Tactics of a general practitioner in identifying a case of acute intestinal infection

Abstract

Acute intestinal infection refers to a group of acute infectious diseases, mainly of bacterial origin, with an alimentary transmission mechanism, which is based on a combination of fever with intestinal syndrome with the possible development of dehydration and severe course in children and the elderly. Every day in the world, about 12 million people are affected by acute intestinal infections, while about 4 billion cases of these diseases are recorded annually. In the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, acute intestinal infections are the main cause of death in young children. The main causative agents of intestinal infections are Shigella, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and rotavirus infection. This type of intestinal diseases is characterized by an acute onset, a rapid development of a temperature reaction, the appearance of symptoms of intoxication and exicosis, vomiting, diarrhea, pain in the epigastric and umbilical region, pain on palpation of the abdomen (salmonella triangle), hepatosplenomegaly. In this case, the feces are liquid, watery, with undigested food residues, mucus, have the color of "swamp mud", sometimes with an admixture of blood. When a case of acute intestinal infection is detected, the physician's tactics should consist in the timely identification and isolation of patients; conducting final disinfection in the outbreak focus; organization of bacteriological examination of contact persons; conducting sanitary and educational work among the population; as well as dispensary observation of recovered patients.