Diphtheria in children is an acute disease provoked by the ingestion of an infectious agent. Pathology is considered severe, is a danger to life. In a patient, the organs of the respiratory system become inflamed, the foci are quite large, at the same time the eyes and skin are affected. As a rule, an infectious agent affects the genitals. Self-treatment of such a problem can easily cause death or numerous severe complications, irreversible he alth problems. Diphtheria is treated only by qualified doctors. At the first suspicion of a disease, you should immediately seek the help of a specialist. To clarify the presence of the disease at the reception, the doctor takes a swab from the throat of the ballroom. To prevent diphtheria infection, you should get vaccinated on time. At present, in our country it is available to everyone, the vaccine is made completelyfree.
Where did the trouble come from?
If a child falls ill with diphtheria, it means that a colony of corynebacteria, known to science under the second name "diphtheria bacillus", has developed in the body. This infectious agent is not only dangerous, but also tenacious - he is not afraid of freezing, drying. Once hit on an object used in everyday life, a microscopic pest waits a long time and patiently for the opportunity to move into the human body. The most effective method of destroying the danger is boiling. Just one minute allows you to completely get rid of infectious colonies. A ten-minute disinfection using chloramine, hydrogen peroxide, is another reliable way to eliminate disease-causing life forms from household items.
Most often, the symptoms of diphtheria requiring urgent treatment in children are observed against the background of contact with a carrier of an infectious agent or a sick person. The incubation period lasts only three days. As soon as the first signs of infection are observed, the child himself becomes a source of danger to others. He spreads harmful microbes around him until the moment of complete recovery. Mostly from person to person, bacteria are transmitted by airborne droplets, somewhat less often through household items. The typical route of entry into the body is through the larynx, nasal cavity.
Forms and varieties
The division into types is based on the degree of damage to different organs. There is diphtheria of the pharynx in children, the larynx and the nasal cavity. The disease may be concentrated inorgans of vision, reproductive system, in the ear. Each variant of localization of the inflammatory process requires its own unique approach to therapy. The most common type in young children is laryngeal diphtheria. In some patients, the inflammatory process is isolated, in others, lesions are observed first in one organ, after which new foci appear in other parts of the body. Gradually, the diphtheria film spreads to the larynx, covers the glottis. This makes breathing difficult. To clarify the features of the case, the doctor takes a smear, sends samples of organic tissues for laboratory testing.
The first symptom of diphtheria in children is fever. As a rule, the temperature reaches 38 degrees. The child coughs, the voice becomes hoarse. Over time, the cough transforms into barking, and after a couple of days from the onset of the disease, breathing is accompanied by a whistle, which is given to the patient with difficulty. In the absence of adequate treatment, the fever subsides over time, but this only indicates the progress of the pathology. The patient breathes arrhythmically, possible: uncontrolled stool, urination, loss of consciousness, convulsive state. If you do not provide emergency medical care, there is a high probability of death due to suffocation.
Shape features: nose, mouth affected
Sometimes the symptoms of diphtheria in children indicate a nose lesion. This disease is also quite widespread among young children. As with any other localization, the disease manifests itself primarily with fever. The child breathes with difficulty, the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity swell, the tissues become inflamed,and one of the nostrils oozes a discharge that looks like an ichor. In general, the symptoms are similar to any infectious diseases, so many people confuse diphtheria with a cold or flu. This is what leads to the launch of the case - they do not turn to the doctor in time, hoping that the disease will pass by itself. The fever is accompanied by weakness, lack of appetite, often the child simply cannot clearly explain the sensations that disturb him, and the disease is mistaken for seasonal SARS. One of the main symptoms of diphtheria is a sharp, severe sore throat.
If the most striking sign of diphtheria in children is a fibrous film visible to the eye when examining the oral cavity, it makes sense to assume an inflammatory process localized on the tonsils. These organs are covered with a gray coating, it is almost impossible to remove it. Already such a symptom is enough to reasonably suspect diphtheria. The disease exists in two forms: complete film coverage, islets. Visually, they differ in the location of the plaque - it can cover the tonsils completely or cover individual limited areas. In some, diphtheria is primarily manifested in the tongue, palate. It happens that the manifestations are most pronounced on the pharynx (back wall). First, a transparent film is formed, after which the hue changes to white, the density increases.
Symptomatology: what else is possible?
Signs of diphtheria in children include swelling of the neck and lethargy. The patient practically does not move, suffers from fever, and the lymph nodes gradually increase. The disease is accompanied by headache. Graduallyswelling from the neck passes to the collarbones. The larger the area covered, the worse the patient's condition, the higher the risk to life. As a rule, the patient's lips are dry, the skin is pale, breathing is rapid and noisy. The nose becomes a source of uncontrollably discharged fluid. The fact that the baby is in particular danger is indicated by a convulsive state.
