The intestinal tract is especially affected, and the stomach hurts greatly. Other symptoms are:

persistent fever (up to 5-7 days);
diarrhea with liquid feces greenish tint and foul odor;
dryness of mucous membranes and skin.

Gastrointestinal form

At intestinal infections and progressive salmonellosis, the gastrointestinal form is considered the most common, which in patients over 2 years of age occurs in the form of gastritis or gastroenteritis. The child’s main complaint is a stomach ache, fever, and frequent vomiting. There are also other changes in the general well-being of the patient:

diarrhea develops, where particles come out in the stool undigested food;
there is a dry tongue on which a white coating is visible;
spasmodic pain in the abdominal area;
moderate flatulence in acute intestinal disorders.

Typhoid-like form

This type of illness occurs more often in older children and is not accompanied by symptoms of intoxication. When studying the clinical picture, it is possible to confuse this diagnosis with typhus, so the diagnosis is often complicated, and treatment begins untimely. After extensive intestinal damage characteristic manifestations salmonellosis are presented below:

regular migraine attacks;
temperature fluctuations;
enlarged spleen and liver;
chronic insomnia;
the appearance of a hemorrhagic rash;
weakness and lethargy;
capricious behavior.

Septic form

Newborns and infants suffer from this type of salmonellosis, which is characterized by manifestations of gastroenteritis. A dangerous complication in the absence of timely therapy, the clinical patient is fatal. A characteristic sign of gastroenteritis is fever, additional symptoms the following:

migraine attacks;
increased sweating;
muscle pain;
enlarged liver and spleen;
poor sleep, insomnia;
attacks of tachycardia;
emotional instability.

First symptoms

A child with infection begins to experience indigestion, which develops into severe symptoms of dyspepsia. This is flatulence increased gas formation, acute diarrhea, abdominal pain. Salmonellosis will definitely be accompanied by vomiting, which causes complete dehydration child's body. It is important to normalize water metabolism with medication. Stool with salmonellosis is liquid, has a greenish tint, foul odor. Here are other symptoms:

frequent bowel movements;
recurrent abdominal pain;
acute intestinal colic;
heat;
increased nervousness;
baby's poor sleep;
reduced physical activity.

Symptoms in children under one year of age

The disease will manifest itself 2-3 days after infection with salmonella, which requires immediate hospitalization. It is difficult for a baby’s weak immune system to resist pathogenic bacteria on its own, so medicinal assistance is necessary - taking antibiotics. The main task of parents is to stop frequent vomiting, restore water balance child's body. Before treating salmonellosis, the disease must be diagnosed clinically. Attention should be paid to the following symptoms in the child’s body:

increase in body temperature to 40 degrees;
bloating, painful for the child upon palpation;
liquid green chair, foamy consistency;
thickening of the tongue due to increased dryness mucous membranes;
pathological increase in liver size.

Symptoms of chronic salmonellosis

If you ignore the obvious signs acute stage illness, salmonellosis is rapidly acquiring a chronic form, which is difficult to effectively treat. Signs of salmonellosis in children in this case are presented below, they are distinguished by their moderation, frequency of relapses under the influence pathogenic factors. This:

slight temperature fluctuations;
regular digestive problems;
indigestion;
periodic bouts of vomiting;
paroxysmal headaches.

Signs of salmonellosis

The source of the pathology is gastrointestinal tract. The patient typically acute poisoning from food products, or a pathogenic infection enters the child’s body with breast milk. Extensive intoxication of the liver and spleen predominates, so even a newborn patient is prescribed antibiotics. Fast treatment It’s difficult to name, so the task of parents is to know how salmonellosis manifests itself - symptoms in children. The availability of such knowledge depends clinical outcome in a specific clinical picture. The characteristic signs of salmonellosis are as follows:

foul-smelling stool;
change in color and consistency of stool;
abdominal cramps;
frequent bouts of vomiting, nausea;
increase in body temperature.

Chair

If salmonellosis develops - specific symptoms in children they appear 1-3 days after infection with bacteria. First of all, this loose stool, the consistency of which contains pieces of undigested food. This suggests that the affected digestive organs cannot cope with the resulting load, and gastrointestinal dysfunction is observed. Stool with salmonellosis is liquid, has a greenish tint, can foam, and smells unpleasant. It’s hard not to notice such a symptom, especially since the situation only gets worse every hour, and is supplemented by acute attacks of abdominal pain.

Treatment of salmonellosis in children

This disease is difficult for children to tolerate, and for successful treatment salmonellosis in mandatory a diet, antibiotics are prescribed, and the basics of symptomatic therapy are appropriate. The prescription of medications depends on how the characteristic illness manifests itself, what the age of the small patient is, whether the child has a pronounced tendency to allergic reaction. Complex therapy is:

Diet. Shown to be excluded from daily ration animal fats, whole milk, coarse fiber vegetables. It is recommended to choose oatmeal and rice porridge, steamed fish and meatballs, low-fat dairy products and cheese on the daily menu. The duration of the diet is 28-30 days.
Antibiotic therapy. Because the pathogenic bacteria susceptible to spontaneous reproduction and spread, mandatory use of antibiotics is required. The administration of Levomycetin and Doxycycline is especially effective for the generalized form of salmonellosis.
Symptomatic treatment. Powder for preparing saline solution Regidron, Glucosolan orally helps against dehydration of the body at the following rate: 40-70 ml per 1 kg of weight per day. The child must take the prepared liquid in portions throughout the day. If oral rehydration therapy is not possible, doctors give the child intravenous glucose, saline. For the gastrointestinal form of salmonellosis, doctors recommend taking enzyme preparations Enzistal, Festal.
Rehabilitation therapy. In addition to taking vitamins, the pharmacological administration of natural bacteriophages and probiotics (Bifikol, Bifidumbacterin) is also appropriate for children. This is an effective way to quickly restore intestinal microflora, normalize loose stools, and get rid of diarrhea.
Gastric lavage. To force call vomiting reflex in a child, he needs to be given a full glass of liquid to drink, then press on the tip of his tongue with a finger. Carry out this procedure yourself in childhood It is strictly prohibited for children under 3 years of age, otherwise you may unknowingly injure the oral mucosa.

