Until recently, polio was considered a "disease from the past", as it was extremely rare. But in connection with new outbreaks of the disease in different regions, the questions are: "What is polio?" and "How can you protect yourself from it?" again on everyone's lips.
It is important to delve deeper into this topic in order to do our best to keep our children safe.
Poliovirus and polio
So what is polio? This is an acute illness caused by the poliovirus. It affects the gray matter of the spinal cord and other parts of the central nervous system. The virus multiplies in the cytoplasm of affected cells.
As a rule, the disease is diagnosed in young children, less often in adolescents.
Classification of poliomyelitis
Polio can be classified according to several parameters, depending on the type, severity and nature of the course of the disease.
1. By type, the infection can be divided into two forms:
- typical, duringwhich affects the central nervous system;
- atypical, when the disease resolves without visible symptoms ("minor illness").
2. According to the severity of the disease, poliomyelitis can be divided into three types:
- heavy form;
- moderate;
- light form.
At the same time, only a doctor can determine the severity by assessing the volume of motor disorders and determining how severe the intoxication is.
3. By the nature of the course of the disease can be:
- smooth when it passes without any complications;
- unsmooth, during which there are complications in the form of exacerbation of chronic diseases, the addition of a secondary infection, etc.
Causes and ways of spreading the disease
Poliovirus, which is the causative agent of poliomyelitis, is of three types. They are designated by Roman numerals I, II and III.
Sources of infection: polio patients and carriers of the virus.
The virus is transmitted in three ways:
- Airborne. If a patient or carrier of an infection has a pathogen in the pharyngeal mucus, during a cough or sneeze, the polio virus can enter the respiratory tract of a he althy person and provoke the development of the disease.
- Oral-fecal route. In this case, infection occurs due to the consumption of unboiled milk with the virus, unwashed fresh vegetables or fruits. The virus can get on food from the feces of a sick person with the help of carriers - flies.
- In a domestic way. The virus is transmitted by sharing household items and shared utensils.
How to identify polio in a child
The incubation period of the disease lasts an average of 8 to 12 days. Although there are situations when it can take from 5 to 35 days. That is how much time passes from the moment of infection to the appearance of the first signs of the disease. At the same time, pronounced symptoms of poliomyelitis in children occur only in 10% of patients. In other cases, a possible disease can be found out only by conducting clinical studies.
Before considering the symptoms, you need to remember what polio is and what types it is divided into, since the accompanying symptoms will differ depending on the type of disease.
During an atypical form of infection ("minor illness"), the symptoms of polio in children will be as follows:
- a sharp short-term increase in body temperature to 39-40 degrees;
- moderate intoxication of the body, which manifests itself in the form of diarrhea and vomiting;
- headaches;
- abdominal pain;
- general ailments;
- drowsiness or insomnia;
- excessive sweating.
In addition, you may experience a runny nose and sore throat.
Atypical (or abortive) form of infection can often be confused with any other viral disease, as there are no characteristic signs of polio.
If the "minor disease" does not progress to the next(pre-paralytic) stage, after 3-7 days the child recovers completely.
If a child has contracted a typical form of infection, the "small illness" phase smoothly turns into a "major illness" and is accompanied by additional symptoms:
- increased headache;
- back and neck pain;
- pain in limbs;
- increased muscle fatigue.
Clinical examinations and tests during this stage show an increase in cerebrospinal fluid pressure, a decrease in protein levels in the body, an increase in the number of white blood cells.
In the absence of paralysis, body temperature returns to normal by the end of the second week of illness, and by the end of the third, all other symptoms completely disappear.
The disease passes into a paralytic form only in 1 case out of 1000. Then the following are added to the main symptoms:
- muscle twitches;
- urinary retention;
- appearance of paresis and paralysis of the muscles of the limbs and torso.
Depending on the affected part of the spinal cord, paralysis can occur in the lumbar, thoracic or cervical regions. The most common is lumbar paralysis.
The end of the paralytic period is accompanied by a curvature of the spine, deformation and shortening of the limbs, which leads to their complete incapacity.
Complications and consequences after polio
If polio was abortive, no negativehe will not bear the consequences and in no way affect the future life of the child.
If the disease has passed into the phase of paralysis, the situation for the patient becomes critical. When the spinal cord is damaged, its size is significantly reduced, and the motor abilities of the limbs are reduced. In cases of untimely or complete absence of the necessary treatment, a person becomes disabled for life due to muscle atrophy and paresis.
If paralysis reaches the thoracic region, even death is possible due to the delay in breathing that occurs during paralysis of the intercostal muscles and diaphragm.
Polio treatment
Treatment is carried out exclusively in a hospital.
There is no specific cure for polio, so treatment is symptomatic. The patient is regularly brought down with high temperature, painkillers and sedatives are injected. In addition, a course of vitamin therapy (vitamins B6, B12, B1, C), amino acids, gamma globulin is prescribed.
During the acute stage of the disease, patients are shown strict bed rest for up to 3 weeks.
If there is paralysis of the thoracic region, the patient is placed on mechanical ventilation.
