Prevention of acute intestinal infections (AI). Guidelines for the prevention of acute intestinal infections

Great attention is paid to the prevention of intestinal infectious diseases. Some progress has been made along this path, but intestinal infections remain one of the most serious health problems today.

In the structure of infectious pathology, intestinal infections account for about 20%, causing significant economic damage.

Acute intestinal infections include: dysentery, salmonellosis, gastroenteritis, viral hepatitis A, foodborne illnesses, typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever. In recent years, the role of viruses in the occurrence of acute intestinal infections has increased: rotavirus gastroenteritis, norwalk virus infection (epidemic viral gastroenteritis) are popularly known as “intestinal flu, ARVI with intestinal syndrome.” Acute intestinal infections can occur at any time of the year: viral, more often in cold weather, with an increase in the incidence of influenza and ARVI, the peak incidence of bacterial infections occurs in the summer season. Most pathogens of intestinal infections are highly resistant. For example: the causative agents of typhoid and paratyphoid remain viable in milk for more than 70 days, in water for several months. Dysentery microbes live and multiply in milk for about 6 days, in river water they persist for up to 35 days, viruses remain viable on various environmental objects from 10-15 days to 1 month, in feces - up to 7 months.

How do intestinal infections manifest themselves?

As a rule, they begin acutely, with fever, loose stools, abdominal pain, and possibly nausea and vomiting.

The main distributors of intestinal infections are sick people. Not only those who have a pronounced intestinal disorder can be dangerous, but also people who are so mildly ill that they do not even seek medical help. It is among them that carriers of infectious microbes are especially often found. Practically healthy bacteria carriers are no less dangerous, because they are not isolated, they communicate widely and freely with other people and, not considering themselves capable of infecting, do not follow precautions.

With all intestinal infections, the patient's discharge is most contagious. The disease develops only when the microbe enters the body through the mouth. In most cases, our own hands are to blame for this. First, germs get on them - all you need to do is grab the door handle or toilet flush, touch objects that the patient has used, and forget about the need to wash your hands! Contaminated hands can transfer germs to food. In minced meat, meat, cold appetizers, milk, dairy products, cream products, salads, the conditions for life and reproduction of intestinal microbes are the most favorable. At the same time, these contaminated products themselves seem quite fresh and suitable for eating. This is why everyone who prepares food needs to be very careful. Following food preparation and storage rules is an important protective measure. Every home should have separate boards for cutting raw and cooked meat, fish, and vegetables. If you use the same board or the same knife, dangerous microbes can be introduced into already cooked products. Within two to three hours they multiply at room temperature and reach such a quantity that can cause disease.

In this regard, it should be recalled: products, especially boiled ones, must be stored in the cold, protected from flies in every possible way and subjected to heat treatment before eating.

Another important route of pathogen transmission is contaminated water. During the hot months, everyone who goes on holiday outside the city should exercise great caution - you should always take a supply of boiled water with you so that you do not have to use unverified sources. Vegetables and fruits purchased at markets must be washed with boiled water. You can also become infected by swimming in a river, pond, or lake, because people often swallow water during this process.

The most reliable way to prevent the spread of intestinal diseases is to neutralize the source of infection in advance. That is why timely access to a medical facility for any disorder of the gastrointestinal tract is of exceptional importance. The doctor can, if necessary, isolate the patient, carry out disinfection, and begin treatment.

The spread of intestinal infections can be prevented.

Experts from the World Health Organization have developed ten “golden” commandments for preventing intestinal infections:

1. Selecting safe foods.

2. Cook food thoroughly.

3. Consume food immediately after preparation if possible.

4. Store food products carefully.

5. Carefully reheat food prepared in advance.

6. Avoid contact between raw and prepared foods.

7. Wash your hands often.

9. Protect food from insects, rodents and other animals.

10. Use high-quality, clean water.

More about the golden rules:

10 RULES FOR PREVENTION OF OCI (ACUTE INTESTINAL INFECTIONS)

To effectively educate the population of the entire planet on the prevention of acute intestinal infections (acute intestinal infections), experts from the World Health Organization have developed ten “golden” rules for the prevention of food poisoning (infections).

1. Selecting safe foods. Many foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are consumed raw, while others are risky to eat without pre-processing. For example, always buy pasteurized milk rather than raw milk. When purchasing food, keep in mind that the purpose of post-processing is to make the food safe and extend its shelf life. Certain foods that are eaten raw require careful washing, such as lettuce.

