Rotavirus infection signs in children. Vomiting virus infection

The people behind rotavirus infection have long taken root the name "intestinal" or "stomach" flu. This disease is caused by a completely different type of virus, but often has the initial symptoms of SARS.

Rotavirus infection in children occurs exclusively in case of contact with the pathogen. This happens through dirty hands, toys, after touching door handles, handrails or eating food from infected dishes. There are still some controversial issues regarding the transmission of the virus - many defend the likelihood of infection by airborne droplets.

Children have a high risk of contracting infection in a pre-school or educational institution, on a playground, a walk or in an extended day group. There is a likelihood of infection by drinking unboiled water with the virions of the virus or by bathing in water.

Parents should try to protect the child from rotavirus infection, forming the right hygiene skills, strengthening immunity and eliminating contact with infected people. We must not forget that you can get infected from a visually healthy adult human carrier virus, so high-quality prevention can prevent infection.

Many of the parents do not even know how many days the disease lasts and how to treat rotavirus in children of different ages. They are also not familiar with the symptoms, although the disease is quite dangerous and fraught with serious consequences, even death.

Note.   This disease is most dangerous for children from 6 to 24 months, with artificial feeding - from birth.

Symptoms

Rotavirus in children is always more aggressive than in adults. Many adults may not even realize that they are sick - a mild cold and an isolated case in no way associated with a dangerous disease for children. Such people become virus carriers, infecting others.

Symptoms in children under one year old can be extremely acute. Older children are much easier to tolerate the disease, they rarely experience attacks of vomiting, and diarrhea is less pronounced.

A rash with the disease is absent, if emerging rashes are detected, it is urgent to notify the doctor about their presence. This may signal other, more dangerous infections.

Rotavirus is characterized by 3 types of symptoms: gastrointestinal, catarrhal and intoxication.

Gastrointestinal:

• vomiting
• diarrhea (diarrhea);
• moderate abdominal pain.

Catarrhal:

• sore throat and redness of the pharynx;
• fever, redness of the eyes;
• tonsil edema, slight cough.

Intoxication:

• lethargy, drowsiness;
• lack of appetite;
• pronounced immobility;
• smell of acetone from the sick.

In children with rotavirus infection, the temperature often jumps to 40 ° C, but in most cases ranges from 38.5-39.7 ° C. Vomiting (only in the first 2 days of the acute period) may be single or occur after each fluid intake. Fetid diarrhea is also variable - loose stools are possible from 5-7 times to 20 in severe cases of the disease.

These symptoms do not occur immediately, but increase as the disease progresses. You need to know how the infection begins to manifest - in different children, it can give different symptoms. One baby will be lethargic without intestinal upsets, the other may immediately demonstrate uncontrollable.

Disease onset

The incubation period of most rotaviruses lasts from 1 to 5 days, often not exceeding 24 hours. The timing depends on the age of the baby, his immunity and the volume of the attacked virus. It is possible to accurately diagnose the disease with the help of fecal analysis in a medical institution or with the use of a company-test, which is sold in pharmacies.

The initial stages of the disease are divided into three types:

1. Catarrh.
2. Classical
3. Intoxication.

Often the disease at first masked as ARI, the common cold. There is a slight cough, nasal congestion or redness of the pharynx, disturbances in the digestive tract begin after 2-3 days. In the second scenario, the gastrointestinal disturbances immediately begin to appear in the babies.

General intoxication in the third form of the onset of the disease occurs without fever, the baby is either sluggish or too excited, the nasopharynx is normal, but soon they join. If the infant becomes lethargic for no particular reason, you should be on your guard - the intoxication onset of the disease is most often observed in such children.

Attention!   Adults and adolescents are less susceptible to the disease due to the higher acidity of the gastric juice. Symptoms in case of infection are erased, loose stools 1-2 times, vomiting may be absent, but such a person becomes a carrier of infection.

Parents should know all the signs of rotavirus infection and remember that the disease not only starts in different ways - it is also extremely contagious. They should also understand how to treat a rotavirus infection in a child and is not frivolous about this disease.

Treatment

Rotavirus infection may show a different course of the disease, but the whole treatment consists of 2 actions - rehydration and a decrease in the activity of the virus. Often, treatment of rotavirus in children may require the use of antipyretic drugs. This medicine should be taken at a temperature exceeding 38.5 ° C and avoid the use of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).

Attention!   Illiterate treatment at home without contacting specialists is fraught with the appearance of dangerous complications and the likelihood of death.

The treatment regimen depends on the severity of the disease, the patient's age and location, but always includes antiviral drugs and heavy drinking. Absorbent agents are also prescribed to reduce the intoxication of the body. Treatment can take place both at home and in a hospital setting.

Ambulatory

Treatment at home necessarily requires treatment by doctors. As prescribed by the doctor, the following groups of drugs are used:

1. Antiviral - Viferon, Interferon.
2. Rehydration - Rehydron, Gluxonal.
3. Absorbent - Enterosgel, Smecta.
4. Antidiarrheal antibacterial agents - Enterofuril, Enterol.
5. Pro- and prebiotics - Linex, Hilak.

Without consulting a doctor, it is undesirable to give any medications except absorbent ones. Before examining a doctor, it is better to give the patient a simple boiled water.