Video

The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and make recommendations for treatment based on individual characteristics specific patient.

In second place among intestinal infections is salmonellosis in terms of the number of diseases. Schoolchildren are more susceptible to the disease, and its main source is pets. A person becomes infected either through contact with them or by eating animal products.

Salmonellosis in children

Acute infection salmonellosis is accompanied by severe dehydration (dehydration) and intoxication. In infants it can occur with septicemia, and in older ones it can occur as typhus. The disease usually develops in the form of outbreaks or isolated cases. More often, salmonellosis in children is registered in the summer, since in the heat the storage conditions of food products are violated.

The source of salmonella infection is often animals or food. Germs can also be transmitted through people. An infant can become infected from the mother in utero or through household contact. At risk are premature and newborn babies who have weak immunity. The main routes of transmission of salmonella enteritidis:

Food. Infection occurs after eating meat, fish, milk, and chicken eggs, which are consumed without heat treatment.
Contact and household. When they become infected through dirty hands parents or medical staff, changing tables and other care items. Dangerous salmonella germs are often found on toys or pacifiers.
Transplacental. Infection is transmitted from a pregnant mother in utero.
Airborne dust. The cause of infection is the entry of microbes into the body through inhalation of dust in kindergartens, clinics and other public places.

Incubation period of salmonellosis in children

Any infection begins with incubation. This is the period of time when a person has become infected, but symptoms of the disease have not yet appeared. The incubation period of salmonellosis in children lasts differently. The average duration is 8-72 hours. During an outbreak of infection, the first symptoms may appear no earlier than 7-8 days. Salmonella in infants lasts 3-4 days. It is important for young mothers not to overlook the first symptoms. The baby refuses to eat, sleeps poorly, has frequent diarrhea (up to 10 times a day), and tearfulness increases.

Signs of salmonellosis in children

How does salmonellosis manifest in a child? The onset of the disease is accompanied by colitis syndrome. After the incubation period, there is an increase in temperature, sometimes up to 40 degrees, and the state of health sharply worsens. Signs of salmonellosis in children are very diverse. The disease can occur with symptoms of gastroenterocolitis, enteritis, gastroenteritis, gastritis. The severity of the course and clinical manifestations of the infection depend on the route by which the pathogen entered the body, the age of the small patient, and the state of his immunity. Typical symptoms salmonellosis:

nausea, vomiting, dehydration;
stomach ache;
loss of appetite;
stool with salmonellosis is liquid with impurities;
enlarged spleen and/or liver.

Diagnosis of salmonellosis in children

At the first sign of infection, the child should be seen by a doctor. Diagnosis of salmonellosis in children begins with serological and bacteriological examination. Taken for analysis: blood, urine, rinsing gastric waters, vomit, feces. Serological diagnostic methods are designed to identify biological material specific antibodies and antigens. To detect them, RCA (coagglutination reaction) and ELISA ( linked immunosorbent assay), which determine the titer of antibodies in the blood.

Treatment of salmonellosis in children

At home, treatment of salmonellosis in children should be comprehensive. These are symptomatic, pathogenetic, etiotropic therapy, diet and bed rest. Hospitalization is carried out according to clinical indicators, and depends on the severity of the disease. Patients with symptoms must be admitted to hospital food intoxication, regardless of age. Bed rest is indicated for mild cases of the disease - 1 week, for severe cases - up to 3 weeks.

Antibiotics for salmonellosis in children

Taking into account the damage to the gastrointestinal tract, doctors prescribe enzyme, antihistamines and vitamins. If there is dehydration, then you need to be treated with gluco-saline solutions (Glucosolan, Oralit, Regidron). In especially severe cases, antibiotics are prescribed for salmonellosis in children. As a rule, drugs from the group of cephalosporins that stop vomiting are selected. Intestinal antiseptics (Ersefuril, Enterofuril) are also prescribed. Carriers of salmonella enteritidis are prescribed immune lactoglobulins, anti-Salmonella bacteriophages and probiotic tablets.

Diet for salmonellosis in children

When salmonellosis occurs in children - the symptoms and treatment of which have already been discussed - it is necessary to adhere to a certain diet. Nutrition at home should be gentle in order to protect the intestinal mucosa from strong chemical and mechanical impact. A diet for salmonellosis in children is carried out for a month. During this period, dairy products, animal fats, fiber-rich vegetables, various seasonings, smoked meats, spices, and marinades are excluded from the diet. A diet based on:

rice, oatmeal on the water;
steamed meatballs, cutlets;
fruit jelly;
boiled fish;
low-fat cheese;
cottage cheese.