2. Prepare food thoroughly. Many raw foods, mainly poultry, meat and raw milk, are often contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. The cooking (frying) process kills bacteria, but remember that the temperature in all parts of the food must reach 70°C. If the chicken is still raw at the bone, place it back in the oven until fully cooked. Frozen meat, fish and poultry must be thoroughly thawed before cooking.

3. Eat cooked food without delay. When cooked food is cooled to room temperature, microbes begin to multiply in it. The longer it remains in this state, the greater the risk of getting food poisoning. To protect yourself, eat food immediately after cooking.

4. Store food carefully. If you have prepared food for future use or want to store the rest of it after consumption, keep in mind that it should be stored either hot (at or above 60°C) or cold (at or below 10°C). This is an extremely important rule, especially if you intend to store food for more than 4-5 hours.

It is better not to store food for children at all. A common mistake that leads to countless cases of food poisoning is storing large amounts of warm food in the refrigerator. This food cannot cool completely quickly in an overloaded refrigerator. When the center of a food product is kept warm for too long (temperatures above 10°C), microbes survive and rapidly multiply to levels that are dangerous to human health.

5. Reheat pre-cooked food thoroughly. This is the best measure of protection against microorganisms that could multiply in food during storage (proper storage inhibits the growth of microbes, but does not destroy them). Once again, before eating, thoroughly warm the food (the temperature in its thickness should be at least 70 ° C).

6. Avoid contact between raw and prepared foods.

Properly prepared food can be contaminated by contact with raw food. This cross-contamination can be obvious when, for example, raw poultry comes into contact with prepared food, or it can be hidden. For example, you cannot use the same cutting board and knife to prepare raw and cooked (fried) poultry. This practice can lead to a potential risk of food contamination and the growth of microorganisms in them, with subsequent human poisoning.

7. Wash your hands often. Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food and after every break in the cooking process - especially if you changed your baby or were in the toilet. After handling raw foods such as fish, meat or poultry, wash your hands again before handling other foods. And if you have an infected scratch (wound) on your hand, be sure to bandage it or apply a bandage before you start cooking. Also remember that pets - dogs, birds and especially turtles - often carry dangerous microorganisms that can get into your food through your hands.

8. Keep the kitchen perfectly clean. Since food is easily contaminated, any surface used to prepare it must be absolutely clean. Consider every food scrap, crumb, or dirty spot as a potential reservoir of germs. Towels for wiping dishes should be changed every day. Mopping cloths also require frequent washing.

9. Keep food protected from insects, rodents and other animals. Animals often carry pathogens that cause food poisoning. To reliably protect products, store them in tightly sealed jars (containers).

10. Use clean water. Clean water is extremely important for both drinking and cooking. If you are in doubt about the quality of water, boil it before adding it to food or before using it.

Prevention of acute intestinal infections (AI)

In everyday life, we are surrounded by more than 100 types (!) of microscopic agents that can cause an acute infectious process of intestinal disease in humans. These are, for example, bacteria that cause dysentery, salmonellosis, yersiniosis, clostridiosis, campylobacteriosis, staphylococcal poisoning and viruses that cause rotavirus and enterovirus infection and etc.

The main source of infection for viral and bacterial intestinal infections are patients and bacteria carriers (persons with an erased form of acute intestinal infection). In addition to a sick person, in case of salmonellosis, sources of the infectious agent are domestic animals (cattle, pigs, poultry), the meat of which is contaminated. Salmonella can be found in poultry eggs - ducks (especially), chickens. In case of staphylococcal poisoning, the source of the infectious agent is also a person who has pustular skin lesions (felon, festering wound of the hand, etc.) or chronic inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx. It is especially dangerous if confectioners and cooks have these diseases. Staphylococcus grows well and quickly on sweet products (cream, jelly, compote, fudge, etc.). When multiplying, it secretes poison (toxin). If a person eats food that contains staphylococcal toxin, then within a few hours he will experience acute poisoning.

By releasing pathogens into the external environment with feces, sick people or carriers of infection introduce it into food or onto surrounding surfaces of objects through dirty hands.

Of course, the most epidemically dangerous way of spreading infection is through food. Pathogenic bacteria, having come into contact with perishable food products that are not heat-treated through dirty hands, multiply there very quickly. Within 20-30 minutes the number of microbes reaches a level that is sufficient for infection. Moreover, the organoleptic properties of the product do not change in any way. The same thing happens when heat-treated and cooled ready-made dishes become contaminated. But there are foods, for example, vegetables and fruits, on which pathogenic microorganisms (yersinia) are always present. Therefore, before preparing vegetable salads or giving whole fruits to children, it is necessary to neutralize them by scalding or blanching after washing.