Antidiarrheal drugs and preparations for the restoration of microflora are not always prescribed during the acute period. After its completion, along with beneficial bacteria, enzyme preparations are sometimes prescribed - Pancreatin, Creon.

Important!   It is strictly forbidden to give antidiarrheal drugs to the infected without a doctor's prescription. Also, in the absence of direct indications, antibiotics should not be taken. They do not affect the virus, but can harm the intestinal microflora. They are prescribed only with an obvious or diagnosed attachment of a bacterial infection.

Parents believe that with home treatment, it is enough to know how long the rotavirus infection lasts to make sure that the disease is overcome. This is the wrong approach - recovery can only be diagnosed by reanalysis for the absence of rotavirus.

Often parents specify - how many times children get rotavirus, because there is a concept of the “second wave” - after 5-7 days the patient gets better, and after 1-3 days the symptoms reappear. In an infectious diseases hospital, an analysis is always done at discharge to exclude this phenomenon.

Inpatient treatment

The younger the baby, the more likely it is to get into the hospital - for them, the disease is most dangerous. Severely ill patients and children with severe dehydration also get to the hospital. In other cases, treatment at home is acceptable, but all residents should be extremely careful and be sure to take tests for the absence of virus virions.

Advice!   Do not neglect hospitalization for rotavirus infection - more than 400 thousand child deaths from this disease are recorded annually worldwide.

Not knowing how much the child is contagious after rotavirus, some parents are in a hurry to leave the hospital as soon as possible. At the same time, the likelihood of infection of others remains - the sick person is contagious from the first day until complete recovery. The most likely duration of treatment in the hospital is 4-7 days, followed by a study of feces for the content of virus virions in it.

The disease is divided into 3 periods:

1. Incubation - up to a maximum of 5 days.
2. Acute - uncomplicated 3-7 days.
3. Recovery - 4-5 days.

Being in the hospital for the entire duration of the passage is optional, but with severe dehydration is vital. The final recovery is diagnosed by laboratory tests, and not by improving the patient's well-being.

Folk ways

Various non-medical methods can also help the patient recover faster or more easily suffer the disease. They can also help restore a child after rotavirus. They cannot be relied solely on, but their use is permissible as an aid.

• dill water;
• st. John's wort broth;
• chamomile tea;
• unsweetened compote of dried fruits or raisins.

Some recommend taking a decoction of oak bark, but this remedy has a pronounced antidiarrheal effect, which is contraindicated in rotavirus infection. Many other recommended collections and decoctions also have antidiarrheal effects - their use can be life-threatening due to the excessive reproduction of the virus. St. John's wort broth also deserves special attention - children under 3 years of age should not take it.

Wiping with water and vinegar or alcohol is recommended even by pediatricians. The temperature during rotavirus infection does not go off well, can remain high for several days, and such procedures help to slightly reduce it and make the patient better.

A complete treatment for rotavirus infection in children includes a mandatory diet. You need to know what you can eat during an illness - proper nutrition is the key to a quick recovery.

Features of drinking and nutrition

If you do not know what to feed your baby with rotavirus infection, then you can do great harm. Be sure to exclude all dairy products.

Children who are breast-fed must be transferred to lactose-free mixtures. Breast milk is an exception, but in case of critical dehydration it is also prohibited. In order to avoid new attacks of vomiting, it is necessary to properly drink the children.

Features of fluid intake:

1. Often in small portions.
2. Around the clock, wake up - if sleeping.
3. Pause between fluid intake.
4. Observe the gradual increase in drinking volumes.

Infants during the acute period need to be drunk every few minutes from a spoon, maintaining intervals. Even if the baby is very thirsty, do not give more than 50 ml at a time. Before the next portion you need to pause. Uniform fluid intake is much more important than food - the baby can refuse food for a while. In case of refusal it is impossible to feed the children by force; full starvation is permissible.

To avoid the progression of the acetonemic state and leaching of salts in the drink, you can add a small amount of sugar and salt. Special agents such as Rehydron are also acceptable. A plentiful drink is urgently necessary, in case of refusal of the liquid, its intravenous administration in a hospital environment is required.

If the patient does not refuse food, then it should be dietary. During the acute period, cereals on the water, mashed vegetable purees, rice and its broth, chicken broth and crackers are allowed. A diet after rotavirus infection should also be observed - the volume and density of food should be increased gradually. At first, you should avoid milk, fatty, fried, spicy and sweet.

Complications

It is important to recognize rotavirus in a timely manner and to eliminate negative consequences. Maximum control over the entire period of the disease should be aimed at replenishing the lost volume of fluid.

Attention! If a child with rotavirus is on an outpatient basis, but responds to any fluid intake with vomiting, urgent hospitalization is required. Urgent recovery via droppers is required. Vomiting threatens catastrophic dehydration, which can lead to death.

If the child does not eat anything in the first days after rotavirus, do not worry too much and force-feed him. It is much more important to observe the drinking regime, offering frequent snacks from permitted foods, but without trying to make him eat. Correct recovery after rotavirus infection minimizes the negative impact of the disease on health.

Close attention to the well-being of children should be paid to parents if severe dehydration and the appearance of a pronounced acetone state were observed.

It is important to check the functioning of the kidneys, the following consequences are possible:

• Gasser Syndrome.
• Infectious toxic kidney.
• Acute renal failure.