Salmonellosis in children under one year of age

How to treat salmonellosis in children infancy? Conduct drug therapy or using folk remedies at home is strictly prohibited, because the bacterium Salmonella enteritidis can lead to death in an infant. At the first symptoms of poisoning and weakness, you need to call an ambulance. Diagnose salmonellosis in infant maybe a gastroenterologist or an infectious disease doctor based on the results of the examination. Often, to cure a baby it is necessary intensive therapy.

Prevention of salmonellosis in children

In order for the infectious disease to pass without health consequences, you should know how to prevent salmonellosis in children. After clinical manifestations of the disease, asymptomatic excretion of Salmonella in feces continues from several months to a year. This condition is considered to be a chronic carrier state. To prevent infection, you should follow basic hygiene rules:

subject products to heat treatment;
do not give it to the baby raw eggs;
use mayonnaise in minimal quantities;
do not purchase products from dubious retail outlets;
use a separate board for cutting chicken;
Store meat products in the freezer.

Video: complications of salmonellosis

2161 views

Salmonellosis is not a “childhood disease” and can develop at any age, but for young children the disease is especially dangerous. Symptoms of salmonellosis in children pose a threat to life, and the disease has serious complications that could turn around fatal. The article will tell you how salmonellosis manifests itself in a child, why infection occurs, and what medications are prescribed to treat the disease.

Salmonellosis in children: features

Salmonellosis is an infectious intestinal disease that has acute onset and severe course. The disease is accompanied severe symptoms intoxication and dehydration.

The causative agent is a bacterium that primarily affects the small intestine - salmonella. The harmful microorganism is a rod-shaped anaerobes. In the environment it for a long time remains viable, for example, in water the bacterium can survive for about 5 months, and in soil for about a year and a half.

The main danger to humans is food contaminated with salmonella. In livestock meat, the bacterium can remain viable for about 6 months, and in chicken carcasses for more than a year. Infected milk is a source of salmonellosis for 20 days, and kefir for about 30 days. After infection with salmonella, butter remains a source of infection for humans for 4 months. Temperatures above 70 degrees are detrimental to bacteria. When the product is boiled, salmonella dies within 6–7 minutes.

Note: a food product contaminated with salmonella does not change its taste, so it is not possible to find out about its danger while consuming it.

Outbreaks of salmonellosis in children, as a rule, are recorded en masse in the summer and autumn. This is due to violation of sanitary and hygienic standards during the hot season.

According to medical data, salmonellosis in infants is observed 6 times more often than in children older than the first year of life. In infants, the disease occurs with septicemia (blood poisoning), and in older children, salmonellosis develops as typhus.

Characteristic symptoms of salmonellosis in children

Signs of salmonellosis in a child can appear either after 5–6 hours or after 5–6 days from the moment of infection. This is how long the incubation period lasts. Its duration depends on many factors, including the method of entry of the pathogen into the body and individual susceptibility. After the incubation period, symptoms of malaise appear, depending on the age of the patient and the type of disease.

In newborns:

symptoms of intestinal damage do not appear;
body temperature does not increase;
appetite decreases;
there is weight loss;
bloating and belching occurs;
blanching of the skin is observed;
signs of concern are detected.

In infants in the first year of life, the following symptoms of salmonellosis are observed:

repeated vomiting;
frequent bowel movements;
increased body temperature;
refusal to eat;
general deterioration of health.

In children of primary school and preschool age salmonellosis manifests itself:

severe abdominal pain;
temperature rise to 39 degrees;
repeated episodes of vomiting;
frequent loose stools;
general weakness;
decreased appetite.

Important! If left untreated, the patient develops signs of dehydration and intoxication.

Gastrointestinal salmonellosis

As a rule, the disease develops as a gastrointestinal toxic infection, affecting the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, the symptoms of illness appear sharply and suddenly. The patient's body temperature rises, aches, weakness, nausea appear, and vomiting occurs. The child feels pain in the abdomen, mainly in its upper part and the navel area. Soon he begins to have diarrhea, the stool becomes watery, foul-smelling, has a greenish tint and a foamy consistency.

When examining the patient, you can notice following signs diseases:

pale skin;
dryness of the tongue, the appearance of plaque on it;
rumbling in the stomach, bloating;
moderate pain when pressing on the abdominal area.

Typhoid-like salmonellosis

When the disease occurs as typhus, children experience the following symptoms:

loose stools up to 5 times a day;
flatulence, rumbling in the stomach;
vomit;
dry mouth, thickening of the tongue;
skin rash;
increase in liver size;
weakness, headache.

Septic type of salmonellosis

This type of disease is the least common. Infants are most susceptible to its development. The septic type is characterized by the following symptoms:

temperature rise to critical levels (40 degrees and above);
repeated vomiting;
loose stools, the presence of mucus and blood in the stool;
cardiopalmus;
increased sweating;
muscle pain;
sleep disturbance.

Causes and routes of infection

Salmonellosis is caused by salmonella bacteria entering a child's body. The likelihood of developing the disease increases if the baby has a tendency to allergies, weak immunity, and often suffers infectious diseases mi.

Bacteria most often enter the body through water or food. The main sources of salmonellosis are chicken meat and eggs, milk, and butter. If they are not properly heat treated during cooking, the bacteria do not die and enter through the mouth into the food. digestive tract. IN small intestine salmonella actively multiply, during which ulcers and erosions form on the inner surface of the intestine, and tissue necrosis occurs.