WHEN TRANSFERINGInfections through household transmission are spread in a chain manner. The development of an epidemic situation, if the administration of the institution does not take measures to localize and eliminate it, is carried out according to a single scheme. A child who becomes infected in the family from his parents introduces the infection into the group. Sometimes it is infected in a group from sick children or personnel caring for them. Subsequently, pathogenic microorganisms are transmitted from a sick child to healthy children through unwashed hands. The transmission of bacteria or viruses occurs through sanitary fixtures contaminated by a source of infection - washbasin taps, toilet flush valves, tableware, door handles, stair railings, furniture, linen and other surfaces. The incidence, as a rule, limits one social circle (group, family), but neglect of the requirements of sanitary rules, as well as non-compliance by staff and children with personal hygiene rules, can lead to an outbreak throughout the entire institution.

Unlike bacteria, viruses do not multiply on the surfaces of objects, in water and food, but if they enter the human body, even a few viral particles can cause acute intestinal disease.

In almost all acute intestinal infections caused by various pathogens, the leading clinical manifestation is stool disorder. In this case, vomiting is often observed, which is preceded by nausea. After vomiting there comes a feeling of relief. With intestinal infections, stool disorder is combined with signs of intoxication and is accompanied by an increase in body temperature. With significant loss of fluid through vomiting and loose stools, dehydration develops, which, especially in children, can cause disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system of the body. Early seeking qualified medical help and timely treatment will reduce the risk of these complications in children.

As a rule, the disease begins acutely with the appearance of the above symptoms, however, especially with viral intestinal infections, it can begin and proceed for several days with a slight increase in body temperature and catarrhal phenomena in the nasopharynx (redness of the mucous membrane of the arches in the oral cavity, runny nose and cough) . Stool upset and vomiting may occur later - after 2-3 days, but the patient becomes infectious from the first hours of the disease.

After suffering an acute intestinal disease, recovery occurs and the disease does not leave any consequences. But sometimes, this is especially typical for dysentery and salmonellosis, pathogenic microorganisms are in no hurry to part with the patient, periodically causing relapses of the disease. As a rule, this occurs in cases of improper treatment of the patient (self-medication) or late seeking medical help. A person can be a carrier of the pathogen for years, which contributes to the occurrence of chronic forms of the disease.

WITH THE AIM OFeffective prevention of acute intestinal infections, an atmosphere in which each employee will feel that he is not the last link in this work must be formed in the institution’s team and every day responsibly fulfill the requirements stipulated by the sanitary rules (SanPiN No. 14-31-95 “Sanitary rules and standards for the design and maintenance of preschool institutions

An effective barrier against the introduction of infections into the institution is the morning reception of children in groups.

Particular attention should be paid to children who, for various reasons, have not attended the group for a long time (more than 2 months), and to “newcomers”. At the slightest suspicion that a child has health problems, the teacher should send him to a medical professional, for a more qualified examination, or to a pediatrician’s clinic. The teacher must remember that he is personally responsible for all mistakes made at the morning reception.

COMPULSORYis for children to drink only boiled water, which should be changed in groups at least every 6 hours. Before each water change, it is recommended to thoroughly wash the storage container using detergents. In addition, it is necessary to constantly remind parents about the need for their child to drink boiled or bottled water at home.

It would be helpful to have conversations with parents about the rules of feeding the child and to involve them in teaching their children the rules of personal hygiene.

In order for children and staff of a preschool institution to comply with the rules of personal hygiene, as well as to maintain a reliable sanitary and epidemiological regime in the institution, it is necessary to have an adequate supply of soap, detergents and disinfectants (with a quality certificate and instructions for their use), and toilet paper. It is advisable to use disposable household napkins for washing dishes.

Of course, special responsibilities are assigned to the kindergarten catering staff. In addition to the fact that food must be tasty, it must also be epidemically safe.

Therefore, in no case should the following situations be allowed in your work:

· failure to comply with the requirements established by the recipe (temperature and time conditions, blanching, secondary heat treatment, etc.) when cooking products;

· participation in the preparation of food by catering staff with signs of an acute infectious disease (ARI, AII) or pustular diseases of the hands;

· start work in dirty clothes or with unwashed hands after visiting the toilet;

· acceptance into the institution of food products in violation of the conditions of their transportation or in the absence of documents certifying their quality, as well as products with signs of rot;

· violation of the conditions and terms of storage of food products and non-compliance with flow during their technological processing;

· failure to comply with terms and conditions for the sale of prepared food.

