Diagnosis and treatment of streptococcal infection

Pustules on the skin, erysipelas, omphalitis, tonsillitis, scarlet fever, yellowish fetid discharge from the genital tract, otitis, periodontitis, caries, pneumonia, umbilical cord inflammation, peritonitis ... What do you think that unites these diseases? They have a common cause of occurrence - a microbe called streptococcus.

Where do streptococci live?

Streptococci, which will be discussed in this article, are round-shaped bacteria and are arranged in the form of chains of various lengths. Normally, the mucous membranes of the intestine, the human genital organs and the skin are inhabited by various microorganisms, including streptococci. Depending on the species, streptococci have the property of settling in different parts of the human body: those on the skin, those on the mucosa of the respiratory tract, who are on the mucosa of the genital organs or intestines. This property helps in diagnosing the disease and prescribing the right treatment.

Properties of streptococci

In the throat of a person from 30 to 60% of all microbes falls on the share of streptococcus. A healthy organism has strong immunity, which keeps all the microflora under control, preventing excessive reproduction of any bacteria, and with a decrease in immunity and the appearance of favorable conditions for development, very quickly, this or that kind of microorganism begins to proliferate, suppressing normal flora and leading to Occurrence of diseases. To such microbes is also streptococcus. Its reproduction and distribution in the body can lead to the emergence of serious diseases, including infectious. Due to the large number of cells of this pathogen living on the human body, the number of diseases caused by them reaches 10-15% of the total number of diseases in the cold season. The course of the disease and the degree of its severity are due to both the type of streptococcus itself, and the ingress of bacteria into the blood and the toxic substances produced by them.

Fortunately, streptococci are unstable in the external environment. For them, damaging sunlight, disinfectants and antibacterial drugs. The timely treatment of streptococcal infection leads to good results, and neglected, severe forms of diseases can lead to tragedy.

All diseases, somehow related to streptococcus, are divided into 2 large groups:

- diseases caused by streptococcus,

- diseases provoked by streptococcus.

Let us examine several examples of diseases that cause streptococcus.

Angina

Streptococcus affects the tissue of the tonsils, which are located around the pharynx in the form of a ring. If a person has strong immunity, the angina proceeds in a mild form without a high temperature, with a slight touch on the tonsils and a slight soreness in swallowing. If the immunity is weak, then the strongest necrotic inflammation of the tonsils can develop , accompanied by severe pain in the throat, especially when swallowed, with weakness, very high temperature, body aches and signs of poisoning. This is due to the development of bacteria by toxic substances that cause purulent tissue melting. Decay products and toxins of bacteria are poisoned by the human body.

The result of untimely started or improper treatment are the following diseases:

- paratonzillar abscess - acute inflammation of the tissues under the tonsils,

- otitis media - inflammation of the middle ear,

- rheumatic carditis - an autoimmune lesion of the heart,

- articular rheumatism - autoimmune lesion of joint tissues,

- Glomerulonephritis is an inflammatory process in the kidney that affects the main tools for blood filtration and urine formation - kidney glomeruli,

- Lymphadenitis - inflammation of the nearest to the throat lymph nodes located on the neck.

Treatment of streptococcal infection in the throat is performed by antibacterial drugs of general and local action. There are particularities in the treatment of adults and children: the treatment of streptococcal infection in the throat in adults is combined with rinsing with solutions of medicines, broths and infusions of herbs, and young children who do not know how to gargle do not have this component of treatment. For children, only irrigation of tonsils with medicinal aerosols is suitable. When treating streptococcal infection in the throat, note that after rinsing and / or using the aerosol, it is not recommended to take food and drink for at least one hour, so that the medicine does not flush and act as long as possible.

Caries

Everyone knows the disease. Did not expect that it also causes streptococcus? These bacteria in the oral cavity are fed by food residues, stuck in the interdental spaces. Breeding there, in the process of their life microbes secrete lactic acid. It gradually dissolves the hard enamel, which is based on calcium. The tooth loses its strength and begins to deteriorate.

Complications are few, but they are unpleasant:

- pulpitis - inflammation of the base, the core of the tooth, in which the vessels and nerves pass,

- tooth loss associated with its destruction.

There is still a disease of the oral cavity - paradontosis, which also causes streptococcal infection. Treatment of it is also necessary, otherwise you can not avoid the troubles associated with inflammation, bleeding gums and loss of teeth.

Streptodermia

This is a streptococcal lesion of the skin. Infection occurs due to penetration of the pathogen through minor lesions, cracks, abrasions, cuts. A pink spot with uneven edges appears in the lesion focus, up to 30-40 cm in diameter. Depending on the depth of the disease, the disease is divided into 2 types:

- streptococcal impetigo, which is characterized by the rapid appearance on the surface of the skin of small purulent vesicles, which, when opened, quickly dry up and disappear without a trace,

- vulgar ectima - a deep skin lesion. After the opening of the same blisters on the skin, scars are formed, the general state of health suffers and the body temperature rises to 38 degrees.

That's how a small microbe leads to a drastic change in the quality of life of a person. Due to small damage, streptococcal skin infection develops, the treatment of which requires certain efforts.

Treatment of streptococcal soft tissue infection combines common and local methods. The bandage is applied to the affected area with an antiseptic solution.

Streptococci cause pustules and smaller size than those described above. There are fans among men tearing the hairs out of the nose instead of cutting them. So on the site of damaged hair follicles are formed very painful inflamed patches. Most often they pass without suppuration, but in the absence of treatment, purulent vesicles arise. Early treatment of streptococcal infection in the nose reduces to applying to the affected area of the nose an antiseptic solution, a bactericidal ointment.