In addition to food contaminated with salmonella, the source of the disease can be another person infected with salmonella. It is this route that becomes the main method of transmission of infection in infants of the first year of life. Infection can occur due to failure of parents, loved ones and medical workers in contact with the child to comply with hygiene standards. Newborns can become infected with salmonellosis from their mother, who suffered from this disease during pregnancy. In addition, an airborne dust transmission route is possible - the baby inhales dust particles that contain salmonella.

Note: Salmonella can be in the body not only in people, but also in pets, and they may not show signs of illness. This is the so-called carrier state. The development of salmonellosis in children is possible after contact with a sick animal.

Danger of disease

Salmonellosis in children without the correct and timely treatment can result in serious complications and even death. This is why it is so important to know how the disease manifests itself and to seek medical help if it occurs. The causative agent of the disease can spread throughout the body through the bloodstream, which can provoke the formation of foci of infection in other vital areas. important organs: kidneys, lungs, brain.

Possible consequences of salmonellosis in children:

the occurrence of seizures;
swelling of the brain and lungs;
renal failure;
reactive form of arthritis;
peritonitis;
development of abscesses on internal organs;
death.

Methods to combat salmonella

Treatment of salmonellosis in children at home is possible only with a mild course of the disease. Moderate severity and severe cases require the patient to remain in hospital. Even if treatment is carried out at home, it must be prescribed and supervised by a doctor.

gastric lavage;
taking medications to kill salmonella;
taking medications to restore the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
removing toxins from the body;
diet;
maintaining a drinking regime.

Important! Gastric lavage in children should be performed by a medical professional. Children under 3 years of age are not given rinsing.

Medicines

The child is prescribed antibiotics that have a detrimental effect on salmonella. This could be Levomycetin or Doxycycline. As symptomatic therapy the following is prescribed:

Diet

If the child is not on breastfeeding, his diet is being adjusted. A diet for salmonellosis in children involves excluding from the diet animal fats, milk and dairy products, pickled, spicy, rough, hard-to-digest foods, sweets, and semi-finished products.

Important! If a child refuses to eat, you should not force him. The main thing is that he drinks enough fluid. The primary task of parents is to give the baby something to drink.

The child needs to be soldered with water, herbal teas, compote. Drink drinks and water in one gulp and large quantities is contraindicated, as this will provoke another attack of vomiting. The baby should drink in small sips, but often.

If the child has an appetite, you can offer him to eat boiled rice or oatmeal, mashed potatoes(without butter and milk), boiled zucchini and fish with low content lard, jelly, biscuits, crackers.

After the baby’s condition has stabilized, he should follow the diet for at least another 3 weeks.

Prevention of salmonellosis in children, which consists of following the rules of personal hygiene, attentive and responsible attitude to the process of cooking and choosing food products for the child, washing hands after contact with pets, will protect the child’s body from such a terrible enemy as salmonella.

Salmonellosis often occurs in children, especially in the summer-autumn season - when it is hot outside. Despite the fact that the name of the bacterium “salmonella” is more like the name of a fairy from an overseas fairy tale, for children a meeting with this insidious stranger can turn into not a fictional, but a real tragedy. However, if parents are “savvy” and well informed about how to behave with a child suffering from salmonellosis, they can significantly alleviate his condition and speed up recovery...

Contrary to popular belief, quail eggs can also be a source of salmonellosis along with chicken. Well, besides eggs, the harmful salmonella bacterium, which can temporarily turn the life of any child and his parents into a real nightmare, can hide in any animal (even in your pet), in any poultry, and in almost any raw food product of animal origin.

Who is “salmonella” and how does it threaten children’s health?

Salmonellosis in children is one of the most insidious and, why pretend, one of the nastiest. Moreover, Salmonella is a gigantic family harmful bacteria. Today, science has already described about 2,500 species of salmonella, but every year this number increases by about fifty more species of related bacteria.

All types of salmonella can reproduce in food. But at the same time, none of them in any way changes the color, external gloss, or smell of the product in which it is “stuck”. In other words, an egg without salmonella inside and an egg with millions of salmonella inside are in no way different from each other in appearance, taste, or smell.

By the way, the idea that it is chickens and chicken eggs- wrong. Almost all animals and birds are healthy carriers of salmonella. But indeed, among birds, chicken is the leader in the number of dangerous Salmonella microbes that it can “transmit” to humans.

And not so much through meat or eggs, but through their droppings, the remains of which can almost always be found on the surface of the eggs. You pick them up, put them in a saucepan and cook them, thinking that boiling will kill all the bad bacteria, even if there was any there. But it is likely that salmonella is at this very moment - at the tips of your fingers, which is usually not included in the plans of a reasonable person. Now touch yourself, or touch your baby, and you've got a potential salmonella infection...

The source of salmonellosis infection can be:

Unprocessed meat and dairy products, as well as bird eggs (and especially those food products that have been stored for a long time or incorrectly);
Wild and domestic animals and birds, which themselves never suffer from salmonellosis, but are carriers of bacteria. Pet turtles, hamsters and parrots are especially common sources of salmonellosis. A baby only needs to kiss his beloved pet to “pick up” harmful bacteria from him;
Another person with salmonellosis;
Dust, soil and dried feces (or bird droppings), in which salmonella bacteria can live and remain active for several tens of months. Moreover, it is not at all necessary that the child greedily eat contaminated dust or soil with poop - salmonella bacteria can be inhaled in the dust and transferred to the mouth after petting a street kitten, etc.
In some cases, you can become infected with salmonellosis even through water, in which bacteria can also “comfortably” exist.