Acute intestinal infections

Beware of rotavirus infection

Despite the cold season, cases of acute intestinal diseases continue to be recorded in the region. As a rule, small children under the age of three are involved in the epidemiological process. The dominant syndrome in children is gastroenterocolitis, and the causative agent in some cases is rotavirus.

Rotavirus infection (RVI) is widespread throughout the world, but the proportion of rotavirus infection is higher in more developed countries, which have already achieved significant success in controlling acute intestinal diseases of bacterial etiology. An epidemiological feature of RVI is the clearly expressed seasonality of the epidemiological process, which occurs during the cold season with high humidity, the peak seasonal rise is February-March.

The causative agent - rotaviruses - is stable in the external environment, resistant to many chemical agents and heat. They are characterized by increased resistance to a number of chemical disinfectants, while others are more effective in higher than usual concentrations. At low temperatures (about minus 20 degrees), rotaviruses remain infective for several years.

The main source of infection are infected human patients, as well as virus carriers.

RVI has a fecal-oral mechanism of infection typical for acute intestinal infections. The main routes of spread are household contact, water, food, and the factors of infection transmission are numerous - water, since it is not subjected to special purification from viruses, contaminated vegetables and fruits, milk and dairy products contaminated with the virus during processing, storage, and sales.

But since RVI is an intestinal infection, its prevention is similar to the prevention of acute intestinal infections caused by bacterial flora. Namely, observing the rules of personal hygiene, thoroughly washing your hands, especially before eating and preparing food. It is necessary to wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly, and do not drink water from open reservoirs. It is strongly recommended not to purchase food products from unauthorized retail outlets, without documents certifying their quality and safety.

Following these simple preventive measures will protect your child from rotavirus infection.

Useful tips

on the prevention of intestinal infections in children

Infection with intestinal infections can occur through food, water or personal contact. That is, it is very easy for a child to get sick by eating low-quality contaminated food, drinking bad water or another drink, as well as playing or simply having contact with sick children and adults, using other people’s “contaminated” things and toys.

Based on this, we can draw a number of conclusions and try in every possible way to prevent pathogens of intestinal infections from entering the child’s body.

From infancy, teach your child to wash his hands every time before eating, after using the toilet and upon returning.

1. Make sure that the child does not suck fingers and various objects, cut his nails on time.

2. Food should always be fresh - do not cook for children in advance, especially in summer.

3. Meat, fish and dairy products must certainly be subject to prolonged heat treatment.

4.Wash vegetables and fruits very carefully.

5. Try not to store ready-made dishes, but if necessary, maintain the appropriate temperature conditions.

6.If a child goes to kindergarten, teach him to use only his personal belongings (towel, comb, etc.).

7.If there is a sick person in the house, he must be isolated from the child. All common items must be disinfected, as well as the patient’s clothing.

8.Door handles and outdoor toys also need to be regularly treated with antiseptics.

9. Indoor toys should be washed and washed, even if you do not take them outside.

10. Keep the house clean, do not walk around the living rooms with shoes on (not indoor shoes), and ventilate the room several times a day.

Of course, it is impossible to insure against everything, but with a responsible approach it is quite possible to protect yourself from many troubles, significantly reducing the child’s chances of catching an intestinal infection.

Acute intestinal infection (AI, OGEC) - This is a large group of infectious diseases, united by the development of diarrheal syndrome, the causative agents of which can be bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. OCIs include bacterial dysentery, salmonellosis, yersiniosis, staphylococcal infection, rotavirus infection, and a number of others.

The source of infection is a sick person, a human carrier (in whose body there is a pathogen, but there is no clinical picture), large and small livestock (pigs, sheep, cows, goats), domestic and wild birds, rodents.

Routes of transmission - food route through: milk, dairy products (sour cream, cottage cheese and others); meat, meat products (minced meat, sausages, etc.); eggs and products made from them (soufflés, creams); fruits, vegetables, berries.

Household route through: contamination of surrounding objects (toys, etc.); hands.

The disease begins acutely, with repeated vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, and fever. There is severe weakness, sometimes fainting, and confusion. The degree of manifestation can vary - from a mild disorder of the gastrointestinal tract to a severe condition with complete dehydration of the body.

Basic measures to prevent infection:

· When registering an acute intestinal infection, establish quarantine in the group and monitor contact children and employees for 7 days from the moment of isolation of the sick person, establish monitoring of contacts (thermometry in the morning and evening, examination of stool). The results of daily observation should be reflected in the quarantine log;

· Conduct final disinfection of premises, toys, utensils according to the viral infection regime (at the end of the working day in the absence of children), as well as ultraviolet radiation of the air environment, ventilation;

· Clean carpets and soft toys twice with a brush soaked in a disinfectant solution (antiviral concentration). During the quarantine period, remove carpets and soft toys.