If the stomach hurts after rotavirus, this is an occasion to undergo an additional examination. The disease itself usually does not cause pain after recovery, but it can damage the intestines. If the pain is combined with dark stools or, then you need to urgently seek medical help.

In most cases, the disease passes without consequences, but its course always causes severe stress for the body. To protect the child from rotavirus infection, timely prevention is necessary.

Prevention

The most important point of prevention is hygiene. It is important from infancy to teach children to wash their hands after using the toilet, returning from a walk and before eating. It is necessary to exclude the use of raw water - chlorine cannot completely overcome rotavirus. Heat treatment should be sufficient, and washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly. For children, vegetables and fruits before use are best rinsed with boiling water.

Particular attention should be paid to wet cleaning the house and the regular disinfection of children's toys, as well as the elimination of contact with babies who have respiratory symptoms. Strengthening general immunity also refers to preventive measures. In case of illness, strong immunity will make it easier to transfer the infection.

There is also a vaccine against rotavirus, but it is not included in the list of mandatory vaccines. The decision on its use is made by the parents or guardians of the child.

Rotavirus vaccine

Many parents do not know if a child can get a rotavirus again and, after the first infection, they think about vaccination. After the disease, a long-lasting immunity is formed, almost eliminating re-infection. Secondarily, only people with poor health can get sick.

2 types of vaccines can protect children from rotavirus infection. They are practiced only in infants without the slightest sign of any disease from the age of 1.5 months. Both varieties of the vaccine are relevant up to six months of age and are carried out in several stages. The Belgian drug Rotarix is \u200b\u200bavailable as a double injection, the American RotaTek is used 3 times orally.

There are many disputes about the need for this vaccination. It is not included in the list of mandatory vaccines, but it must be remembered that rotavirus has a pronounced infectivity and can be life threatening. In case of vomiting or diarrhea in a child, parents should be alert, if possible, conduct a company test purchased at a pharmacy, or call a doctor immediately.

Rotavirus infection   - This is a disease of infectious genesis, provokes the development of diarrhea, intestinal disorders. Rotavirus in children is manifested by acute onset, a combination of respiratory symptoms with moderate enteritis. It is dangerous for a small child, as it leads to dehydration.

Rotavirus infection manifests as severe diarrhea

Causes of rotavirus in children

The main cause of the infection process is a group of viral agents - rotaviruses.

There are 2 types of pathogen:

• subtype A - affects mainly children;
• subtype B - is an adult form of the disease and causes severe forms of gastroenteritis.

This is a typical disease of "dirty hands", so the path of transmission of the pathogen is exclusively oral-fecal. Rotoinfection virions are well preserved in soil, water. Infection of the child occurs in kindergarten, school, places of mass congestion of children.

Dirty hands are the main cause of infection.

Rotavirus is contagious. The disease can be single or cause an epidemic. The peak falls on the autumn-winter period. If at least 1 case of the disease is detected in the team, then within 4–5 days all those who have contact with an infected person will also encounter manifestations of rotavirus infection.

  The disease is also called intestinal flu. But this is a household name, since the pathogen does not belong to the group of influenza viruses.

Course of the disease

The virus is protected by a three-layer protein coat. It protects the pathogen from the action of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, digestive enzymes. Rotavirus affects the intestines, causing the death of the organ villi.

The disease proceeds cyclically:

1. The incubation period is 1–5 days.
2. The acute phase is from 3 days to a week in severe cases.
3. Recovery - from 4 to 5 days.

In the incubation period, the pathogen does not manifest itself. The transition to the acute phase is accompanied by characteristic symptoms - nausea, vomiting, changes in the structure and nature of feces. The second period lasts 2-3 days, then the recovery of the body begins.

During the development of the disease, nausea appears

In the recovery period, the virions of the pathogen are found in the stool of the child. Therefore, the baby remains contagious during this period.

With each episode of the disease, the patient develops specific antibodies to a specific strain of the pathogen. Therefore, subsequent infection takes place in a less pronounced form. Sometimes like a mild intestinal upset without fever and indomitable vomiting.

The first signs and symptoms of rotavirus infection

Symptoms of the disease are similar to signs of poisoning, with the only feature is the watery structure of feces.

General symptoms of rotavirus intestinal infection:

• diarrhea - up to 10-12 trips to the toilet per day;
• indomitable vomiting;
• epigastric pain;
• excessive flatulence and bloating;
• temperature increase - does not decrease when taking antipyretic drugs;
• pallor, weakness, lethargy, general intoxication;
• the child has no appetite.

Rotavirus infection causes high fever

With rotavirus, the color of the feces changes. At the initial stage of the disease, they acquire a grayish color and become sharply fetid. On day 3, feces turn yellow-gray and resemble clay in appearance.

Stool of a child with rotavirus should not contain impurities of blood, mucus, greens.

Respiratory symptoms are mild. Cough, sore throat and sore throat, rhinorrhea may occur.

Which doctor to contact

When symptoms similar to manifestations of intestinal flu appear, it follows. Treatment in this case takes place at home. In severe cases of the disease, the patient is hospitalized in the infectious ward of the hospital.

If rotavirus manifested itself in a teenager, an adult, then an infectious disease doctor is engaged in its treatment.

Diagnostics

For the diagnosis, the clinical manifestations of the disease, family history, child's age, seasonality at the time the first symptoms appear are taken into account.

