According to statistics, up to 80% of children suffer from perhaps the most common parasitic disease – enterobiasis.
Cost of testing for enterobiasis (scraping for pinworm eggs): 300 rubles.
Hygienic skills in children, as a rule, are not yet sufficiently developed, so it is during childhood that the incidence of helminthic infestations peaks. Most often, enterobiasis affects young children attending preschool institutions.
The causative agent is the pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis). This is a small helminth that lives in the large intestine. The source of infection is a sick person. The female pinworm, usually at night, crawls out of the rectum and lays eggs in the folds near the anus.
At the same time, children are bothered by itching in the perianal area, which can have varying intensity and duration, depending on the degree of the disease and the number of pinworms. Scratching the anus by a patient leads to abrasions on the skin, secondary bacterial infection, and dermatitis, which aggravates the course of the disease. Also, parasite eggs accumulate under the child’s nails, which contributes to the spread of infection, and if swallowed again, it ensures re-infection (reinvasion).
Girls may experience a specific complication of enterobiasis - vulvovaginitis due to the penetration of pinworms into the genital tract.
Abdominal pain is a common symptom of enterobiasis. Sometimes acute abdominal pain may be the reason to seek surgical help.
Allergization of the body and suppression of the immune response is a common pathological effect inherent in all helminths.
Hand washing and short-cut nails in children are the two most basic rules for preventing enterobiasis.
Content
- The causative agent of parasitic infection is pinworm
- Causes of pinworm infection
- What complications does the disease cause?
- Symptoms of the disease Acute period
- Chronic stage
Enterobiasis is an infection of the body with helminths - pinworms. Young children are at risk, but children of other ages can also be infected.
Decoding the results
A conclusion about the examination of the scraping is issued a day later. It can be positive or negative. If the result is positive, pinworms are found in the intestines and, depending on the severity of the parasite infestation, there are three degrees of pinworm infection:
- Weak. It is indicated when single helminth eggs are detected and is designated “+” in the certificate.
- Average. When several dozen pinworm eggs are detected. The certificate is marked with “++”.
- High. If a large number of worm larvae and eggs are detected, Fr.
In this situation, it is necessary to check for the presence of helminths in surrounding people and close relatives who are in contact with an infected patient. This is especially important when the child attends kindergarten or school.
If the result is negative, this indicates the absence of helminths in the intestines or that the collection of material was done in violation of the procedure. When collecting, a large number of factors should be taken into account, including the fact that the female pinworm has not yet laid eggs on the skin.
Children are recommended to be tested at least 3 times at weekly intervals. In this case, the reliability of the research is about 90%. Taking tests once gives results with 50% confidence. If there are no symptoms of infection, then a negative assessment is correct.
The test may show a negative result, but if symptoms of infection are present, the attending physician will usually recommend taking scrapings for enterobiasis several more times, after which he will prescribe treatment or preventive measures. However, some parents, in order to avoid having to undergo tests several times, on their own initiative give their children antihelminthic drugs for preventive purposes. This is strictly forbidden, since not all antihistamines can be used in the treatment of children due to strong toxic effects on the body. The decision to prescribe any drugs for the treatment or prevention of helminthic infestation should be made only by a qualified doctor.
Sometimes patients resort to the PCR diagnostic procedure. This method makes it possible to determine the presence of parasites with a 100% guarantee, but it is not popular due to its high cost.
Confirmation of enterobiasis allows you to begin treatment, which consists of following a special diet and using anthelmintic drugs. The course of therapy is prescribed by the doctor due to the characteristics of the body, the child’s age and body weight.
Analysis validity period
The test for enterobiasis remains effective for 3 days from the date of collection of the material. One should not forget about the expiration date, otherwise the analysis will be invalid and the patient will have to undergo the procedure again. If the scraping is overdue, it can mislead the laboratory researchers into giving an incorrect conclusion.
We should also not forget that the validity period of the scraping, or rather its results, should not exceed 10 days from the date of delivery. Otherwise, a certificate of absence of enterobiasis with a test date of more than ten days for presentation to kindergartens, schools or sports institutions will be invalid.
The causative agent of parasitic infection is pinworm
Enterobiasis is caused by the pinworm parasite. This helminth is a roundworm belonging to the class of nematodes. It has some features in appearance. Females grow to a length of 9-12 mm, they have a “tail” - a pointed end. It severely injures the intestinal mucosa when the worm is in the body. Males are 2-3 times smaller than females, and their “tails” are curved in a spiral. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2306321/ JP Caldwell Pinworms (Enterobius Vermicularis) Can Fam Physician. 1982 Feb; 28: 306–309.
Adult helminths live in the cecum and at the end of the small intestine. At night, females crawl out of the cecum through the anus. At this time, the person’s anal sphincter is relaxed, so nothing interferes with the worms. When the female pinworm emerges, she lays eggs in the perianal folds. There are a lot of eggs - up to 15 thousand. Having laid them, the female dies. The entire cycle of her life is about a month. The eggs are resistant to environmental factors and can remain viable for up to 3 weeks. They stain clothes and bedding.
After a few hours, the embryo from the egg becomes a larva, which itself begins to parasitize. This is how enterobiasis spreads. Pinworms can penetrate the thickness of the intestinal mucosa, causing the formation of granulomas. Sometimes worms crawl into the vagina, uterus and ovaries. Because of this, the female organs become inflamed.
What complications does the disease cause?