· Carry out ongoing disinfection according to the viral infection regime: premises (group, bedroom, reception room, bathroom) 2 times a day, toys 2 times a day, dishes after each use (after disinfection - toys, dishes are washed with soap and soda solution and rinsed thoroughly) , after each reception, tables are wiped with a rag moistened with a disinfectant in an antiviral concentration, dish rags are disinfected, cleaning equipment is disinfected after cleaning.

Disinfection regimen for viral infections

Disinfection object	Infections of viral etiology % exposure	Time disinfection	Way disinfection
Indoor surfaces, hard furniture	0,5	60	Rubbing Irrigation
Toys	0,5	60	Dive
Dishes without food residues	0,5	30	Dive
Dishes with leftover food	0,5	60	Dive
Care items (kvachi)	0,5	60	Dive
Cleaning equipment	0,5	60	Soak
Linen not contaminated with secretions	0,5	30	Soak
Linen soiled secretions	0,5	60	Soak

· UV air irradiation 2 times a day;

· Ventilation of premises according to schedule;

· Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene of children and employees;

· Change individual towels daily;

· Carry out a morning filter to prevent the introduction of infection and observation in outbreaks for the purpose of early isolation of sick people;

· If children and employees are identified with symptoms of AEI, immediately isolate them;

· Determine the reason for absent children;

· Admission to the group of a child who has recovered from the disease is subject to a doctor’s certificate.

Memo on the prevention of acute intestinal infections.

With the onset of summer, the incidence of acute intestinal infections increases sharply. It is at this time that favorable conditions are created for the preservation of pathogens in the external environment and their reproduction in food and water.

Acute intestinal infections - This is a large group of human diseases. This includes: dysentery, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fevers A and B, cholera, salmonellosis, enterovirus infections, etc.

Source of infection- a sick person or a carrier of pathogens of acute intestinal infections. Patients with mild, erased and asymptomatic forms are most dangerous to others.

Adults and children are affected, most often children aged from 1 to 7 years. Children account for about 60-65% of all reported cases.

Main transmission mechanism- fecal-oral, realized through food, water and contact-household routes.

Transmission factors may include food, water, household items, toys; insects (flies, cockroaches) are important in the transmission of some infections. Infection with acute intestinal infections is also facilitated by unsanitary living conditions, failure to comply with personal hygiene rules, and consumption of food stored or prepared in violation of sanitary rules.

Susceptibility to acute intestinal infections is high. The risk of infection depends on the dose of the pathogen entering the body, its virulence, as well as on the state of the barrier and enzymatic function of the gastrointestinal tract and the body’s susceptibility. The most susceptible are young children, especially premature and bottle-fed ones. Immunity after an infection is unstable, lasting from 3 to 4 months to 1 year, and therefore the possibility of repeated diseases is high. From the moment the pathogen enters the body until symptoms of the disease appear, it can take from several hours to 7 days.

Basic measures to prevent acute intestinal infections:

1. Maintain personal hygiene, thoroughly wash your hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet.

2.Do not drink water from open sources or bottled water on the street. Drink only boiled or bottled water.

3. Before eating, fresh vegetables should be thoroughly washed and doused with boiling water.

4. For nutrition, choose heat-treated foods. Thoroughly cook (cook) foods, especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood. Do not store food for a long time, even in the refrigerator.

5. Store perishable foods only in cold conditions. Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Do not consume products that have expired or have been stored without refrigeration (perishable products).

6. Use separate kitchen utensils and utensils, such as knives and cutting boards, when handling raw foods. Store raw foods separately from prepared foods.

7. Swim only in places designated for this purpose. When swimming in ponds and pools, do not allow water to get into your mouth.

If symptoms of an acute intestinal infection occur (fever, vomiting, upset stool, abdominal pain), you must immediately seek medical help!

Following these simple tips will help you avoid acute intestinal infections and preserve your health and the health of your loved ones!

During bathing, we willy-nilly (and small children even on purpose) swallow water along with living organisms. In the vast majority of cases, such an invasion goes unnoticed, since our body has several degrees of protection, more powerful than that of a bank note. But sometimes the defense system fails, which provokes an acute intestinal infection.

When mentioning the dangers lurking in bodies of water, one cannot ignore the topic of the inhabitants of these bodies of water. We will talk about the most dangerous creatures inhabiting our rivers - piranhas. Oh, no, it’s a joke - piranhas are a little further south.