To exclude intestinal infections, bacteriological feces are carried out. Additionally, fecal occult blood sampling, microscopic analysis of feces, general clinical examination of urine and blood are shown.

To identify bacteria, bacterial sowing of feces is used.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay confirms the diagnosis. It reveals viral particles, fragments of RNA of the causative agent of the disease.

Rotavirus treatment in children

There are no specific antiviral drugs to suppress rotavirus. Treatment consists of preventing dehydration, elimination of toxins, prevention of disorders of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, stopping signs of enterocolitis.

With degree 1-2 dehydration, oral administration of hydration solutions is indicated - Regidron, Glucosolan. In the third stage of dehydration, an infusion of these drugs is carried out. If the child has a stomach ache, the temperature rises to critical values, it is necessary to take antispasmodics, antipyretic drugs, enterosorbents.

Regidron is used to prevent dehydration

It is forbidden to use antibiotics in the treatment of rotovirus, since drugs of this group do not suppress viruses. Intestinal antiseptics, such as Nifuroxazide, antidiarrheal drugs are not prescribed, as they increase the duration of the disease.

The appointment of antiseptics is necessary in case of attachment of a bacterial infection.

First aid

There is no specific first aid for rotavirus infection. Parents should monitor the condition of the baby and prevent dehydration.

To do this, give the child boiled water every 10 minutes, preparations for hydration in small portions. Babies up to 2 years old use syringes without a needle to inject fluid.

In case of vomiting, continue rehydration measures at small intervals. The child should drink water in small sips.

With severe vomiting, let the baby drink water in small sips

Call an ambulance in the following cases:

• kids up to 2 years old;
• unable to stop vomiting for several hours;
• in the feces appeared mucus, blood, green inclusions;
• i can’t give the baby liquid on my own, signs of dehydration have appeared - crying without tears, last urination more than 6 hours ago;
• symptoms of botulism appeared - neurological signs of a violation of higher nervous activity - and salmonellosis - cramps in the calf muscles.

Medications

There are no specialized medications to suppress rotavirus. The treatment is symptomatic.

What medications can help deal with rotavirus infection in children:

1. Solutions for hydration - water, Regidron, Re-salt, Normohydron, Ionika.
2. Antiemetic drugs - Cerucal - blocks the vomiting center in the brain.
3. Antiviral agents - Cycloferon, Viferon by candlelight, Kipferon - these are interferon preparations. They have an immunomodulating and antiviral effect, contribute to lowering the temperature and production of specific antibodies to suppress the causative agent of the disease.
4. Sorbents - Polysorb, Activated Carbon, Filtrum, Enterodesum - bind by the adsorption products of the virus, other toxins. Drugs are not absorbed and excreted in a natural way.
5. Probiotics - Acipol, Linex, Acidolac - contain intestinal microflora. Contribute to the normalization of the balance of normal and conditionally pathogenic flora.
6. Enzymes - Creon, Mezim, Pancreatin - powders from the pancreas, contain substances that promote the absorption of food.

Polysorb is an effective sorbent drug

How to feed a baby with rotavirus

During intestinal flu, appetite either decreases or is completely absent. The diet depends on the age of the patient.

For babies of the first year of life (newborns and infants) continue to offer breasts or an adapted mixture. This will avoid dehydration. But you should not switch from breastfeeding to artificial, as this is an additional stress for the digestive system. Remove lure.

For older kids and adults, unsaturated broths, crackers made of white bread are allowed. The patient's diet should include rice and semolina mashed porridge, boiled meat.

During the illness, it is allowed to give the child a low-fat chicken broth

From drinks, decoctions of herbs, berries, unsweetened tea and cocoa on water will be an ideal option.

  Do not force-feed your baby. As soon as he begins to recover, the appetite will be restored.

Komarovsky about rotavirus infection in children

According to the doctor’s personal observations, this disease does not occur without diarrhea. And if the stomach hurts and there is no diarrhea and vomiting, one should look for another cause of the pathology.

It is better to treat the baby at home. Only in severe cases of the disease must be hospitalized in a hospital.

The effects of rotavirus

With rotavirus, not the consequences of a viral attack are terrible, but prolonged dehydration. It can provoke kidney and liver failure. Both of these conditions are serious pathologies and require hospitalization in the intensive care unit.

Long-term effects of the disease:

• blood thickening, which is fraught with diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• pathology of the peripheral nervous system, brain from a lack of glucose;
• disruptions in the production of enzymes, the operation of the digestive system;
• dysbiosis;
• violation of the process of assimilation of food.

If rotavirus infection is not treated, then serious complications are possible - pancreatitis, pancreatic necrosis, enteritis.

Rotavirus infection can cause dysbiosis

Prevention

The best way to prevent rotovirus infection is vaccination. Vaccination is compulsory in Europe and the USA. In the CIS, vaccination against the disease is a private affair of parents.

• observe hygiene - teach the child and himself to wash his hands;
• if a family member is suspected of developing intestinal flu, try to isolate him from others;
• increase nonspecific immunity.

Teach your baby to wash their hands

How to distinguish rotavirus from poisoning

Symptoms of food poisoning are similar to signs of rotavirus infection. But there are a number of characteristic differences.

