Dysentery

Subject: Community Health Nursing II

Overview

Dysentery is an inflammatory condition of the gut, particularly the colon, that causes fever, stomach discomfort, and rectal tenesmus due to any type of infection. It causes severe diarrhea with blood and mucus in the stool. Viral, bacterial, or parasite diseases can all result in dysentery. Aemobic dysentery and bacillary dysentery are the two different types of dysentery. The signs and symptoms of this condition include nausea, vomiting, dehydration, feces containing lots of pus cells that smell bad, frequent high fevers, seizures, and, if persistent, malnutrition. Continued breast-feeding, food consumption, and oral rehydration therapy can all be used to treat dysentery; the patient is urged to drink a lot of liquids. Amoebic medicines and antibiotics. It can be avoided by avoiding sharing items like towels and clothes with infected people, washing hands with clean water and soap after using the restroom, coming into contact with an infected person, before cooking food, and washing laundry on the hottest setting whenever possible, and drinking purified and boiled water.

Dysentery

Dysentery is an inflammatory condition of the intestine, particularly the colon, that causes fever, abdominal pain, and rectal tenesmus due to any type of infection. It causes severe diarrhea with blood and mucus in the stool.

Causes

Viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections can all result in dysentery. The majority of the time, these pathogens enter the body orally through contaminated food, water, oral contact with contaminated objects or hands, and other oral routes that lead to the large intestine.

Types

Amoebic Dysentery

Amoebic dysentery occurs due to ulceration of the bowel caused by the invasion of the mucous by entamoeba histolytic.

Bacillary Dysentery

It is common for children from 6 months to 2 years of age the onset is sudden with anorexia, abdominal pain, intestinal cramp.

Symptoms

  • Stool will contain numerous pus cell and it may contain a large amount of mucus and bad smell.
  • Frequently have a high fever and seizure but sometimes the temperature is abnormally low especially in most serious cases.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Dehydration.
  • If chronic, malnutrition.

Management Continues:

  • Breast milk and food.
  • Rehydration therapy.
  • Initially, this is done using oral rehydration; the patient is encouraged to drink plenty of liquid.
  • Antibiotics and amoebicidal drugs.
  • Experts say that if possible, the administration of medication to kill the cause of dysentery should be held back until lab tests determined whether the illness is being caused by bacterium or amoeba.

Prevention

  •  Washing hands after using a toilet, after contact with an infected person, and regular throughout the day.
  •  Washing hands before handling, cooking and eating food.
  •  Keeping contact with someone known to have dysentery to a minimum.
  •  Washing laundry on the hottest setting possible.
  •  Avoiding sharing items such as towels and face cloths.
  •  Use purified water to clean your teeth also.

Reference

  • Ambika Rai, Kabita Dahal. Community Health Nursing II. Kathmandu: Makalu Publication House, 2012 (reprint).
  • Dr.Suwal S.N. & Tuitui R. (2063) A Textbook of Community Health Nursing, 1st edition, Vidyarthi Prakashan (P). Ltd. Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu
  • Mandal, G.N. Textbook of Adult Nursing. Kathmandu: Makalu Publication House, 2013.
  • MedicineNet. 1996. 2017 http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=6639
  • Tuitui, Roshani. Community Health Nursing. Kathmandu: Vidyarthi Prakashan (P.) LTD., 2067.
Things to remember
  • Dysentery is an inflammatory condition of the gut, particularly the colon, that causes fever, stomach discomfort, and rectal tenesmus due to any type of infection. It causes severe diarrhea with blood and mucus in the stool.
  • It happens as a result of bacterial, viral, or parasite ingestions.
  • There are two different forms of dysentery: aemobic and bacillary.
  • The signs and symptoms of this condition include nausea, vomiting, dehydration, stool containing lots of pus cells that smell bad, frequent high fevers, seizures, and, if chronic, malnutrition.
  • Continued breastfeeding, food consumption, and oral rehydration therapy can all be used to manage it; the patient is urged to drink plenty of liquids. Amoebic drugs and antibiotics.
  • It can be avoided by washing hands with clean water and soap after using the restroom, coming into contact with an infected person, preparing food before eating it, washing laundry as hot as possible, avoiding sharing items like towels and clothes with infected people, and drinking purified and boiled water.
Questions and Answers

Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing blood and mucus in the stool with fever, abdominal pain and rectal tenesmus caused by any kind of infection.

 Dysentery caused from viral infections, bacterial infections or parasitic ingestions.

There are two types of dysentery and they are:

1. Aemobic dysentery and

2. Bacillus dysentery

 

The signs and symptoms of dysentery are:

- stool will contain numerous pus cell and it may contain a large amount of mucus and bad smell.

-  frequently have a high fever and seizure but sometimes the temperature is abnormally low especially in most serious cases.

-  nausea and vomiting

- dehydration

- if chronic, malnutrition

 

Dysentery can be managed by following ways:

- continue breast milk and food.

-  rehydration therapy

-Initially, this is done using oral rehydration; the patient is encouraged to drink plenty of liquid.

- antibiotics and amoebicidal drugs

-Experts say that if possible, the administration of medication to kill the cause of dysentery should be held back until lab tests determined wether the illness is being caused by bacterium or amoeba.

 

Prevention

-  washing hands after using a toilet, after contact with an infected person, and regular through out the day.

- washing hands before handling, cooking and eating food.

-  keeping contact with someone known to have dysentery to a minimum.

-  washing laundry on the hottest setting possible.

-  avoiding sharing items such as towels and face cloths.

-  use purified water to clean your teeth also.

 

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