In fact, my story, of course, is about bacteria, about the prevention and treatment of intestinal infections. Sometimes you are surprised when we, so big and strong, who have inhabited all corners of the planet and even a piece of space, die from microscopic creatures. I remember the film “War of the Worlds” by Wells, where even the healthiest aliens gave in to germs.

However, I can’t vouch for aliens, but people have something to counteract harmful microorganisms. Our saliva contains a substance (lysozyme) that complicates the life of bacteria even when it enters the mouth. The lymphatic ring in the oral cavity, being a peripheral organ of the immune system, also reliably protects against the penetration of aggressive creatures. And gastric juice is aggressive to almost any flora. But under certain conditions (immature immune system in children, immunodeficiency, elderly people, alcoholics) bacteria take over, causing acute intestinal infections.

Where does the infection come from?

Life is seething in reservoirs, invisible to our eyes, and this life will gladly take advantage of the bodies of careless bathers. Intestinal infection is the most common problem of the summer season. Strictly speaking, acute intestinal infection occurs not only from swimming. This is a problem of unwashed hands, vegetables, fruits, and poorly processed food. The cause of intestinal infection is pathogenic bacteria (occasionally viruses and fungi).

By the way, in our digestive tract there are also beneficial bacteria (bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, etc.), in other words, obligate flora. They participate in digestion, the production of enzymes, vitamins, and compete with pathogenic flora, suppressing its development.

Conditionally pathogenic microorganisms (streptococci, Proteus, E. coli, etc.) also live inside the body, and if the immune status is preserved, they are harmless to us. But they can cause disease if the immune system is weakened.

But bacteria that enter from the outside are pathogenic flora. The diseases they cause are yersiniosis, salmonellosis, typhoid fever, cholera, etc. - may pose a serious threat to life.

How does the disease manifest itself?

At first, microbial invasion manifests itself... but does not show anything. The incubation period lasts about two days, the time that the victim has to solve the last matters while the harmful microbes multiply and accumulate poisons. Then there is intoxication, fever, aching joints - an incomprehensible condition for a day that can be confused with the flu or something else.

This is followed by the flourishing of intestinal infection. These are, as a rule, spasmodic pain in different parts of the abdomen, repeated vomiting and, of course, repeated loose stools. Sometimes the liquid pours out as if from a pipe - like with cholera. Sometimes mixed with blood - as with dysentery. The degree of dehydration reaches extreme values, threatening the patient's life.

Dehydration is especially severe in young children. Very often such babies are brought to our department. The eyes are sunken, the cry is weak, the skin is as dry as a shoe. There is no time for jokes, life hangs by a thread.

Factors determining the severity of the condition:

type of bacteria(from staphylococcus there is only six times diarrhea, and from vibrio cholera it will flow like from a fire hose until complete dehydration);
number of bacteria that have entered the body (a hundred or two will do nothing, but a colony of several thousand individuals will certainly cause suffering);
health status before an infectious lesion (a healthy person will run to the toilet and only become healthier, but the heart will have a worse time).

You need to stop self-medicating and herbal eating and immediately consult a doctor if: - The above symptoms are observed in preschool children, elderly people over 60 years of age and in people with chronic diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. - Frequent, loose stools more than 5 times in adults. - There is an admixture of blood in the stool and vomit. - High fever with diarrhea and vomiting. - Cramping pain in the abdomen of any location, lasting more than an hour. - Vomiting after any meal or water. - Marked weakness and thirst.

What to do at home?

First of all, you need to replenish dehydration. Drinking is what you need! If you cannot replenish dehydration with this method (vomiting or retching occurs), call an ambulance. How much should you drink? Until the thirst subsides. It's simple - drink while you want. The risk of overloading yourself with liquid is minimal. If you have concomitant pathology of the kidneys or heart, call an ambulance! Drink clean, bottled water. You can replenish fluid with a solution rehydrona- True, it is terribly disgusting, but it is useful in microelements.
Enterosorbents. Activated carbon, enterodesis and all sorts of similar tasteless, but useful and safe drugs.
If it is impossible to call a doctor and vomiting worsens dehydration, find Cerucal (metoclopromide).
will be needed, if the disease does not recede, antibacterial drugs will be needed: the bacteria must be killed. The choice of drugs depends on the possible pathogen, the severity of the condition, the urgency of the situation, and the patient’s allergies. Therefore, “self-prescribing” medications is not a good idea. But if you do not have the opportunity to see a doctor, in a difficult situation (hiking, tourist trip) the best thing is - furazolidone. This is something you can keep in your first aid kit. Take 0.1–0.15 g after meals, 4 times a day for adults. For children - 10 mg/kg body weight per day (daily dose is divided into 3-4 doses). Take no more than 10 days.
About food. In the acute period, it is better not to eat, but to drink, drink, drink. When it becomes a little easier, you can have low-fat broths and crackers. But the acute period must be endured.
If you have abdominal pain, it is better not to take painkillers - do not erase the picture of the disease, in case you have appendicitis!
If you have diarrhea, you should not take astringents like imodium or loperamide - the body must get rid of toxins and bacteria.