Diagnostic sign	Food poisoning	Rotavirus infection
Nausea	is present	is present
Vomiting	Once to remove toxins. Brings relief.	Multiple, with periods of attenuation and renewal. It does not bring relief.
Defecation disorder	There can be both constipation and diarrhea.	Diarrhea - bowel movements up to 10 times a day.
Inclusions in feces.	Present - pieces of undigested food, blood, mucus.	In the feces there is only water.
Temperature rise	May leak without fever.	An increase in temperature is present.
Stomach ache	After vomiting, the intensity decreases	Cramps are rhythmic in nature and can persist for another 2 weeks after recovery.

Rotovirus is a common disease, you should not be afraid of it, but it is imperative to be afraid, treat it well, take medications prescribed by your doctor.

No matter how wonderful and caring parents you are, your children will certainly get rotavirus infection. Dr. Komarovsky

Signs in children. How does a rotovirus infection start?

From the first days, the child has signs:

•   lethargy, drowsiness;
• skin becomes pale;
• by the evening of the first day, the baby begins to complain of paincrampingin the tummy and nausea;
• very frequent vomiting begins, which passes into loose stools with an unpleasant sour smell;
• in children it rises to 38-40 degrees.

Respiratory symptoms include a runny nose, cough, inflammation and redness of the throat.

First aid for rotovirus in a child. What to do at home at the first sign?

Rotavirus infection, if it is not started, can be completely dealt with at home. Without hospitalization.

1.   First of all, call the local doctor, or if rotavirus is found on a day off or at night, it is better to call a pediatric emergency, as In 99% of cases, an ordinary ambulance immediately suggests taking the child to the infectious diseases hospital (take your time there if you are sure that it is rotavirus and you have only the beginning of the disease. The main thing is to assess whether you are able to prevent a strong loss of fluid in the child’s body
2. Prepare more towels and burping containers
3. Send your relatives or neighbors to the pharmacy to buy Noshpa, antipyretic, rehydron, water and a syringe, and a child is dosed to drink.

What to treat in children

Most often, the virus proceeds without complications, but subject to timely and proper treatment. Treatment consists in removing the symptoms of intoxication of the body and restoring the balance in it with diet.

It is difficult to diagnose rotavirus in infants because the baby cannot tell anything. Quite often, the first signs are rumbling in the stomach, drowsiness, crying. Only with the appearance of vomiting and signs of diarrhea can a correct diagnosis be made.
For an accurate diagnosis, laboratory diagnostics are needed - the detection of the virus in feces and vomit.

How to stop vomiting

Vomiting usually occurs with a frequency of 15-20 minutes. Only Tserukal's injection will help stop vomiting quickly. (available in tablet form - be sure to consult your doctor before use). An injection is made by an ambulance doctor. Until vomiting has stopped, do not leave the child alone and do not lay him on his back. Do not give water in large portions, all the water will immediately come out.

Temperature

Fever is a normal defensive reaction to an infection. It is necessary to bring down the temperature above 38.5, alternating antipyretic. In the event of a sharp increase in temperature, a spasm is possible, while the child turns blue and all limbs become cold. In this case, give half No-Shpa and actively rub the arms and legs

Rotovirus and intestinal infection test

To exclude options with severe forms of poisoning and other intestinal infections, it is advisable to take the test for rotavirus to the laboratory. To do this, take the feces to the nearest laboratory. The usual analysis deadline is 1 business day.

Diet

For children from 2 years of age, mashed potatoes, cereals cooked in water, baked apples, crackers are introduced into the diet. With a decrease in body intoxication, the child will have an appetite - no need to force-feed.

What drink

The most important thing in the treatment of RVI is compliance with the drinking regimen. It is necessary that the body receives a sufficient amount of fluid, which is lost at elevated temperature, diarrhea and vomiting.

For this purpose, you need a plentiful drink in the form of saline solutions (Regidron, Glucosolan)

Try to start giving water from the first days of the disease in small portions, gradually increasing the dose. It is most convenient to give water with a syringe or syringe dispenser.

With a high degree of dehydration (the child is sluggish, lethargic, refuses to drink), hospitalization is necessary in the hospital, where the right amount of liquid is injected intravenously using a dropper.

Recovery after rotavirus

To eliminate the symptoms of intoxication, enterosorbents are prescribed (Smecta, Enterosgel). These substances "collect" toxins in the intestines and remove them from the body. Drugs can be used for no more than 3-4 days, so as not to provoke constipation and not create obstacles to the elimination of toxins from the body.

In order to restore the intestinal flora, doctors prescribe probiotics - Bifiform, Linex.

The incubation period of rotavirus infection

It occurs mainly in the winter-spring period. Infection in children under 2 years of age can be quite difficult. The virus is resistant to chlorine-containing drugs and perfectly tolerates cold. The patient is a carrier of infection from the moment of contact. The duration of the incubation period (time from infection to the appearance of the first signs of the disease) depends on the state of immunity and the number of viral particles that have penetrated into the intestine. On average, it is 3-5 days.

How is rotavirus transmitted?

The main route of transmission of the pathogen is fecal-oral. Most often, it enters the body along with contaminated food or raw water. The disease is also transmitted through contaminated objects or through toys with which the sick child played.

Rotavirus infection is one of the most contagious and common diseases among young children.. Adults, even those who have had this disease in childhood, also do not have immunity from intestinal flu, but they usually tolerate it more easily. If one of the households caught this viral infection, then, as a rule, others also become infected with it - all because neither disinfection nor boiling does not kill rotavirus. It feels great in any environment and in any weather conditions. Whether the effects of rotavirus will manifest itself will depend on how timely the patient received adequate treatment.

