Clostridia in the feces of a child that mean?

Clostridia are representatives of the normal microflora 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, which are part of a healthy 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 are the dangerous Clostridia?

Clostridiosis is an acute infectious disease that affects humans and animals. Clostridia cause such dangerous diseases as pseudomembranous colitis, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, botulism, gas gangrene, tetanus, toxic infections and necrotic enteritis. The pathogenic effect of bacteria is due to the release of toxins A and B and a protein that inhibits contraction of the intestine.

Pseudomembranous colitis and antibiotic-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 contributing to 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, then parents 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 personal hygiene rules.

What influences the composition of the intestinal microflora?

Factors affecting the intestinal microflora are divided into external and internal.

External:

• environmental situation in the place of permanent residence;

• frequent stress;

• the nature of nutrition (clostridia in the feces of a child are found if the baby is early transferred to artificial feeding, in adults the risk of developing clostridiosis increases with eating foods with a long shelf life);

• A primer of antibacterial, hormonal and immunosuppressant drugs.

Internal:

• weakness of protective reactions of the body;

• mental retardation (postnatal hypoxia);

• immaturity of the central nervous system;

• prematurity;

• Infection of the intestine with nosocomial bacteria;

• sleep disorders;

• surgical interventions;

• acute respiratory viral infections.

Clostridia: Symptoms

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea develops not only 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-associated diarrhea can carry a variety of symptoms: from mild diarrhea to severe pseudomembranous colitis, which in the absence of treatment in 30% of cases leads to death.

Pseudomembranous colitis develops on the 4th-10th day from the start of antibiotic use. The main symptoms are:

• characterized by a sharp onset;

• body temperature rises above 39.5 ° C;

• bloating;

• The appetite decreases sharply;

• There is a loss of weight;

• Signs of strong intoxication begin to appear rapidly;

• severe cramping pain in the abdomen;

• repeated vomiting;

• at palpation the patient feels soreness of the intestine;

• stool is plentiful, liquid, watery, green with a putrid smell;

• Stool contains mucus, blood and scraps of fibrinous overlays.

Enteritis is the easiest disease, which, as a rule, ends without complications. The symptomatology of the disease has no specific features.

Necrotic enteritis is determined by the formation of ulcers and erosions that destroy the mucous membrane. Symptoms:

• the appearance of hemorrhagic necrosis sites at the beginning of the small intestine;

• hemorrhagic areas of red color;

• narrowing of the lumen of the gut in the area of inflammation;

• the patient is shivering, a strong fever is observed;

• vomiting;

Bloody foamy diarrhea.

Clostridia in infants cause severe forms of the disease. Especially clostridiosis is dangerous for premature babies. Symptoms:

• dramatic deterioration of the child's condition;

• rapid breathing;

• increasing signs of toxicosis and exsicosis;

• Induction;

• paralytic intestinal obstruction.

In neonates of premature infants due to the disease more often than in older children, intestinal and peritonitis lesions are formed. In most cases, clostridiosis in infants ends in a fatal outcome.

When is it necessary to examine the intestinal microflora?

• Prolonged intestinal disorders that can not be treated.

• Clostridia in the feces of a child can be if mucus is present in the stools, pieces of unboiled food; Uneven staining of the stool.

• Unstable character of the chair.

• Flatulence and intestinal colic that do not respond to therapy.

• Anemia, rickets.

• Atopic dermatitis with elements of secondary infection.

• Frequent acute respiratory viral infections.

• Sepsis.

Diagnosis of clostridiosis

Diagnosis of clostridiosis occurs according to the following signs (anamnesis of the patient):

• high connection of the development of the disease with the use of antibacterial drugs;

• in most cases, the disease affects young children;

• Clostridiosis is characterized by an acute onset;

• severe fever;

• signs of severe intoxication;

• Symptoms of colitis.

Laboratory diagnostics:

• clostridia in the feces of a child are detected by bacteriological examination (crops for selective nutrient media):

• Endoscopic examination is prescribed;

• In some cases a biopsy of the mucosa is indicated;

• Computed tomography can detect the presence of thickening and edema of the colon wall.

Clostridia: treatment

Before starting treatment with clostridiosis, it is important to stop taking antibiotics.

If a child has clostridia, the treatment should be to restore a healthy intestinal microflora. For these purposes prescribe drugs "Bifidumbacterin", "Lactobacterin", "Bifikol", "Hilak-forte", "Lineks", etc.

Most groups of clostridia are sensitive to "Vancomycin", "Metronidazole". In severe forms of illness, the patient is given infusion therapy to restore fluid loss in the body.

In all cases, treatment of clostridia in children and adults includes eubiotics, enzyme preparations (Mezim-forte, Omez, etc.), vitamins (group B), and enterosorbents (Polysorb, Smecta, Enterosgel " and etc.).

Prophylaxis of clostridiosis

The main preventive measure that helps to prevent infection with clostridia is the observance of sanitary and hygienic standards: regular washing of hands (after walking, before meals, after visiting public places), washing and scalding with vegetables and fruits before use, prolonged heat treatment of products. In addition, it is necessary to maintain a healthy microflora of the intestine and the work of the immune system. Important: taking antibiotics should be started only after the appointment of a doctor.