Various staphylococcal flora causes many pathologies in babies. One of the most aggressive pathogens of infectious diseases is Staphylococcus aureus. This article explains what parents raising babies should know about these dangerous germs.
What it is?
In the external environment that surrounds the human body, there is a huge number of various microbes. Staphylococci are quite frequent neighbors. Currently, scientists have established more than twenty different types of these microorganisms, however, only three of them are capable of developing the disease. The most dangerous and aggressive is Staphylococcus aureus.
The causative agents of staphylococcal infection were discovered many years ago, almost at the end of the 19th century. It is no coincidence that these microbes got their name. When looking at microorganisms under a microscope, they look like a yellow bunch of grapes.
It causes a wide variety of infections in babies. Both a baby and a teenager can get sick.
Doctors also call this microbe staphylococcus aureus or S. aureus in short. The short name is usually written in laboratory analyzes. This microbe has a whole arsenal of factors that can lead to the development of diseases in babies. Such aggressive components include hemolysins... These substances can have a detrimental effect on erythrocyte and leukocyte blood cells.
A certain set of antigen receptors is contained on the surface of the cell wall of microbes. It is they who cause the rapid activation of the immune system when microorganisms enter the child's body.
If a child has already had a staphylococcal infection, then he may retain immunity to it. This is possible when the immune system works as efficiently as possible, without failures and disorders.
It should be noted that microbes can be in unfavorable environmental conditions for quite a long time. This feature is due to their dense cell wall, which protects them from external factors. Long-term exposure to temperature does not have a detrimental effect on staphylococci. In order to neutralize them, long-term drying is necessary, which is carried out for more than 10-12 hours.
These microorganisms are quite "cunningly arranged". They have a huge potential for deviating from the immune response and are able to adapt well to the effects of some antibacterial agents on them. This is largely responsible for the rapid development of antibiotic resistance in the human population. Incorrectly carried out treatment and overly rapid withdrawal of drugs quickly leads to the fact that bacteria adapt well to the action of various drugs and retain their viability during therapy.
How is it transmitted?
Staphylococcus aureus is extremely contagious. They can easily be infected from a person who is a carrier of the infection, and especially from an already sick individual. Contact-household infection in this case is quite common. If purulent wounds or formations appear on the skin of a sick child, then with direct contact the risk of infection of a healthy baby increases several times.
The carrier of the infection may not always be found. Many people are latent carriers of the disease and are not even aware of it. This is due to the fact that their disease is latent or latent. This variant of the disease is mainly found in a person who has fairly good indicators of the immune system. However, it is still the source of the disease, and it can also be easily infected from it.
Both boys and girls can become infected with Staphylococcus aureus. Massive outbreaks of the disease are often recorded. In this case, babies become infected from each other when they visit educational institutions or leisure circles. Airborne infection is also possible. Bacteria easily get from the mucous membranes of a sick child to a healthy one.
There is also an intrauterine infection. It is certainly more relevant for newborns and babies. In this case, infection occurs during the intrauterine development of the unborn baby. The bacteria, being small in size, can quickly spread through the placental bloodstream, reaching the fetus.
In this case, the first unfavorable symptoms of the disease appear, as a rule, in a newborn baby.
Symptoms
The incubation period for staphylococcal infection can be different. Its duration is largely influenced by the individual condition of the child during infection. According to statistics, the first symptoms of this infection appear in babies. 3-6 hours after the bacteria enters the body. In some cases, the incubation period of this disease can be several days.
Staphylococcus aureus has no favorite sites... The peculiarity of these microorganisms is that they survive perfectly in any conditions. During illness, these microbes can be found in a variety of internal organs. This polymorphism is due to the fact that bacteria quickly spread through the bloodstream and enter different anatomical zones. Once in the internal organs, they contribute to the development of severe inflammation in them, which leads to disruption of functioning.
A fairly frequent localization of this bacterial process is the skin. Staphylococcus aureus can cause a wide variety of clinical signs and manifestations of the disease on the skin.
They, as a rule, are manifested by various folliculitis, dermatitis, bacterial ulcers, and furunculosis. The skin becomes bright red. When you touch them, an increased skin temperature is determined.
Some clinical forms of the disease, proceeding with the formation of purulent-necrotic elements, are accompanied by the appearance of ulcers on the skin. They can be of different sizes and shapes. Usually, such formations reach several centimeters in length. This variant of staphylococci can cause both local and widespread variants of the disease.
In children at the age of 2-3 years, who still have an insufficiently well-functioning immune system, the course of infectious pathology can be quite severe. The disease is also severe in newborn babies. The peculiarity of the structure of the skin and subcutaneous tissue contributes to the appearance of common or generalized forms of an infectious disease in infants.
In some cases, the child develops local purulent rashes that are localized on the face. They are quite common during adolescence. To eliminate these skin manifestations, it is often not enough just to carry out cosmetic care with the use of special cosmetics. To eliminate purulent elements from the face in some cases, an appointment is already required antibacterial drugs.
Lesions of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract are also quite common with this infection. They are characterized by various disorders, mainly arising from intestinal dysbiosis.
This is manifested by the appearance in the child of various problems associated with the act of defecation. A sick baby often has persistent constipation. In some cases, severe diarrhea develops.