The effects of rotavirus

The disease develops rapidly, and its acute phase lasts up to 5 days. At first, you may not recognize that it is rotavirus, as frequent loose stools, vomiting and fever are symptoms of many diseases. Thus, you can miss the time and intestinal flu, like any other, in this case threatens with complications. Among the most dangerous conditions, the following consequences can be distinguished:

• dehydration (exsicosis). Since rotavirus infection proceeds rapidly, incessant vomiting, diarrhea and high fever, especially in the baby, very quickly remove fluid from the body, which can lead to dysfunction of vital organs and death;
• dysbiosis. Improper or untimely treatment may threaten that the intestines will colonize the pathogenic flora, and the body weakened by the infection and medications does not have enough natural resources to displace it;
• decreased immunity. After recovery, the recovery capabilities of the immune system are significantly reduced.. A weakened body cannot resist viruses for a long time, so there is a risk of getting rotavirus repeatedly or constantly suffering from respiratory infections.

At first glance, mortality rates among children are low - only 3%. However, sick children are mainly children under four years of age, which is especially problematic.

Dehydration

One of the most dangerous consequences of rotavirus infection in children is intestinal exicosis. This syndrome develops due to continuous vomiting and diarrhea. In the body, the water-salt balance is disturbed and a deficiency of electrolytes is noted.

Dehydration usually does not occur at lightning speed, however, with intestinal flu, not only loose stools and vomiting are observed, but also fever, so the fluid is lost much more rapidly. It is for this reason that the patient can die, and the main risk group is formed by babies up to a year.

Signs

The first signs of exicosis are dry lips and skin. After, more serious conditions occur, namely:

• high temperature that does not get off with antipyretic drugs;
• dark urine excreted in small amounts;
• renal dysfunction, leading to acute renal failure;
• cramps
• heart dysfunctions.

The last two symptoms can lead to kidney failure, after which, due to severe intoxication, a person can fall into a coma and die.

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61 years

The processes

At the first symptoms of dehydration in an infant, an ambulance must be called immediately. Acute renal failure is treated only in a hospital, but even the availability of appropriate equipment does not guarantee a quick recovery. An accurate diagnosis is not easy, as the symptoms of rotavirus are similar to the symptoms of other serious infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: dysentery, cholera, salmonellosis. It is put only on the basis of the analysis of feces. The pathological processes that are a consequence of dehydration are as follows:

• water does not enter the circulatory system, so the blood thickens. It becomes difficult for the heart to pump thick blood through the arteries and vessels, and its rhythm begins to go astray;
• nervous disorders, delirium, lethargy and lack of sleep occur against the background of a lack of glucose supply of nerve cells;
• food is not digested and cannot be digested, which leads to a distension of the stomach;
• due to a lack of nutrition of brain cells, hallucinations and fainting appear that precede a coma;
• a strong decrease in immunity leads to constant infections with respiratory and intestinal infections.

Treatment

Under no circumstances should you be independently treated - in a hospital, a kid or an adult, as a rule, is given intravenous injections of water-salt solutions to make up for fluid loss in the body. If the kidneys do not remove toxins, they enter the bloodstream and poison all organs and tissues, so the patient needs to connect a special apparatus for hemodialysis and body cleansing, which is impossible to do in a home environment.

To avoid the dire consequences of rotavirus, such as dehydration, when the first symptoms appear, you should drink at least two liters of water per day in small portions so as not to provoke diarrhea and vomiting. To eliminate dehydration, drugs are usually prescribed that restore the water-salt balance, for example, rehydron. As for the complication after rotavirus infection in children, if the condition of the child is stable and satisfactory, it is recommended to apply it to the breast as often as possible, since breast milk is nourishing and disinfecting. In addition, it saturates the baby's body with liquid and soothes it.

Dysbacteriosis

Such an unpleasant consequence of rotavirus, as dysbiosis, can be the result of incorrect or delayed therapy, as a result of which pathogenic bacteria and medicines disrupted the natural intestinal microflora. Young children under one year of age are especially affected, since beneficial microorganisms have not yet fully populated their gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, rotavirus infection can disrupt the child's metabolism for a long time.

Symptoms and course

Symptoms of this severe consequence are as follows:

• alkalization of microflora, which leads to the death of beneficial bacteria;
• persistent dyspeptic disorders: bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea;
• heterogeneity of feces: the presence of undigested pieces of food, mucus, lumps in it.

Some digestive enzymes cease to be secreted in a patient; useful substances and microelements are not absorbed. Bifidobacteria perish, and the pathogenic flora multiplies at lightning speed. Constant diarrhea threatens the development of irritable bowel syndrome, the appearance of gastritis, colitis. Vitamin B deficiency leads to gum disease, brittle hair and nails, and nervous disorders. In the body, there is a lack of iron, which leads to a decrease in hemoglobin and anemia.

Treatment

Treatment of dysbiosis is a difficult and long process. After transferring rotavirus, prebiotics and probiotics are prescribed and the state of microflora is constantly monitored by analysis. The patient must follow a special diet in which there is a sufficient amount of dairy products, such as cottage cheese, cheese, kefir. Raw vegetables and fruits are prescribed with caution, basically everything should be amenable to heat treatment, so as not to undermine the intestines even more. Oatmeal and rice porridge improve digestion and are quickly digested, so their presence in the diet is mandatory.