The most common source of salmonellosis is food.

Children in the first 5 years of life suffer the most from salmonellosis. Because they have extremely low intestinal immunity, but at the same time they actively “drag” food, toys, and various objects into their mouths. Salmonellosis is especially dangerous for newborns and children in the first 2 years of life.

It must be remembered that high temperatures (heat treatment, pasteurization) in the vast majority of cases kill salmonella, while no freezing is harmful to it.

Symptoms of salmonellosis in children

The incubation period for salmonellosis in children can be very short - only a few hours. But usually it is 1-2 days. As a rule, the younger the baby, the faster disease makes itself felt.

Since salmonellosis is a typical intestinal infection, it manifests itself with all the traditional signs of a severe intestinal disorder. To the most obvious symptoms salmonellosis include:

Nausea;
Vomit;
Diarrhea (often with clots of mucus and blood);
Pain and rumbling in the stomach;
Increased temperature (fever);
Dehydration;
Against the background of extreme dehydration - loss of consciousness, orientation, profuse cold sweat, convulsions.

All these symptoms of salmonellosis will most likely tell you that your child has acute phase one of the intestinal infections. And your task in this case is to call a doctor or take the baby to a medical facility as soon as possible. And only there, after certain tests, will doctors be able to decide on accurate diagnosis- whether the child has salmonellosis, or dysentery, or typhoid fever, or some other intestinal “beast”. And only after tests and diagnosis will appropriate treatment be prescribed - after all, each specific intestinal infection in children is treated in its own way.

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are the first and most obvious symptoms of salmonellosis in children.

There are several types of salmonellosis (contact salmonellosis, food poisoning, septic forms of salmonellosis and others).

The most dangerous and terrible form of the disease for children is septic salmonellosis. As a rule, it affects newborns or children in the first 2 years of life. Distinctive feature septic form salmonellosis is considered to be a sharp increase in temperature to critical values (up to 40 ° C and above), at which irreversible brain damage occurs.

Parents do not necessarily have to bother themselves with the specific differences between one type of salmonellosis in children and another - this is a matter for health workers. Yes, you shouldn’t waste your time on this! Before the doctor arrives (and if the child has a fever, vomiting and diarrhea do not go away for a long time and his condition worsens, then an ambulance must be called without delay!) you have other, much more important tasks...

If a child has salmonellosis: what needs to be done before the doctor arrives

If a child has all the signs of an intestinal infection (salmonellosis or something else, a doctor will later confirm for you), then the only thing that parents and other household members can and should do before the doctor arrives is to use all their might and means to warn the child the onset of dehydration and alleviate his condition.

After all, children suffer the most (and even sometimes die!) from intestinal infections not from the infections themselves, but from extreme dehydration, which is provoked by excessive vomiting and diarrhea in the company of a high fever. These three factors literally dry out the baby’s body, but it is in your power to try to turn this extremely negative scenario into reverse side- restore the water-salt reserve in the child’s body, and thereby significantly ease the course of intestinal infection.

How to prevent dehydration in a child with salmonellosis and other intestinal infections:

The ideal option is to use special means for oral rehydration. These are special powders that are sold in pharmacies, and which you just need to dilute with the required amount of water before use.

Don't have pharmaceutical powders on hand? Prepare the solution yourself according to the World Health Organization recipe:

For 1 liter of clean still water, dilute 2 tbsp. l. sugar, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix thoroughly and feed your child this drink as intensively as possible.

It is clear that such saline solution- not the most delicious delicacy in the world. And not all children (and especially those who feel sick, vomit, feel nauseous, and constantly need to go potty) will agree to voluntarily drink this. And if the baby does not drink saline solution at all, let him drink any other drink (tea, fruit drink, compote, plain water, etc.). IN in this case the priority task is to replenish fluid in the child’s body with any accessible ways. Saline solution is the ideal and fastest option to replenish fluid deficiency in organs and tissues. But if this is not possible, use any other way to give your baby something to drink.

If the child is a newborn baby or infant, give him something to drink in the usual way It won't work at all. Meanwhile, it is children in the first months of life who lose fluid extremely rapidly due to intestinal infections, which is a direct threat to their lives.

IN similar situation call an ambulance! And before her arrival, carefully pour a saline solution into the corner of the baby’s mouth (see recipe above) from a regular syringe (without any needles, of course!).

Even if the child feels more or less tolerable, he does not have extreme heat and fainting, but he is “suffered” by diarrhea and vomiting - and you decide to “survive” salmonellosis at home (without visiting infectious diseases hospital), mode drink plenty of fluids must be strictly followed.

If a child exhibits symptoms of even a mild intestinal infection (and salmonellosis is not always severe, sometimes it can simply resemble an upset stomach - especially in older children), this child must be switched to a regime of temporary fasting and drinking plenty of fluids.

Average acute period salmonellosis in children does not exceed 5-7 days. But if you manage to give your child plenty of water, he will feel noticeably better already on the 2-3rd day of illness.

Treatment of salmonellosis in children

Since salmonella belongs to the class of bacteria, it is logical to assume that salmonellosis should be treated with one or another antibiotic. However, it is necessary to choose an antibiotic that can act on the infectious agent that attacked your child (and let us remind you that there are more than 2,500 species of Salmonella in nature). Therefore, prescribe a medicine without preliminary laboratory analysis (isolation of the pathogen from liquid - urine, vomit etc., as well as culture of the pathogen for sensitivity to antimicrobial agents) is actually a game of roulette.