If children were not vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus in time, the disease is very difficult from the moment of infection, the symptoms progress rapidly, the pathology leads to numerous serious complications. If the vaccine has been received, the disease as such does not begin, but the baby becomes a carrier of an infectious agent. If the pathology still begins, the symptoms are limited, not so pronounced. The latent period of an infectious agent is from a couple of days to a week and a half.
Diphtheria or tonsillitis?
As mentioned above, the main symptom of the disease is a severe sore throat, but it is he who is also characteristic of sore throat, which leads to confusion. In order to understand at home what the child got sick with, you should carefully examine the baby. If diphtheria begins, children can notice a white film-like coating on the tonsils. But angina provokes a pronounced inflammatory process, so the organs acquire a reddish tint. It is possible to release pus, a plaque of a yellow tint. With angina, plaque is observed on the tongue, the tongue swells, the pharynx turns red. If diphtheria has begun, then the inflammatory process covers not only the tonsils, but also the sky, but this is anginatotally out of character.
Feature of angina is a strong, sharp pain when trying to swallow food, so the patient completely loses his appetite. Diphtheria in children is not accompanied by such sensations, only discomfort is disturbing in the throat, and appetite disappears for other reasons. However, both diseases should not be tried to be cured at home - the risk of complications is high. Both tonsillitis and diphtheria pose a threat to the patient's life, therefore, with manifestations of pathology, it is necessary to get an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible. The baby will be sent for tests, a tissue sample will be taken from the pharynx, which will make it possible to establish exactly what the child is sick with and how to treat it.
What is dangerous?
Diphtheria in children is a serious disease that provokes numerous complications. If adequate treatment is not started on time, an infectious agent can infect various internal organs. Children who have not been vaccinated are at particular risk. Against the background of diphtheria, kidney damage, a negative effect on the nervous system and pneumonia, which occurs in a very severe form, are possible. Diphtheria can cause toxic shock, accompanied by high fever, muscle pain, and vomiting. The child is dizzy, possibly fainting. There are cases when diphtheria provoked damage to the heart muscle. All the described complications are dangerous not only for he alth, but for the life of the patient, and the only way to prevent serious consequences is to get to the clinic on time.
What to do?
Every responsible parent shouldknow what the symptoms, treatment, prevention of diphtheria in children are, in order to take all measures to protect the he alth of your child, and in case of infection, to minimize the negative consequences of the disease. As mentioned above, at the first suspicion of a disease, you should consult a doctor. If the doctor shares the concerns about the diagnosis, the baby is immediately sent to the infectious diseases department of the local hospital and samples of organic tissues are checked in the laboratory. If diphtheria is confirmed, specialized serum should be administered urgently. Only on the basis of the results of this event, observing the response of the body, it is possible to make predictions regarding recovery, possible complications.
If the disease is severe, a complex form has developed, the treatment of diphtheria in children involves the use of highly concentrated medicated whey products. The choice of dose remains with the attending physician. The introduction of the drug is necessary immediately, as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. As a rule, at the appointment, the doctor takes a sample from the throat and immediately sends it to the laboratory, so it will take very little time to wait for the results. If the therapy was chosen successfully, the concentration of the agent was chosen correctly, the plaque gradually disappears. The patient is prescribed a course of antimicrobial drugs that help stop the activity of pathological agents. Additionally, pre-, probiotics are usually prescribed to minimize the negative impact on the intestinal tract.
How not to get sick?
Prophylaxis of diphtheria in children involves vaccination. Vaccination is the most effective way of immunization. Every modern child should receive it. Such a measure allows not only to ensure a he althy, happy future for the baby, but for the whole family as a whole. The essence of vaccination is the introduction into the body of a weakened source of the disease. Scientific research has made it possible to identify at what age exactly how diphtheria toxoids should be administered in order to achieve the maximum effect, and at the same time not face a negative response of the body.
The first diphtheria vaccine is given to children at the age of three months. It is necessary to introduce anatoxins three times. Between approaches make time intervals - one and a half months. Re-vaccination is required at the age of two. As a rule, shortly after the injection, the child begins to have a fever, the injection site swells, and he alth may worsen. These reactions are explained by the active struggle of the immune system with microbes. Since the infectious agent enters the body in a weakened form, the vaccine does not provoke such a severe reaction as a normal infection.
Another preventive measure to protect the environment from infection is the urgent hospitalization of patients, carriers of pathology. Quarantine measures are being taken to ensure a high level of security. This helps reduce risks for he althy people.
Some features of the disease
More often diphtheria in children occurs at the age of 3-7 years. A breastfed baby has passive maternal immunity, which minimizes the risks. From the age of seven and older, a person acquires resistance to an infectious agent, which makes the chances of infectionlow enough. The danger of the disease is explained by the ability of the agent to generate exotoxins, enzyme compounds, factors that provoke necrotic processes, and liquefaction of organic tissues. If the toxin enters a living cell, it leads to intoxication and has a strong negative local effect. Diphtheria is necrotic processes in the epithelium, leading to an increase in the permeability of the vascular walls and a slowdown in blood flow, which makes it possible to release exudate saturated with fibrin through the vascular walls. The process is reflected by the formation of the very film by which diphtheria can be identified by visual inspection.