In order to avoid such consequences of rotavirus infection in adults and children as dysbiosis, in the treatment of rotavirus, the patient is immediately prescribed drugs aimed at maintaining the natural microflora and containing lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

What threatens the lack of adequate treatment

If untreated, dysbiosis can lead to the following complications:

• the appearance of ulcers and ulcers on the skin;
• chronic inflammation of the rectum;
• persistent stomatitis;
• pancreatitis
• the accession of fungal infections and frequent manifestations of herpes;
• severe course of a common cold.

Immune system response

After a rotavirus infection, antibodies are not produced in sufficient quantities, so it is very easy to catch it again after a couple of weeks, especially a small child. Complications after rotavirus infection in adults are less common. Many do not get infected with rotavirus at all, which suggests that either the disease is asymptomatic or the person has developed immunity due to multiple infections. Children under six years old are at risk of reinfection, and antibodies to bacteria of the genus Rotavirus have been found more than once in older children.

To avoid undesirable consequences, in the first month after the illness, you need to protect the child from contact with patients and try to increase his resistance to viruses with the help of vitamin complexes, good nutrition and an active lifestyle.

The effects of rotavirus are quite serious and can cause many problems. Although intestinal flu is very contagious and preventative measures are not very effective, do not forget about hygiene, hand disinfection and washing vegetables and fruits before eating them. If an infection has already occurred, remember that timely access to a doctor is the key to a quick recovery.

Doctors say that a child older than three years who has never caught a rotavirus infection is a rarity nowadays. It’s a paradox, but we, as parents, are not too aware of this very dangerous disease, and how to properly treat children for rotavirus.

The main thing in the article

What is rotavirus?

Rotavirus infection ("Rota" - lat. "Wheel") is a disease that affects the upper respiratory tract, causing inflammation of the intestines and stomach. When enlarged, this virus really has the shape of a wheel with a rim. The pathology caused by rotavirus is contagious. This disease is extremely common and especially dangerous in children older than six months and younger than 4-5 years. It is easiest to purchase, being in a kindergarten or visiting a kindergarten. An adult in contact with a sick child may become infected with rotavirus, but his illness will be much easier.

How can I get infected?

Rotavirus or intestinal flu is transmitted primarily by food, mainly through ingestion due to unwashed hands or virus-infected products. Milk products are particularly susceptible to infection with rotavirus.

This virus is very tenacious: it can “live” in the refrigerator and on dishes for quite a long time, even treatment with chlorinated water will not affect it. Rotavirus can be transmitted:

• in close contact with an infected person;
• when using common utensils and other household items;
• by tactile contact, in particular, shaking hands, if the hands were not thoroughly washed;
• - airborne droplets when interacting with an infected person (cough, sneezing).

The incubation period of the disease in the intestinal cavity can be from 1 to 3 days, but in some children its symptoms occur 5 days after contact with the source of infection. In this case, the disease manifests itself especially acutely on 3-5 days after contact with the infected.

Symptoms of rotavirus infection in a child

The danger of rotavirus also lies in the fact that it is nonspecific. Its symptoms may appear differently in each child. If infection of the disease is primary, then there are such characteristic features:

• acute intestinal upset;
• nausea or vomiting
• temperature increase to the level of 38 ° C and above;
• frequent fluid bowel movements, uncontrolled diarrhea, sometimes up to 15 times a day.
• headache, weakness;
• drowsiness and general lethargy;
• fever is possible.

When the virus enters the body, the mucosa of the small intestine is affected, the virus multiplies rapidly, and the entire digestive system is fatal.

Maybe another scenario for the development of rotavirus   in the body. To the symptoms described above are added:

• runny nose and sneezing;
• sore throat and cough;
• sore throat
• pain when swallowing.

The indicated symptoms are a specific reaction of the body to the effects of toxins, which it tries to excrete through organs such as the throat, nose, kidneys and intestines: this is why the mucus secretion, felt by the child as a runny nose and sputum production, increases.

Typical signs of rotavirus to help distinguish it from common food poisoning or an upset:

• the color of feces is gray-yellow, the consistency is like liquefied clay, with a sharp unpleasant, sometimes sour smell;
• the color of the urine is dark, since toxins are excreted mainly through the kidneys and blood, blood interspersion may be present.

Treatment of rotavirus infection in children at home

  Treatment of infection caused by rotavirus in children should be aimed primarily at eliminating the symptoms of the disease and bringing the body to a normal state. To do this, the first thing:

• make drastic changes in the nutrition of the child;
• restore water balance, which is disturbed due to frequent diarrhea and vomiting;
• they struggle with the manifestations of toxicosis, dehydration, and urinary system disorders resulting from infection.

During the illness, the baby's appetite decreases or is completely absent, and this is natural. Do not try to feed him during the acute manifestation of the disease - food at this time will only harm him.

The main element of treatment, in addition to dietary restriction, is rehydration therapy   - Actions aimed at returning the lost fluid to the body. Parents can calculate this loss by eye, considering how much fluid the child lost with vomiting, how loose his stool was, and how much sweating was.