And in conclusion, although this is trivial, I repeat: wash your hands before eating, wash vegetables and fruits, prepare food from quality ingredients. It's so simple, but incredibly effective. Be healthy!!!

Vladimir Shpinev

Photo thinkstockphotos.com

Why is intestinal infection dangerous?

Acute intestinal infections (abbreviated as AII, OGEC) include a large group of infectious diseases that can be contracted through contact with bacteria, viruses and protozoa. The most common acute intestinal infections include bacillary dysentery, salmonellosis, yersiniosis, staphylococcal and rotavirus infections.

As a rule, an intestinal infection is transmitted from the patient and the human carrier. A person may not even be aware of its existence and that infection has already occurred, since he does not experience symptoms of poisoning or intestinal disorders. Despite the fact that there are no clinical signs (symptoms), persons in contact with him can also become infected (rotovirus infection is transmitted in this way).

The mechanism of infection is simple: the human carrier does not even try to treat the disease, for example, viral hepatitis A or infectious dysbiosis. Meanwhile, the virus multiplies in the gastrointestinal tract and the bacteria are eliminated from the body during bowel movements. From there they can penetrate food, drinking water, and household items. A healthy person comes into contact with all dangerous sources and becomes infected. However, symptoms characteristic of food poisoning may not appear immediately.

As epidemiology shows, much less often the disease can be transmitted from large and small livestock (pigs, sheep, cows, goats), poultry and rodents.

Potential hazards include:

dairy products, especially those purchased at the market;
meat products: minced meat, sausages, sausages;
eggs and their derivatives (desserts in the form of souffles and creams);
unwashed vegetables, fruits and berries.

Symptoms of intestinal infection

Prevention of acute intestinal infections involves not only precautionary measures, but also familiarization with the symptoms of the disease so that, if necessary, treatment is started on time (a kind of reminder).

So, the etiology of the disease is as follows. When infected with a viral infection, food poisoning develops quickly. In this case, the person suffers from severe nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain is either aching or acute, and diarrhea may soon begin. Due to the rapid loss of fluid and lack of nutrients, a person feels weak, lethargic, apathetic, and has no appetite. In critical cases, there may be fainting, severe chills and fever (sudden increase in body temperature).

The etiology of the disease depends on the specific viral infection (pathogen), the rate of reproduction of pathogens in the body and the individual characteristics of the body (how long it can resist infection).

Treatment is aimed at eliminating the infection (its symptoms are fever, headache, weakness) and restoring the functions of the gastrointestinal tract (if the infection has provoked destructive changes in the gastric or intestinal mucosa).

The clinical picture depends on the type of pathogen, the number of pathogenic agents ingested and the state of the human immune system. In severe cases, dehydration develops (dry skin and mucous membranes and thirst).

How not to get infected

Measures to prevent intestinal infections include:

Compliance with personal hygiene rules. To avoid endangering yourself and your loved ones, be sure to wash your hands before eating, after visiting the bathroom, after contact with pets, and after working with soil.
Wash all foods thoroughly before preparing food. This is especially true for meat and eggs. Before you start cooking meat, you need to carefully examine it for helminth larvae, otherwise you will also need treatment for worms. In this case, measures and treatment will take several months. Before eating eggs, the shells should be thoroughly washed in soapy water. But there is one nuance here too. If you just bought eggs, but are not going to cook them, but want to put them in the refrigerator, do not wash them. When treated with a soap solution, the protective layer on the shell is washed off and the egg becomes more vulnerable to infection. So it is better to wash eggs immediately before eating.
Vegetables and fruits purchased at the market must not only be washed, but doused with boiling water before consumption. Heat treatment will also help prevent the epidemiological process. In this case, the measures are simple: all vegetables and fruits are best consumed boiled or baked. The same goes for eating meat products. Not all bacteria are destroyed at average temperatures. So you need to bake meat, especially pork, at a temperature of at least 200˚ C.
Pay special attention to cleaning kitchen utensils. Store knives used to cut meat separately from other kitchen utensils. The same goes for cutting boards. Ideally, the kitchen should have several boards for cutting raw meat and other products. The same goes for knives. Cleaning kitchen utensils should be carried out immediately after cooking. Be sure to wash the cutting board in running water with detergent, and then rinse it with boiling water. The same goes for knives.
Store different foods separately. Preferably on different shelves of the refrigerator. Raw meat should never be left open. Firstly, its smell will permeate the rest of the products. Secondly, the pathogens it contains can spread to other products.

