Clostridia in the feces of a child that mean?
Clostridia are representatives of the normalmicroflora of the human intestine. Mostly they live in the area of the large intestine, but can also be found in some other parts of the digestive system, as well as in the genital tract and on the skin.
What is Clostridium?
Clostridia are gram-positive bacteria. They secrete an enzyme that participates in the breakdown of the protein to amino acids. "Clostridia" from Greek translates as "spindle". This name is due to the process of their reproduction (during this period the bacteria thicken in the central part and narrow at the ends).
The number of clostridia that are part ofhealthy intestinal microflora, varies. Their number depends on the age of the child. In children up to a year, the norm is 1000 colony-forming units per gram, in children older than one year, the norm is up to 100,000. All this is taken into account during the diagnosis.
What is dangerous Clostridium?
Clostridiosis is an acute infectiousdiseases that affect humans and animals. Clostridia cause such dangerous diseases as pseudomembranous colitis, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, botulism, gas gangrene, tetanus, toxicoinfections and necrotic enteritis. The pathogenic effect of bacteria is due to the release of toxins A and B and protein that inhibits contraction of the intestine.
Pseudomembranous colitis andantibiotic-associated diarrhea, infection occurs mainly in the hospital. This is due to the fact that the hospital uses a variety of different antibiotics and disinfectants, which contributes to the formation of microorganisms that become resistant to the means of disinfection. Also, taking antibiotics is a factor that promotes the appearance of clostridia or an increase in their numbers. During treatment with such medicines, not only the pathogenic bacteria of the intestine are destroyed, but its microflora suffers as well.
If clostridia are found in the feces of a child, thenparents do not need to sound an alarm. It should be remembered that these bacteria are representatives of healthy intestinal microflora, which participate in the breakdown of the protein and stimulate peristalsis. But in order to avoid the development of serious diseases, it is necessary to monitor their quantity, that is, regularly make diagnostics.
Causes of Clostridiosis
The clostridium genus includes more than 100 species,which are divided into 5 groups. Most of them are not dangerous for humans. Clostridia live in the intestines of both humans and animals. With fecal masses, bacteria enter the ground, where they can live for a long time in the form of spores, and they can also be found in the water. The sources of clostridiosis are animals and humans.
The method of transmission is fecal-oral. The path of infection is contact-household (through dishes, toys, clothes and servants' hands). The cause of infection with clostridia is mainly a violation of the rules of personal hygiene.
What affects the composition of intestinal microflora?
Factors affecting the intestinal microflora are divided into external and internal.
External:
• environmental conditions in the place of permanent residence;
• frequent stress;
• dietary pattern (clostridia in the feces of a childdetected if the baby was transferred early on artificial feeding; in adults, the risk of developing clostridiosis increases with eating foods with a long shelf life);
• Prim antibacterial, hormonal and immunosuppressive drugs.
Internal:
• weakness of the body's defense reactions;
• mental retardation (postnatal hypoxia);
• immaturity of the central nervous system;
• prematurity;
• intestinal infection with nosocomial bacteria;
• sleep disorders;
• surgical interventions;
• acute respiratory viral infections.
Clostridia: symptoms
Antibiotic dissociated diarrhea does not developonly because of clostridia. The causative agents of the disease are also Salmonella, Candida, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella. This type of diarrhea is a consequence of nosocomial infection. But infants are not susceptible to this disease, as with mother's milk they receive a large number of immune factors that inhibit the growth of clostridia.
Antibiotic-dissociated diarrhea can carry different symptoms: from mild diarrhea to severe pseudomembranous colitis, which, if left untreated, in 30% of cases is fatal.
Pseudomembranous colitis develops on the 4-10th day after the start of antibiotics. Main symptoms:
• characterized by acute onset;
• body temperature rises above 39.5 ° С;
• bloating;
• sharply reduced appetite;
• weight loss occurs;
• rapidly begin to show signs of severe intoxication;
• severe cramping abdominal pain;
• repeated vomiting;
• palpation of the patient feels sore bowel;
• stool plentiful, liquid, watery, green with a putrid odor;
• in the feces there are mucus, blood and scraps of fibrinous overlays.
Enteritis is the lightest disease, which usually ends without complications. Symptoms of the disease do not have certain features.
Necrotic enteritis is determined by the formation of ulcers and erosions that destroy the mucous membrane. Symptoms:
• appearance of hemorrhagic necrosis at the beginning of the small intestine;
• hemorrhagic sites of red color;
• there is a narrowing of the intestinal lumen in the area of inflammation;
• the patient has chills, there is a strong fever;
• vomiting;
• bloody frothy diarrhea.
Clostridia in infants cause severe forms of the disease. Especially clostridiosis is dangerous for premature babies. Symptoms:
• a sharp significant deterioration in the child’s condition;
• rapid shallow breathing;
• increasing signs of toxicosis and exsiccosis;
• hypodynamia;
• paralytic intestinal obstruction.
In newborn premature babies as a resultdiseases more often than in older children, intestinal damage and peritonitis are formed. In most cases, Clostrodiosis in infants is fatal.
When is it necessary to examine the intestinal microflora?
• Prolonged intestinal disorders that are not treatable.
• Clostridia in the feces of a child may be, if mucus is present in the feces, pieces of undigested food; uneven staining of the chair.
• Unsustainable stool character.
• Flatulence and intestinal colic, which are not amenable to therapy.
• Anemia, rickets.
• Atopic dermatitis with elements of secondary infection.
• Frequent acute respiratory viral infections.
• Sepsis.
Diagnostics of clostridiosis
Diagnosis of clostridiosis occurs according to the following criteria (patient history):
• high correlation between the development of the disease and the intake of antibacterial drugs;
• in most cases, the disease affects young children;
• Clostridiosis is characterized by an acute onset;
• severe fever;
• characterized by signs of severe intoxication;
• symptoms of colitis.
Laboratory diagnosis:
• Clostridia in the feces of a child are detected by bacteriological examination (crops on selective nutrient media):
• endoscopic examination is prescribed;
• in some cases, biopsy of the mucous membrane is shown;
• computed tomography to determine the presence of thickening and swelling of the colon wall.
Clostridium: treatment
Before starting treatment with clostridioses, it is important to stop taking antibiotics.
If a child has clostridia, treatmentshould be to restore healthy intestinal microflora. For these purposes, prescribe drugs "Bifidumbakterin", "Lactobacterin", "Bifikol", "Hilak-forte", "Linex", etc.
Most of the clostridium groups are sensitive to the means of "Vancomycin", "Metronidazole". In severe forms of the disease, the patient is given an infusion therapy to restore fluid loss in the body.
In all cases, treatment of clostridia in children andadults include eubiotics, enzyme preparations (Mezim-forte, Omez, etc.), vitamins (groups B), and enterosorbents (Polysorb, Smekta, Enterosgel, etc.).
Clostridiosis Prevention
The main preventive measure that will helpto avoid infection with clostridia, is the observance of sanitary and hygienic standards: regular hand washing (after a walk, before eating, after visiting public places), washing and scalding with vegetables and fruits with boiling water before use, prolonged heat treatment of products. In addition, you must constantly maintain a healthy intestinal microflora and the immune system. Important: taking antibiotics should be started only after a doctor is prescribed.
