Rotavirus intestinal infection - symptoms and treatment

Rotavirus intestinal infection is a disease that among the general population is called intestinal flu. But this designation is not entirely true, since the influenza virus and rotavirus are not related to each other and belong to completely different types of viruses. Nevertheless, in everyday life, both of these names are equivalent, which is not so important. Much more important prevention measures and methods of treatment of this disease.

Rotavirus infection - transmission routes of

Rotavirus got its name because of the characteristic spherical form of the virion( "rotating virus").On its surface are antigens, which ensure the introduction of the virus into the cell and the development of the disease. The virus has a rather short RNA, which in the cells of the human body is reproduced and participates in the assembly of new virions.

Like most intestinal infections, the virus is transmitted by the fecal-oral route, that is, contamination of water, food or household items with microscopic particles of the patient's feces. Most often this happens when the rules of personal hygiene are not respected, so diseases with a fecal-oral transmission mechanism are called "diseases of dirty hands".

For the rotavirus infection, the most common is the contact-household transmission route. It is common in children's groups( kindergartens, extended day groups in a junior school, in summer camps).This is explained by the fact that hygienic skills are not yet sufficiently formed in young children.

Waterborne outbreaks of rotavirus infection are possible in places where there is no central water supply. Infection through food is possible if public catering places pay little attention to the state of the workplace and the health of workers and the violation of sanitary and hygienic standards is allowed.

Symptoms of

1. The incubation period of the disease lasts about two days. It can occur asymptomatically or with a slight deterioration in the general condition, and then smoothly pass into the prodromal period, when the patient has sore throat, nasal discharge, a slight increase in temperature.
2. Symptoms of rotavirus enteric infection during this period resemble a cold, which is why the disease was called intestinal flu. Unlike the real flu, these manifestations last 2-3 days, the temperature is insignificant, there is no cough and sore throat, and feelings of aching joints that always accompany the flu.
3. At the height of the disease, the main symptoms appear-high temperature, diarrhea, abdominal pain. Nasopharyngeal phenomena at the same time abate or completely disappear.
4. The chair is watery, liquid, defecating up to 10 times a day, in severe cases - up to 20 times. The younger the child, the more difficult it is to distinguish his frequent defecation from normal, so you should pay attention to the nature of the chair.
5. It is liquid watery bowel movements that should make parents wary and assume that the child has caught the infection.
6. Vomiting usually occurs only in infants of the first two years of life, in children older than these manifestations are no longer present. In young children, profuse vomiting can continue throughout the day, usually after eating, but it may not be associated with eating.
7. Pain in the abdomen is constant, not always intense, increases after eating and weakens after defecation and the escape of gases. Nursing children who can not complain of abdominal pain, are capricious, cry after feeding, wake up in breaks between them, practically do not sleep at night.
8. The temperature rise may vary. As a rule, the younger the child, the stronger his fever is. To bring the temperature below 38º should not be.

In young children, high fever can be dangerous, as it is often accompanied by seizures and malfunctioning of the heart. But, the main danger of rotavirus infection is dehydration of the body.

Dehydration of

Dehydration is a condition that develops with large losses of fluid and electrolytes. It leads to any disease, accompanied by prolonged diarrhea or vomiting. In young children, an additional dangerous factor is profuse sweating at elevated temperature. With rotavirus intestinal infection in children, the risk of dehydration is very high, in adults it is usually much lower.

Symptoms of dehydration increase gradually. The first of the disturbing signs is thirst and dry mouth, a feeling of sand or dryness in the eyes, a decrease in the volume of urine. Young children are characterized by a "dry" crying without tears. With the development of severe conditions, the skin becomes flabby and pale, the dryness in the mouth becomes so pronounced that it is difficult for a patient to talk and eat.

Loss of electrolytes is manifested by pain in the heart, shortness of breath, muscle weakness. Then there are convulsions, heart rhythm disturbances. Severe dehydration leads to depression and loss of consciousness and increases the risk of death.

It should be noted that in infants, dehydration develops rapidly, and can lead to severe complications during the day. When developing signs of dehydration - crying without tears, deteriorating appetite, reducing the amount of urine, dry to touch the skin - it is urgent to show the child to the doctor.

The fight against dehydration is to make up for the lack of fluid and to ensure sufficient supply of electrolytes to the body. For prophylaxis of dehydration and with a satisfactory patient's condition, abundant drinking is necessary, best of all - mineral water without gas. The ideal tool for restoring the water-salt balance is the preparation of Regidron. In more severe cases, if the patient can not drink, intravenous injection of physiological solution, Ringer's solution and other drugs is used.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of rotavirus infection is based on a characteristic clinical picture, it also serves as the basis for the appointment of treatment.

Laboratory diagnostic methods - detection of the virus in feces and antibodies to viral antigens in the blood - are used mainly to confirm the correctness of the diagnosis and to identify the source of infection. Also, these data are necessary to control the epidemiological situation and prevent further outbreaks.

Treatment of

• Treatment of rotavirus enteric infection in adults is reduced to the prevention of dehydration, the fight against diarrhea. For this, abundant drinking is recommended, the use of intestinal sorbents - Smekty, activated carbon. It is possible to carry out treatment at home, if the patient feels satisfactory, it is not necessary to go to a hospital.
• It is necessary to exclude fried foods from the diet, restrict the intake of fats and animal oil, products that cause putrefactive and fermenting processes, as well as increased gas production in the intestine( baked pastries, beans, vegetables with coarse fiber).
• In the menu it is necessary to include products that are easily digested - sour-milk drinks of low fat content, dietary meat, viscous porridges. Of the drinks preferred kiseli, compote of dried fruits, mineral water without gas, green and herbal teas, fruit drinks.
• In case of severe infection, which is more common in children, treatment in a hospital is necessary. It is prescribed therapeutic nutrition, intravenous administration of solutions of electrolytes, intestinal sorbents.
• If necessary, use antipyretics, including a lytic mixture.
• If a small patient is very tormented by gases, he will put a gas pipe.