Inflammation of the genital tract

In 10-30% of healthy women, the streptococcus is sown from the mucous membrane of the genital organs. Normally, he does not discover himself, because he is under the control of the immune system. With a decrease in immunity, as well as in cases of sexual transmission of streptococcus in women, burning, itching, soreness with urination, yellowish purulent discharge, pain in the lower abdomen and a slight increase in temperature occur.

In the absence of examination and adequate treatment, the situation is aggravated, complications arise in the form of:

- erosion of the cervix, when the epithelium from the uterine cavity appears on its neck,

- endometritis - inflammation of the endometrium, inner layer of the uterus,

- Polyps, when the inner lining of the body is overgrown with a layer of epithelium lining them.

Diagnosis of the disease is carried out at the reception, to clarify the diagnosis, the method of inoculation is used with the definition of sensitivity to antibiotics.

Treatment of streptococcal infection in gynecology is quite a frequent phenomenon due to the wide spread of this microbe. He needs a small crack, a small wound, to penetrate immediately, not only into the skin or mucous membrane, but also much deeper. There are a lot of situations in which the gates of this infection open: every menses, births expose the inside of the uterus, which becomes a huge wound surface, not to mention injuries to the cervix, vagina and perineum. Even sex can be accompanied by damage to the mucous membrane and skin.

Diseases, the occurrence of which provokes streptococcus

These include rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic vasculitis and glomerulonephritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis

It arises from the formation of immune complexes. In this case, they are deposited in the joint cavity, damage the cartilage and do not fully function. Inflamed cells of the joint secrete enzymes that further melt the cartilage, which ultimately leads to its complete destruction. In the pathological process, mostly small joints of the hands, fingers and toes are involved. The patient feels stiffness in the movements of the affected joints, especially in the morning.

Complications are the accumulation of pus in the cavity of the affected joint and kidney failure.

Streptococcal infections in infants

From the very first days of life, a small man is susceptible to a streptococcal infection. Infection can occur in utero through the mother's blood, while passing through the pathogens infected by this microorganism, and also in the first hours and days of extra-uterine life from patients or carriers. Immature immune system of the baby is not able to resist microbes.

There are several serious diseases in which the baby suffers greatly and may even die.

Streptodermia and vulgar ecthima are skin lesions of the child, leaving deep scars on thin delicate skin. Complications of these diseases can be lymphangitis and lymphadenitis (purulent inflammation of the lymphatic vessels and nodes, respectively).

Sepsis - circulation in large quantities of streptococcus in the blood, with the formation of purulent foci in any organs and tissues. The course of the disease is very difficult and even with timely medical intervention, the mortality rate reaches 20%.

Meningitis is a purulent inflammation of the hard and soft meninges, which leads to a disruption in the functioning of the brain. Mortality reaches 15%, and persistent long-term consequences of brain damage occur in 40% of children.

Pneumonia is a disease of the main body responsible for oxygenation of the blood and removal of carbon dioxide. Streptococcus affects the alveoli of the lungs. They become inflamed, swell and cease to perform respiratory function. With the timely initiation of treatment, the disease can be cured, but still mortality occurs here, reaching 0.5%.

Necrotic fasciitis is a very serious disease in which connective tissue membranes are affected, in which the muscles, vascular bundles and internal organs are "dressed". It is manifested by the wooden densification of the soft tissues of the baby. With this disease, the mortality rate reaches 25%.

This is how severe streptococcal infection occurs in children, whose treatment should be started immediately if there is a suspicion of streptococcal infection.

Diagnosis of streptococcal infection

Diagnosis begins at the stage of the visit of a sick person to a doctor.

At the reception the doctor examines the patient, collects information about complaints, symptoms of the disease and the prescription of their appearance, selects the best diagnostic methods and prescribes treatment.

Laboratory and instrumental methods of diagnosis of streptococcal infection

Of course, the doctor will prescribe a study of general blood and urine tests, but they can not help in separating streptococcal infection from any other, so the methods of seeding the microbe on the nutrient medium and determining the sensitivity of the microbe to antibiotics are used.

Depending on the focus of the lesion, for the study take separable wounds, the contents of abscesses, joints, mucus from the nose, pharynx, vagina, cervical canal and cerebrospinal fluid - cerebrospinal fluid.

To determine the sensitivity to antibiotics, small discs moistened with various antibiotics are placed on a laboratory dish sown with microbes, and after 8-10 hours the results are evaluated. By the absence of a growth zone or a small number of microbes around the disc, the most destructive antibiotics for streptococci are determined. This method of research takes 2-5 days.

Treatment of streptococcal infection

The most reliable, fast and effective is antibiotic treatment.

Regardless of the location of the pathological process, they are necessarily included in the treatment regimen.

If at the reception the doctor decides that the patient who has applied for medical treatment of the patient has a streptococcal infection, the treatment is prescribed by one of the drugs from the penicillin or cephalosporin series. In some situations, it is difficult to distinguish the causative agent, since a similar clinic can cause staphylococcal and streptococcal infection, treatment in this case is still prescribed by an antibiotic from the two indicated series.

After establishing the sensitivity of the microbe to antibiotics, if streptococcal infection continues, antibiotic treatment is adjusted.

There are people who categorically refuse antibiotic treatment and use only folk remedies. In this case it is permissible to use herbs as auxiliary methods of treatment, but not basic ones.

Too treacherous streptococcal infection, treatment with folk remedies without antibiotics leads to life-threatening complications, disability and death.

Treatment of streptococcal infection is not so difficult. It is important to seek medical help on time, diagnose and begin proper treatment.