If a 7-year-old child was not vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria in a timely manner, the baby became infected, with a mild form, a complete cure is possible in just a week. If diphtheria is localized, there may be no complications, but an incorrectly chosen therapeutic program significantly increases the risk of such complications. If the disease proceeds in a moderate form, when you try to remove plaque, the surfaces of the throat will bleed. If timely treatment is not started, the disease will soon turn into a severe form. You can notice diphtheria by the characteristic sweet smell from the mouth. If the infection is severe, the plaque is quite dense. With the right treatment, fever subsides after four days, plaque may disappear in a week. In the absence of therapy or an unsuccessfully selected program, there is a high probability of numerous complications, including damage to the heart muscle.
Specific forms of the disease
If children were not vaccinated against diphtheria on time, the development of the disease according to a subtoxic scenario is possible. This option is relatively safe, since the symptoms are not too pronounced. The opposite option is hypertoxic, when the pathology develops at lightning speed, very quickly there is a failure of the heart and blood vessels. Already on the second day of illness, the probability of death is high. If on the fourth day of illness a rash appears on the skin, a hemorrhagic form of diphtheria is diagnosed. In addition to the skin, rashes are observed on the surface of the mucous membranes. The patient is concerned about nosebleeds, myocarditis, blood is secreted in the gastrointestinal tract, from the gums. The consequences of this form are also assessed as very severe.
When a disease is detected, it is necessary to introduce a special serum as soon as possible. The method of using the drug was developed by Bezredke. First, an injection is given under the skin in the amount of 0.1 ml of the diluted composition, after another third of an hour, a similar volume is injected, but of an undiluted substance. If tolerance is normal, after half an hour (sometimes the waiting period is doubled), an injection is given with the remnants of the medication. Therapy is continued until the plaque disappears completely. The effectiveness of such treatment will show only in combination with antimicrobial drugs. In addition, antihistamine, glucocorticoid, bronchial dilators are prescribed, and infusion treatment is carried out.
Features of vaccinations
Usually, children are vaccinated against diphtheria with a complex preparation,helping to acquire immunity to several pathogens at once. The classic version is a combination of diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough toxoids. Since the agents are introduced into the body in a weakened form, this usually does not provoke any problems. If the child has already had whooping cough or has a very weak immune system, vaccination is carried out using a specialized composition of ADS-M, designed specifically for such children. All the features, the timing of vaccination are prescribed in the generally accepted national calendar, indicating mandatory preventive vaccinations on the territory of our country.
Vaccination against diphtheria for children 7 years old is given with ADS-M. In the future, it is necessary to undergo repeated vaccination at intervals of once a decade. The same weakened ADS-M preparation is used. There are certain contraindications for its use. In order not to encounter side effects, you need to take them all into account. In particular, you can not be vaccinated during the period of influenza, SARS. An injection is not given to a child if the body is infected or inflammatory foci are found. If an injection has already been given that caused a strong negative response to the body, re-vaccination is not done. But, for example, the period when teeth are cut does not impose any restrictions. Other special conditions of the child do not play a role.
Vaccine: safe and secure
It has already been indicated above when children are vaccinated against diphtheria: the first injection must be given already at the age of three months, after which it should be repeated regularlyinjections. The task of parents is to control the state of the child after the drug received. If the injection caused a strong fever, vomiting, stool disorders, if the seal at the injection site is large, it hurts, you should consult a doctor. The doctor will examine the patient and formulate whether it is the individual characteristics of the body or qualified intervention is needed, the child needs medical help.
Despite the fact that the side effects of the diphtheria vaccine in children are quite negative, if the rules for using the drug are followed, they occur only in a small percentage of cases. Indeed, the described symptoms are quite unpleasant, but in any case they are much easier and safer than the manifestations of the disease. Do not forget about the complications that diphtheria can provoke: they are much more dangerous than the discomfort suffered after the injection of the drug. Some kids are very worried after the injection. This feature is also a reason to consult a doctor. And yet, there is no need to panic beyond measure: side effects, of course, require a doctor to examine the baby, but in most cases do not indicate a danger to the child.
What else to look out for?
Sometimes it happens that parents consciously refuse to vaccinate their children against diphtheria. Adverse reactions frighten many, people hope that it is their child who will bypass the infection. If it was decided to refuse the vaccine, but the child became ill, it is very important to thoroughly disinfect all surfaces in the house, as well ashousehold items, linen with which the patient had contact. If the baby recovers, he acquires unstable immunity, there is a risk of re-disease over time. If diphtheria is observed a second time, it usually proceeds easier, toxicosis of the body and local manifestations are rather weak. However, this is not a reason to treat the child on their own, at home - in any case, qualified medical assistance is needed.