Great attention is paid to paralyzed limbs and the spine. Doctors make sure that all parts of the body are in a natural position.
The legs are placed parallel to each other, rollers are placed under the knees and hip joints. The feet should be perpendicular to the shins, for this, under the solesa thick pillow is placed.
Arms spread apart and bent at the elbows at an angle of 90 degrees.
To improve neuromuscular conduction, the patient is prescribed Neuromidin, Dibazol, Prozerin.
In the infectious diseases department, treatment lasts about 2-3 weeks. This is followed by a recovery period - first in the hospital, then on an outpatient basis. Recovery consists of classes with an orthopedist, water procedures, therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy.
Spa treatment recommended after polio.
Polio prevention
It is important to remember that a patient with polio must be isolated from others for a period of at least 6 weeks, as he is a carrier of the virus.
To protect yourself from this disease, we must not forget about the causes of its occurrence (if it is not an epidemic). All vegetables and fruits eaten should be washed well under clean running water. Be sure to wash your hands (preferably with soap) before eating and after walking outside and using the toilet.
Unfortunately, the above measures only reduce the likelihood of the disease, but do not protect against it. The most effective and effective method of protection against the virus remains the development of immunity against polio. This is achieved thanks to modern vaccination, which begins to be carried out in the first months of a baby's life.
Polio vaccines
Vaccination is one of the main ways to prevent polio.
There are two types of vaccines:
- OPV (attenuated poliovirus) - live poliovirus (Sabin vaccine).
- IPV (inactivated poliovirus) - contains formalin-killed polioviruses.
Each of the types of vaccines has its own characteristics and contraindications, so it is worth considering each of them separately.
OPV vaccine
OPV vaccination is carried out by instilling 2-4 drops of the drug into the baby's mouth (on the lymphoid tissue of the pharynx or tonsil, depending on the child's age).
So that the vaccine does not go into the stomach, after drops of polio, you can not feed and water the child for one hour.
Before vaccination, it is forbidden to introduce new foods into the child's diet.
Pre-purchase antipyretic and anti-allergic drugs before vaccination.
As a precautionary measure, you should not kiss the baby on the lips for some time after vaccination and it is imperative to wash your hands after hygiene procedures and washing the baby.
OPV vaccination is contraindicated if:
- child or family members have congenital immunodeficiency or HIV;
- there are pregnant or lactating women in the environment;
- baby's parents are planning another pregnancy;
- had side effects from a previous OPV vaccination;
- I'm allergic to vaccine ingredients (streptomycin, polymyxin B, neomycin).
Many parents are interested in the question of whether it is possible to do polio(vaccination) when a child is diagnosed with an infectious or viral disease. The answer is unequivocal: no! In this case, the vaccine is given only after recovery.
IPV vaccine
IPV is injected into the body subcutaneously or intramuscularly. It is shown in cases where:
- a child has weak immunity from birth;
- the child has a pregnant mother.
Also, this vaccine is used by he althcare workers who often come into contact with patients.
Before vaccination, it is necessary to check the presence of antiallergenic drugs and antipyretic drugs in the first-aid kit.
It is forbidden to introduce new foods into the diet to avoid a possible allergic reaction.
Polio (vaccination): complications and side effects
If the following effects occur, no medical attention is required:
- nausea, vomiting or diarrhea (single use);
- increased nervousness;
- swelling or pain at the injection site;
- headache;
- temperature after polio vaccination - can reach 38.5 degrees.
To help the child and improve his well-being, you need to give him an antipyretic in the form of a suspension or a paracetamol suppository. As a rule, as soon as the temperature drops to normal, the accompanying symptoms of malaise also disappear: nausea, vomiting, headaches, aching muscles.
In some cases, the doctor advises giving the child an antipyreticproduct immediately upon returning home, without waiting for the temperature to rise.
However, there are situations when you need to see a doctor or call an ambulance as soon as possible:
- child has shortness of breath or difficulty breathing;
- temperature has risen above 39 degrees and is not going astray with antipyretics;
- the child became lethargic and inactive;
- the baby has drowsiness and apathy;
- itching or urticaria appeared at the vaccination site or all over the body;
- even slight swelling of the face or eyes appeared;
- have difficulty swallowing.
Vaccinating Polio: Children's Immunization Schedule
Vaccination against polio is carried out according to the schedule approved by the Ministry of He alth:
1. The first injection for diphtheria and polio is given to a child at the age of three months.
2. The second injection is given 45 days after the first - at 4.5 months.
3. The third and final shot of the polio vaccine is given when the child is 6 years old.
Revaccination as a mandatory component of protection against disease
The polio revaccination procedure helps develop lifelong immunity to the disease in a child. It is done at the age of 18 and 24 months, and after - at 6 years, after the last vaccination.
Surveys have shown that after vaccinations with DTP and polio, the probability of the disease approaches zero. This proves once againeffectiveness of vaccination, and parents of vaccinated children know what polio is only theoretically and, fortunately, will never see its manifestations in practice.