The first and most important stage in the treatment of salmonellosis in children is laboratory analysis.

Children with extremely severe manifestations of intestinal infection, as well as small children (under 3 years old) with suspected intestinal infection, are required to be hospitalized. If the child suffers “moderately” and there is no threat to his life and health, then the doctor can prescribe treatment at home.

In addition to antimicrobial therapy, mandatory and extremely important element Treatment for salmonellosis is the prevention of dehydration, temporary fasting or a very light diet and bed rest. The diet schedule is also not a subject for parental self-medication - the diet for the baby will be prescribed by the doctor, based on the individual characteristics of the child, as well as the severity of the disease.

In some cases, with mild forms of salmonellosis in children, the infectious disease doctor decides to use special intestinal antiseptics instead of antibiotics.

After recovery, salmonella will be detected in the baby’s tests for about a month. Therefore, as a rule, even outwardly a completely healthy, cheerful and strong baby with a good appetite remains registered with an infectious disease doctor for several months after suffering from salmonellosis.

Measures to prevent salmonellosis in children: be careful not only in summer!

Indeed, summer is the “hottest” season for salmonellosis; the percentage of sick children in the hot months increases several times. This is partly due to the fact that at temperatures ranging from +25 to +45°, Salmonella bacteria multiply extremely actively. In addition, in summer food spoils more easily and quickly, children play in the sand and earth almost all day long, the number of stray animals is increasing - all these factors together explain the increase in the number of cases of intestinal infections.

But this does not mean that preventing salmonellosis is important only in the hot months. After all, you can pick up bacteria from a plate of New Year's Olivier that contains, for example, contaminated eggs or chicken meat. So, what will help potentially protect your child from salmonellosis:

1 No matter how indignant the defenders of farm eco-food may be, the facts today are as follows: most often the sources of salmonellosis are meat and dairy products, as well as chicken and quail eggs that were purchased in the so-called “private” sector - from a grandmother at the market, on a small farm in the village, etc. The bottom line is that all large producers (regional meat and dairy farms, poultry farms, etc.) are required to carry out a number of measures to prevent salmonellosis, their products are regularly analyzed and inspected by sanitary and epidemiological supervision, etc. Alas, private local producers are deprived of such control. From which it follows that buying eggs and meat with milk in large supermarkets is safer from the point of view of salmonellosis prevention than in private farms.
2 In the kitchen, make sure that raw or unwashed food and cooked food are not adjacent to each other on the same shelf or plate.
3 Observe basic rules of household hygiene: clean your house (apartment), wash your hands, make sure that food is stored properly.
4 When buying products in a store, always pay attention to their expiration date and storage conditions. It is highly advisable to wash eggs, vegetables and fruits before eating - even though you will most likely remove the shell from the egg and the peel from the vegetables and fruits while eating.
5 Meat products must be cooked “conscientiously” - boiled and fried.

In general, the rules for preventing salmonellosis (as well as most other intestinal infections) are simple and simple. Most of us, even without any threat of getting an insidious “sore,” strictly observe them. But despite the external banality, it is these daily simple manipulations that, by and large, protect our lives and health. And what is most valuable is the lives and health of our children!

Salmonellosis occurs in almost every country in the world, Ukraine and Russia are no exceptions. The disease ranks second among other intestinal infections in terms of the number of diseases. Children of preschool age are at the main risk - more than half of all patients with this disease.

Children are often susceptible to such a serious infectious disease of the digestive system as salmonellosis. It is caused by infection with Salmonella bacteria. The course of the disease is often accompanied by dehydration and pronounced intoxication; in some cases, septicemia is noted; this is mainly characteristic of infants. Symptoms of salmonellosis in older children can manifest themselves as typhus. Cases of salmonellosis development can be isolated or in the form of outbreaks. Most of all, the peak of diseases occurs, as a rule, in the warm season, when the storage conditions for food and beverages are not properly observed.

Causes

The causative agent of the disease, as mentioned at the beginning, is salmonella; This bacterium can infect both people and various animals. Characterized by fairly high viability in the external environment, it can easily withstand low temperatures, as well as immunity to many drugs antibacterial properties. However, it can easily die in boiling water and when using disinfectants. Favorite places for active growth of bacteria are products of animal origin:

milk;
egg;
meat;
oil.

In rare cases, salmonellosis appears in a child as a result of contact with a sick person. The main source of infection for children is animals, with waterfowl being the most dangerous in this regard.

Doctors identify two types of transmission of infection to a child that are most characteristic of this disease:

Food. The pathogen in this type is transmitted mainly through food, when the patient consumes meat, dairy dishes and eggs, as well as foods that are not directly heat-treated before consumption, for example, cake, salad, etc. Drinking water that is contaminated with the pathogen and has not been boiled also poses a risk of bacterial infection.

Contact and household. This transmission of infection is the main one for infants. Infection of a child can occur in case of contact with unwashed hands of parents, as well as personnel caring for him. There is a very high probability of transmission of infection through various objects and things, for example, a child sharing a towel, pacifier, toys, changing tables. Contaminated dust also serves as a good transmitter of infection.