Antiviral drugs for rotavirus enteric infection have not been shown to be effective, therefore they are not applied during treatment.

Brief memo for parents

Because rotavirus infection is more common in children, parents need to know what can and can not be done during illness. The first thing to remember is that rotavirus infection with timely treatment is not dangerous. It is necessary only to monitor the child's condition, give him enough fluids, for which he gradually gives him a child every hour.

You can apply medications - Regidron and Smectoo, they are dispensed without a prescription and are allowed from any age. Of antipyretics, syrup Nurofen can be used( after consultation with the attending physician).Candles in this case will be ineffective due to diarrhea.

If, despite the measures taken, the condition of the baby worsens, you should immediately call a doctor at your home. Particular attention in this case should be given to the signs of dehydration, which were mentioned above. In the case of rotavirus infection, the baby should not take drugs that affect intestinal motility( for example, Loperamide).This will worsen a child's condition and can lead to undesirable consequences.

Also it is not necessary to bring down the temperature, if it does not reach threatening values. Do not ignore the symptoms of dehydration - it is extremely dangerous for the baby's life. In addition, the child during the disease is forbidden to attend kindergarten or school, mugs, sections - in order to prevent the spread of infection.

Doctor Komarovsky on Rotavirus Infection in Children

Children's Doctor Komarovsky, the presenter of the popular health program, warns parents that rotavirus intestinal infection is dangerous complications. In young children, the likelihood of developing pneumonia due to dehydration of the body is great. When there is a lack of fluid and electrolytes, the functioning of the lungs is disrupted, which can lead to unfortunate consequences. Therefore, as an adjunct to the main methods of treatment, the doctor advises parents to give the child a specially prepared solution.

It is prepared very simply. In one liter of cool boiled water should dissolve an equal amount of salt and soda food( 1 tsp) and add twice as much sugar( 2 tsp).The prepared solution should be drunk as often as possible( every half hour).If you do this correctly, you can avoid dehydration and get the baby to urinate every three hours.

If the child categorically refuses to drink the prepared solution or if you try to give him water, a vomiting attack opens, you need to show the baby to the doctor as soon as possible. If his condition does not improve after receiving funds designated by a specialist, the child is hospitalized. In the hospital, funds will be prescribed to prevent dehydration, which will be injected parenterally( into the vein).

Dr. Komarowski emphasizes that special attention should be given to proper nutrition and diet compliance, since with the rotavirus infection in the intestine the activity of certain enzymes decreases. Most often, the amount of lactase decreases, which means that the baby's digestive system can not digest dairy products. Therefore, whole milk is excluded from nutrition, and infants are transferred to lactose-free nutrient mixtures for the duration of the illness.

In addition to milk, sweets, pastries, sweet carbonated drinks and other products that can cause increased gas formation in the intestine are excluded from the diet of children for the duration of the illness. During the disease, the kids will be useful for light chicken or vegetable broths, albumen omelets, boiled porridges, unleavened cottage cheese, jelly, broth from rose hips. As the condition improves, the menu includes sour-milk drinks of low fat content, juices, half diluted with water, compotes, fruit drinks, fresh fruit.

Folk remedies

To facilitate the condition with rotavirus infection, you can use a proven folk remedy - a decoction of dry berries bird cherry. Bird cherry has strong astringent properties, helps prevent vomiting and stop diarrhea. For preparation of broth 2 t. L.dry berries pour 500ml water, boil on low heat for 10 minutes, cool, filter and give the child. If you add a little sugar, the broth will acquire a pleasant, refreshing taste and the baby will drink it with pleasure.

Instead of a saline solution, the taste of which children do not like, you can prepare a home version of Regidron. To do this, 100 g raisins without pits need to fill with a liter of water and boil for an hour. Then raisins to grind, that he completely gave glucose to the solution, decoction to filter, add 1 tsp.salt and 2 tsp.sugar and additionally boil this mixture for 2 x minutes. Ready to cool the drink and give the child as often as possible.

If the child has a loose stool, you can use a decoction of dried blueberries as a fixative. Fresh berries do not use, as they provide a reverse, laxative effect. From the dried blueberries recommend to cook compote with the addition of sugar and give the baby 100 ml before meals and after eating.

Adults cope with the manifestations of infection will help the decoction of St. John's wort or tea with cinnamon, the intake of salt-glucose solutions. After cessation of vomiting, adults and children are encouraged to eat pectic substances that are contained in rice broth, a baked apple or carrot and apple puree.

Prevention

The most effective prevention of illness in the family and in any team is observance of personal hygiene rules. This will help to avoid infection, even if the child in the house is sick with rotavirus infection. It is necessary to explain to children the need for regular hand washing, especially before meals and after the toilet. And be sure to warn the kids that you should not drink raw tap water.

Public prevention is regular medical examinations of people working in public catering establishments, children's institutions, water treatment stations. Persons suffering from intestinal infections, or asymptomatic carriers of the virus before such work is not allowed. Those infected with rotavirus infection should be at home or in the hospital, their contacts with healthy people should be limited until recovery.

Currently, there is an inoculation against rotavirus infection. In Russia, two drugs are available: RoTatek and Rotarix, both manufactured in Europe. They are effective only for children under two years old, give immunity for several years. Their main disadvantage is the high price( up to 5000r).Parents who decided to put their child in such a vaccine will have to spend on it themselves, since it is not included in the national vaccination schedule.