Soreness in the abdomen occurs in 60% of babieswith staphylococcal infection. The severity of the intensity of the pain syndrome can be different. A severe course is accompanied by severe pain syndrome, which can increase after eating. Some babies develop appetite disorders. Sick babies may refuse to breastfeed.
The mucous membranes of the respiratory tract are the entrance gate for the entry into the child's body of Staphylococcus aureus. Getting into the nasal passages, microbes cause the development of a fairly pronounced rhinitis in the baby. The rapid spread of infection to nearby organs contributes to their rapid involvement in the inflammatory process. A couple of days after the appearance of a runny nose in a sick baby, he also develops characteristic changes in the pharynx and oropharynx.
Visible mucous membranes turn bright red, and in some cases even acquire a "glowing" color. The tongue is coated with a gray or yellow-green coating. With the development of bacterial stomatitis, severe inflammation appears around the tooth sockets. Acute staphylococcal tonsillitis is accompanied by the appearance of a large amount of plaque that covers the entire outer surface of the tonsils.
The inflamed palatine arches hang over the entrance to the larynx. These specific and vivid manifestations can be identified independently. To do this, mommy needs to arm herself with a teaspoon or a wooden spatula, which is sold in any pharmacy. Finding signs of infection should be an essential reason for caring parents to see a doctor. Treat staphylococcal infection yourself at home doctors strongly do not recommend, as this can only lead to a worsening of the course of the disease and increase the risk of possible complications.
How to identify?
It is possible to establish an accurate diagnosis of staphylococcal infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus only with the help of additional laboratory tests. These studies are necessary to distinguish between norm and pathology. Pathogens can be found in a wide variety of biological materials. Quite often they are detected in the blood, feces, urine and secretions from the pharynx and nasopharynx.
Analysis for dysbiosis carried out for all babies with symptoms of damage to the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. This study helps to establish the degree of involvement of beneficial microflora in the pathological process, which should normally be present in every healthy baby.
A significant disadvantage of this study is its duration. It takes several days to get the result, and in some cases a week or more.
To assess the severity of functional disorders, a number of biochemical studies are carried out to determine how much the vital organs are affected. Instrumental diagnostic methods - such as radiography of the lungs or ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity and kidneys are carried out only in exceptional cases, when it is required to exclude the complications or exacerbations of concomitant chronic pathologies.
Treatment
Therapy of staphylococcal pathologies caused by Staphylococcus aureus is carried out taking into account their localization. Untreated staphylococcal infections can be extremely dangerous. The basis of therapy is the appointment of medicinal antibacterial drugs.
The duration of antibiotic prescription is determined by the severity of the underlying disease, as well as the severity of the adverse symptoms of the disease. The treatment regimen is usually calculated for 7-14 days.
In a severe course of the disease, longer use of drugs is possible.
The multiplicity and dosage of drugs are calculated by the attending physician based on the child's age and weight, as well as the presence of concomitant diseases of internal organs in the baby, which can affect the establishment of the required course dose. Certain groups of antibiotics have a destructive effect on the staphylococcal flora. These include: penicillins protected by clavulanic acid, as well as 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins. The latest generations of antibacterial agents included in the reserve group are used extremely rarely - only with a very severe course of the infectious process and the lack of effect from previous treatment.
Symptomatic therapy includes the appointment of anti-inflammatory drugs. These medications help reduce symptoms of severe intoxication. As antipyretic drugs, paracetamol or ibuprofen-based drugs are prescribed. They are prescribed, as a rule, when the body temperature rises above 38 degrees. Taking these funds helps to eliminate febrile condition, as a rule, in 1-3 days.
To eliminate sore throat with staphylococcal pharyngitis or acute bacterial tonsillitis, they are suitable local remedies... In children's practice, preparations in the form of lozenges are successfully used. They are assigned to children over three years old. The kid must understand well that they cannot be swallowed, but must be held in the mouth until they are completely absorbed. "Faringosept", "Strepsils", "Grammidin" and other drugs have a pronounced antiseptic effect and help to eliminate pain when swallowing.
Treatment of local skin forms of the disease, which is characterized by the appearance of purulent formations on the skin, is carried out by a pediatric surgeon. The doctor conducts an autopsy of these elements, followed by the appointment of a course of antibiotic therapy. In some cases, an operation is required to treat purulent formations in the abdominal cavity caused by Staphylococcus aureus.
Bacteriophages are another possible treatment mechanism for staphylococcal infections. These microorganisms are designed to effectively cope with staphylococci. The use of bacteriophages is widely used in children's practice. These drugs have fewer side effects and, in many cases, have far fewer potential effects than antibiotics.
The decision on the choice of bacteriophages or antibacterial drugs remains with the attending physician. Treatment tactics in this case must be agreed with the parents.
When are vaccinations given?
To date, unfortunately, specific prevention of Staphylococcus aureus has not been developed. However, there are modern drugs called staphylococcal vaccinations. Quite often this misleads parents. Such anti-staphylococcal vaccinations are given for therapeutic, not prophylactic purposes. Decision on the need to use this method of therapy in a particular baby remains with the attending physician.
These drugs are most effective for generalized skin manifestations of staphylococcal infection. A severe course of the disease may also be an indication for this type of therapy. The introduction of specific drugs helps to improve the well-being of the child, as well as contribute to the speedy recovery of the sick baby from staphylococcal infection.
All about staphylococcus in children, symptoms and treatment, see the following video.