Transplacental. This type of spread of the bacterium is characterized by intrauterine transmission from mother to child. It has been noted that children under two years of age are most susceptible to salmonellosis. As a rule, salmonella are initially localized in the small intestine. The incubation period is characterized by the reproduction and spread of bacteria to the lymph nodes.

Salmonellosis in children: symptoms

Are common

The duration of the incubation period is several hours, but can last even for five days. The symptoms of salmonellosis are directly dependent on the form of the disease. However, there are common basic symptoms of this disease, which are characterized by:

acute onset, which is usually accompanied by fever. Its duration can vary from several days to two to three weeks;
frequent and foul-smelling stools specific smell. The patient's condition may return to normal in a week or a week and a half;
signs of dehydration, which can be expressed by dry skin and mucous membranes.

In newborns and infants

For this category of patients, there are both general symptoms and features that are most pronounced in young children due to general intoxication of the body. In this case, there may not be an increase in body temperature. In infants, malnutrition can be observed; such babies lag behind in development and do not gain weight well. In the vast majority of cases, they behave restlessly. This can be expressed both in frequent manifestations of regurgitation and poor sleep. In this case, bloating is observed. Cold hands and feet may also be one of the symptoms. The presence of dehydration in a child’s body can be judged by the following: characteristic features, such as dryness of the skin, mucous membranes, tongue and other signs.

Forms of the disease

Gastrointestinal. It is believed that of all forms of the disease among pediatric patients, it is more common. In this case, the disease occurs with symptoms characteristic of gastritis or gastroenteritis in children over two years of age.

Symptoms that are characteristic of this form of the disease:

young patients experience painful sensations in the epigastrium;
availability is quite high temperature bodies;
manifests itself general malaise, feeling weak;
the patient experiences frequent vomiting;
chair in the form frequent diarrhea containing particles of undigested food;
upon visual examination - dry tongue covered with a dense coating;
the presence of mild flatulence.

Gastrointestinal. The disease typically manifests itself in children in infancy and progresses in the form of enteritis.

Signs inherent in this form of the disease:

babies have pain in the abdomen;
the presence of alternating vomiting with a state of nausea;
the child experiences diarrhea, quite often - at least five times a day;
bowel movements in the form of gruel or liquid, frequent, have mucous, greenish impurities, as well as white small lumps;
manifested by bloating and rumbling in the abdominal area;

Colitis. This form of the disease in childhood is observed quite infrequently and is characterized by clinical picture in the form of colitis. As for the main signs of the disease, they appear:

signs of intoxication of the body with an acute onset;
pain in the area of the large intestine;
greenish and, as a rule, liquid stools, in which blood and mucous discharge are visible.

Typhoid-like. A form of the disease characterized by the following symptoms:

diarrhea, vomiting, flatulence;
stable or wavy fever;
symptoms of general intoxication of the child’s body - ailments, frequent pain heads;
hemorrhagic rashes on the skin;

Septic. Usually, this form The disease is typical for recently born children and infants. Symptoms appear:

dyspeptic symptoms;
severe fever and strong discharge sweat;
hepatolienal syndrome;
tachycardia.

After past illness salmonellosis, some patients experience continued excretion of pathogens during external environment within 30 days. It is worth noting that if this condition continues for more than three months, then we can talk about the disease becoming chronic.

Diagnostics:

If it is discovered that a child has developed initial signs illness, parents should take him to a doctor who deals with infectious diseases or to a gastroenterologist to confirm the diagnosis, on the basis of which treatment for salmonellosis in children can be prescribed.

As already mentioned that typical forms diseases are characterized by an acute onset. The fever lasts for a relatively short time. In this case, rare but rather prolonged vomiting is observed, which does not depend on factors such as food or water intake.

To make a diagnosis, doctors practice bacteriological and serological testing, including the following procedures:

Inspection. When conducting diagnostics, doctors first look at the condition of the tongue, painful sensations in the iliac region, flatulence.
Bacteriological research. To carry it out, feces, intestinal lavage water, and liquid are taken. spinal cord. Blood tests are carried out throughout the feverish state.
Coprogram.
Serological methods. They are used to detect small patient antibodies, as well as antigens in biomaterial. It should be noted that even mild forms of salmonellosis in children can cause negative results. This is often observed in infants with severe forms of the disease.
Analysis of stool for the presence of dysbacteriosis.

Treatment

Experts note that when salmonellosis is diagnosed in children, treatment

must be carried out comprehensively. Young patients must be provided with adequate nutrition, symptomatic therapy and other forms of treatment. In this case, the severity of intestinal lesions, the disease itself and its duration, the age of the patient, and the presence of concomitant pathologies must be taken into account.

Doctors recommend hospitalization if a child is diagnosed with the presence of severe course diseases, and also, if these are newborns, children under one year old with weakening caused by associated pathologies. Hospitalization may also be advisable for epidemiological reasons, for example, if children are in dormitories. Young patients, as a rule, are treated in specialized medical institutions or are placed in separate wards of infectious diseases departments. It is possible that the child, if indicated, can be placed.

When a child has lungs and moderate severity forms of the disease, enterosorption and diet therapy are carried out. The same methods are used to treat at home, and not just in a hospital. It is necessary that during the acute period of illness the child is ensured strict adherence to bed rest. The basic basis of the diet, as a rule, is the same as for most intestinal diseases of an infectious nature.

To somewhat smooth out the effects of exposure to toxins and reduce the possibility of endotoxin shock, hydrophobic selective sorbent preparations are prescribed.