Rehydration Preparations

The child urgently needs additional fluid for the normal functioning of his excretory system, kidneys and the general fight against infection. Regular water is suitable for replenishing the water balance, but the following solutions and drinks are used for greater effectiveness:

• Rehydron;
• Oralitis;
• Unsweetened dried fruit compote;
• A decoction of chamomile or dog rose.

Every 10-15 minutes you need to offer your child a teaspoon of liquid, if vomiting is not observed for an hour, you can increase the dose of the solution to one tablespoon or more.

If a child takes saline, but you see that he is losing more fluid than he is consuming, do not postpone going to the hospital: in this case, only droppers can help the child.

Sorbents

An obligatory component of treatment should be the following sorbents - drugs that bind and remove toxins in intestinal inflammation:

• White coal;
• Atoxil
• Smecta;
• Enterosgel.

Most often, for viral diseases, antibiotics are not prescribed, and if your child’s diagnosis of the disease has been confirmed as a rotarirus infection (you can go to the hospital or buy a company test in a pharmacy), you can include syrup Nifuroxazideby coordinating the dose with your doctor.

Probiotics

In acute diarrhea, the use of "astringent" means - probiotics, the most effective of which are:

• Bifilact;
• Enterogermina;
• Lacidophilus.

When acetone appears in the urine (the main cause of lethargy and drowsiness of the child), another 100-150 ml for one day is added to the calculated volume of fluid required to replenish the body's water balance. In this case, Citrarginine or Stimol are also used.

Antipyretic

Rotavirus dies at a child’s body temperature of 38 ° C and above, therefore, it is not worth knocking it down, which has not reached this mark, as with a cold. If the temperature has reached 38.4-39 ° C - it is knocked down with drugs:

• Nurofen
• Efferalgan;
• Cefecone;
• rubbing the child with a water-alcohol or vinegar solution.

The smaller the child, the more intense and faster the loss of fluid. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you treat infants under the supervision of specialists.

You can get even more useful information about drugs for the treatment of intestinal disorders and diet during illness from our article "".

Antiviral drugs for treating rotavirus infection in a child

  To counteract rotavirus infection and its effective treatment, interferon preparations are used - an analogue of the main substance that resists viruses, which is produced by the body itself when an infection is introduced into it. Most commonly used:

• "Viferon" in the form of candles (alternative - "Laferon");
• "Lipoferon" is a suspension for oral use. The dosage of the drug should be selected by the doctor, and the course of treatment most often does not last longer than 5 days.

How long does rotavirus infection last?

In children, the acute phase of rotavirus infection lasts up to 3 days, the symptoms of rotavirus completely stop after 7-10 days. After complete recovery, the body develops resistance to this disease, and it is unlikely to get infected with rotavirus again. The only exceptions are children with a weak immune system.

How to feed a baby with rotavirus infection

  The first 1-2 days to feed the child is generally not worth it, besides, he will have no appetite. But to drink is a must. For this, the decoctions and solutions of drugs listed above are suitable, as well as:

• homemade jelly on water or starch;
• low-fat chicken stock;
• rice broth.

If the child still asks for food on the first day of illness, offer him liquid rice porridge, you can only slightly sweeten it. Further, nutritional basis for rotavirus infection   should become such dishes:

• mashed potatoes without oil on water;
• rice porridge without vegetables and meat additives;
• dry biscuit cookies or inedible crackers, bagels, straws;
• skinless chicken or turkey;
• steamed cutlets of lean meats;
• baked apples.

The main principle of nutrition for rotavirus is a small amount of servings to prevent gag reflex.

Allocate also list of prohibited products , the use of which provokes an increase in the number of bacteria in the body of a child with gastrointestinal upset:

• any dairy and sour-milk products;
• sausage, sausage, smoked meat;
• vegetable oil;
• millet, pearl barley porridge;
• raw vegetables and fruits;
• citrus;
• yeast baking;
• fatty meat, soups on a steep broth;
• juices, cocktails, soda.

Babies who are breast-fed are transferred to lactose-free formulas.

A child after rotavirus infection: care and nutrition

  The usual food for the child should be introduced with extreme caution and very gradually. Otherwise, the child’s lifestyle after suffering a rotavirus infection will not differ much from life before it. An exception is only for babies who are breastfeeding.

Sometimes, after a rotavirus infection, the digestibility of breast milk in babies decreases. This period can last up to 3 weeks. At this time, mommy can replace her milk with soy or lactose-free mixture (partially), continuing to decant, to prevent the production of breast milk from fading.

Prevention of rotavirus infection in children

No one will give you guarantees that you and your child will never be visited by rotavirus. And although all children older than three years old have antibodies to this disease, since most often they already carried rotavirus, sometimes it invades the body again. Prevention of rotavirus infections may be non-specific   or drug . Non-specific (restorative) measures include the following.

In addition to the above - the fundamental preventive measures of rotavirus, parents use specific measures - vaccinations with two types of vaccines - to strengthen the immunity of children and increase resistance to rotavirus. They are recommended for babies aged 6 months to 2 years. Older children are invited to take probiotics, such as:

• Linex;
• Yogurt;
• Lactiale.

The local reaction of the immune system effectively resists the virus at the “entrance” into the body, interfering with attempts to introduce it into the cells of the mucous membranes of the child.

Of course, it is impossible to completely protect your child from the possibility of infection with rotavirus, especially if the baby attends a children's team. But something still can be done by caring parents. Be healthy!