Disease prevention measures also include regular cleaning of premises. Especially if there are animals in the house. Wet cleaning must be done at least twice a week. And it’s good if the family has its own attending physician, who will be able to recognize the signs of infection of one of the family members in time and conduct a preventive examination.

Prevention of intestinal infections.

What are intestinal infections?

Acute intestinal infections (AI) are a large group of human infectious diseases caused by pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria, viruses and protozoa. The main intestinal infections include: dysentery, salmonellosis (read below), cholera, enterovirus and rotavirus infection, foodborne toxic infection caused by staphylococcus, etc. In terms of frequency of distribution among all human diseases, they are second only to ARVI. More than 60% of all cases of intestinal infections occur in childhood.

What are the causes of intestinal infections?

The source of the causative agent of acute intestinal infection can be a sick person or a bacteria carrier, as well as animals, insects (flies). The causative agents of intestinal infections can be found on dirty hands, unwashed vegetables and fruits, and in unboiled water. Favorable environments for the proliferation of microbes are dairy products, cooked meat products, pates, etc.

How does the disease manifest?

Pathogens of intestinal infections cause:

1. Damage to the gastrointestinal tract (abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting).

2. Intoxication (fever, headache, weakness).

What are the main preventative measures?

1. Thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits eaten raw (preferably with a brush and soap, followed by rinsing with boiling water).

2. Wash your hands with soap before preparing food and after each break in the cooking process (and always after cutting raw fish, meat or poultry), as well as before eating, after walking, playing with animals.

3. Subject foods to heat treatment. Raw poultry, meat and milk are often contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. During the cooking (frying) process, pathogens are destroyed. Note! Frozen meat, fish and poultry must be thoroughly thawed before cooking.

4. Avoid contact between raw and prepared foods (including not using the same board and knife to cut raw and cooked meats, fish and vegetables).

5. Store all perishable foods and prepared foods in the refrigerator - cold slows down the proliferation of microbes in food.

6. Keep your kitchen clean.

7. Protect food from flies.

Follow these simple tips

will help avoid acute intestinal infection

and preserve your health and the health of your loved ones!

Prevention of salmonellosis

The acute infectious disease salmonellosis has extremely many faces. Most often it proceeds violently. About a day after the microbes enter the body, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea appear. The temperature rises to 37.5-38 degrees, and sometimes to 39-40 degrees. The infection causes severe intoxication. The cardiovascular system, liver and other organs are affected, seizures appear, heart rate increases, and blood pressure drops.
Salmonellosis, especially at first, is sometimes similar to catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, sometimes there is only an increase in temperature and general lethargy.
In young children, this disease is so severe that the doctor is sometimes faced with the question of saving the child’s life.

How to protect yourself from salmonellosis? Salmonella enters humans in three ways: with food, with water, and also through contact with a sick person or animal.
Salmonella also gets into prepared foods. This can happen if they are stored together with raw foods or if the same kitchen equipment is used to process cooked and raw foods - cutting boards, knives.
You should make it a rule not to eat meat that has not passed veterinary control. Meat and poultry should be well boiled or fried. If the meat is cooked in a large piece, then it must be cooked for at least two hours. We recommend drinking unpasteurized milk only boiled. Duck eggs should not be eaten raw, but should be boiled for at least 15 minutes. Fresh chicken eggs can be eaten raw, but they must be washed first. Make sure that raw meat and poultry are not stored in the refrigerator in close proximity to prepared dishes.
You can also become infected with salmonellosis while swimming in a pond or lake, or by swallowing water contaminated with the secretions of sick birds and animals. But if it happens that a child or one of the adult family members gets sick, do not try to diagnose it yourself, much less treat it—call a doctor immediately. Salmonellosis is far from a harmless disease, even in cases where it is mild. The fact is that salmonella can remain viable for a long time in the body of an undertreated patient. By multiplying in the gallbladder, they cause cholecystitis and cholangitis. In addition, salmonella live in the intestines for a long time, and the “keeper” of microbes easily becomes their carrier. That is why you cannot fight such an insidious disease as salmonellosis yourself.

If symptoms of acute intestinal infection occur

You must seek medical help immediately!

BE HEALTHY!