For lungs and severe forms diseases, glucose-saline solutions are used. The doctor prescribes medications, taking into account the degree of intestinal damage. It is recommended that children be prescribed doses of bacterial drugs, for example, bifidumbacterin, from the very beginning of the development of the disease. Also, at the discretion of the doctor, treatment can be supplemented with vitamins and antihistamines. In the case when a child frequent stool– more than five times a day, with watery diarrhea, it is recommended to take medications such as, for example, Imodium. To reduce pain, antispasmodics are prescribed.

Diet

The organization plays an important role in treating a child for salmonellosis. proper nutrition As a rule, diet No. 4 is used.

The diet should not contain:

animal fats;
whole milk;
vegetables containing coarse fiber.

It is advisable that the child’s diet include:

oatmeal and rice porridge cooked in water or vegetable broth;
steamed or boiled fish;
steamed cutlets, meatballs;
fruit jelly;
cottage cheese, low-fat cheeses.

You must follow the diet for at least four weeks from the onset of the disease.

Prevention

Preventive measures that should be followed to prevent a child from contracting salmonellosis should mainly be aimed at eliminating foci of infection. This is the prerogative of medical and veterinary services that monitor the condition of pets. At factories producing meat, dairy, and egg products, a sanitary regime must be strictly observed, which will not allow infection to enter raw materials and food products.

Particular attention should be paid to measures to prevent the spread of bacteria in various preschools, schools and other children's institutions. These measures are almost the same as for other acute intestinal infections. Required in necessary cases take emergency measures to ensure that the identified source is isolated as quickly as possible to prevent an outbreak of the epidemic. You should also conduct a one-time bacteriological examination of the analyzes of all patients with intestinal dysfunction, as well as children who are admitted to children's institutions, and expectant mothers when admitted to maternity wards.

When the child has a complete clinical recovery, confirmed by bacteriological tests, you can stop isolating the little patient. However, children who are in junior kindergarten groups must be under medical supervision for three months. They need to be tested monthly for bacteriological studies to determine whether they are carriers of bacteria.

If group outbreaks of the disease occur, then not only all children are tested, but also the establishment’s service staff. In addition, products and their remains that were eaten in the last few days are subject to analysis; food storage areas, compliance with food preparation technology and other important points are examined.

Individual prevention

Needless to say, this is a very serious disease - Salmonellosis; treatment in children requires a lot of effort and time. To prevent such undesirable consequences, parents must ensure that the food is always of high quality; products should always be well-heated before consumption. These recommendations apply to both meat and dairy products, eggs.

When a child is at home during treatment, he must be provided with individual hygiene items and cutlery.

When carrying out wet cleaning, you must also remember to wash the toys that the sick child comes into contact with. Prohibit your baby from putting various objects that are on the floor into his mouth. Make sure that he does not swim in unknown and, especially, bodies of water prohibited for swimming. If possible, create conditions that would prevent the baby from coming into contact with birds, such as pigeons and chickens, as well as other domestic animals.

You should not self-medicate or treat this disease. folk remedies, since this is considered unacceptable for salmonellosis. For preventive purposes, the child's parents and other family members are prescribed Salmonella bacteriophage on the recommendation of a doctor. The transferred disease forms a year's immunity in the child. Parents must follow the rules of feeding the child and remember that food for consumption should not be stored; if this is difficult to do for one reason or another, “boil” it again to 70 degrees.

How dangerous is the disease in childhood?

Salmonellosis, as already mentioned, is a quite serious disease and often leads to dangerous complications:

the baby may experience purulent complications;
swelling of the lungs and brain often occurs;
the child develops kidney failure;
manifestation of convulsive syndrome;
leads to reactive arthritis;
infectious-toxic shock.

In this case, the probability of death is quite high.

Forecast

If your child gets sick, and you promptly ensure that he is examined by a doctor and prescribed treatment, then you can hope for a good prognosis for recovery. It should be noted that for most young patients it does not carry serious consequences and complications. But you need to be very careful about the disease if it begins to develop in infants and children with weakened immune systems - for this category of patients, salmonellosis is fraught with a formidable danger

If we talk about the course of the disease, then in almost 95 percent of cases it can be observed acute course. After about a week, the signs of intoxication in the body disappear. If a child is seriously ill, normalization of stool is observed only at the end of the fifth week. At the same time, young children may suffer from developed intestinal dysbiosis; in this case, stool normalization occurs after only 45-60 days from the moment of illness.

IN Lately almost ninety percent of salmonellosis of all types and forms are sporadic cases. As a rule, children under two years of age are affected. As in previous years, the predominant forms are gastrointestinal. By severity - light, moderate and erased.

Salmonellosis in newborns and infants is almost always severe, has a generalized form and often ends in death. If we take the statistics of all intestinal diseases bacterial in nature in infants, salmonellosis is in first place. Newborns and children under one year of age, as a rule, are infected in most cases by care items that are not sufficiently disinfected.

Having an acute onset, salmonellosis in newborns depends on the strength of their immunity and the state of the body as a whole. At favorable outcome, the disease manifests itself as a gastrointestinal disorder. At the same time, in the feces of newborns infected with salmonellosis, one can often find bleeding. The disease in this group of young patients often progresses as a mixed infection.

Finally

To avoid a child getting sick with salmonellosis, parents, especially those with children under one year of age, must very carefully monitor the food hygiene of their child. Try to protect it from objects that are not sufficiently disinfected.