When the parasite attaches to the intestinal wall, it secretes a harmful secretion and damages the mucous membrane. In the latter case, poorly healing ulcers form and hemorrhages occur. If tissues are deeply damaged, inflamed granulomas appear. They consist of abnormally overgrown cells, lymph and blood. Due to the fact that pinworms injure the intestines, children experience abdominal pain. The microflora is disrupted and dysbacteriosis occurs.
When the female crawls out, she damages the soft tissue. The perianal area is irritated by the secretion of the worm - abrasions, cracks, eczematous rash, and neurodermatitis appear. If the helminth penetrates the genitals of girls, endometritis and other gynecological diseases may develop.
In the presence of pinworms the acidity of the stomach decreases , food is digested worse, and the course of intestinal diseases becomes more complicated . Parasites reduce immunity, because of them the effectiveness of vaccinations decreases and the number of side effects from them increases. Medicine knows of cases where pinworms pierced the rectum and entered the abdominal cavity, followed by peritonitis.
Being in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, parasites cause the following complications:
- inflammation of the pelvis and peritoneum;
- acute skin lesions in the perirectal area;
- stagnation of feces in the cecum;
- pyoderma;
- anemia;
- developmental delay of the child;
- disturbance of appetite and sleep; Source: R.A. Fayzullina, E.A. Samorodnova, V.M. Dobrokvashina Helminth infections in childhood // Practical Medicine, 3(42) May 2010.
- in girls – cystitis, vulvitis;
- in boys - enuresis;
- anal fissures.
Symptoms of the disease
There are many signs that a child is infected with pinworms. However, not all of them are characteristic of this disease. Therefore, children are often treated for colitis or gastritis. If there are few parasites in the body, then there may be no symptoms at all. If the disease continues for a long time, anemia occurs , the condition of nails, hair, skin worsens, and the corners of the mouth crack.
Enterobiasis has an incubation period of 1-1.5 months . The “brightness” of the clinical picture depends on the strength of the immune system and the number of worms.
There are two types of disease - acute and chronic. Everyone has their own symptoms.
Acute period
Most often, nausea, abdominal discomfort, weakness in the morning, and frequent stools occur, although they are well formed.
Chronic stage
From the moment of infection to the chronic stage, 1-2 months pass. Symptoms may remain the same as in the acute form or worsen. The main manifestations of chronic enterobiasis:
- flatulence;
- itching in the anus, which becomes stronger at night, it lasts 4-5 days, then disappears and appears again after 2-3 weeks;
- heaviness and pain in the epigastric region;
- insomnia;
- enuresis at night;
- irritability;
- increased fatigue;
- neurological symptoms - problems communicating with peers, deterioration of memory, attention, isolation, headache.
Completion time, cost of analysis for enterobiasis at JSC "SZDCM"
The cost of testing for the presence/absence of pinworms in laboratory and medical terminals is one of the most affordable in St. Petersburg, the Leningrad region and other cities and towns where our branches are located.
The price of the study depends on whether you collect biomaterial yourself or use the services of a nurse.
The duration of the study is 1 day. Results are delivered in person or sent by email*.
Treatment methods for detecting pinworms in a child
To treat enterobiasis, the doctor prescribes anthelmintic drugs. The dosage is determined according to the age and weight of the patient. It must be remembered that all these drugs are highly toxic and can cause adverse reactions. Pediatricians do not recommend choosing medications without consulting a specialist.
If a child is diagnosed with pinworms, then all family members need to undergo treatment. If there is a pet living in the house, it is also necessary to purchase anti-worm medication for it.
During treatment, it is also necessary to take sorbents, since anthelmintic drugs do not remove parasites from the body.
An effective regimen for taking medications and necessary procedures is prescribed by the doctor.
A number of hygiene procedures for the home are necessary:
- after the end of treatment, change the linen by ironing it with a hot iron;
- boil or wash the toys in hot water with added salt;
- Regularly carry out wet cleaning at home.
Routes of infection with enterobiasis
The likelihood of detecting pinworm eggs when examining stool for enterobiasis increases if you have pets or small children in the family. You can become infected with this type of helminth by shaking hands, direct contact with an infected person, using common household items, etc. That is why enterobiasis most often affects children who come into contact with other children, for example in elementary school, kindergarten, etc. A child who becomes infected outside the home immediately becomes a source of disease for everyone in his household.
Important! Pinworm eggs are often carried by animals on their fur. Therefore, after handling your dog or cat, wash your hands well to prevent the possibility of infection with worms.
Disease prevention
To prevent a child from becoming infected with parasites, he needs to instill personal hygiene skills and ensure that:
- his nails were trimmed;
- he had no contact with street animals;
- did not put dirty objects into his mouth. Source: Clinical recommendations (treatment protocol) for providing medical care to children with enterobiasis, Federal State Budgetary Institution Scientific Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, Public organization "Eurasian Society for Infectious Diseases", Public organization "Association of Infectious Disease Doctors of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region" (AVISPO)
If you suspect enterobiasis in a child, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible and undergo a course of treatment. You can make an appointment with a medical pediatrician 24 hours a day by phone or leave a request to have a doctor come to your home.
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2306321/JP Caldwell Pinworms (Enterobius Vermicularis) Can Fam Physician. 1982 Feb; 28: 306–309.
- R.A. Fayzullina, E.A. Samorodnova, V.M. Dobrokvashina Helminth infections in childhood // Practical Medicine, 3(42) May 2010.
- Clinical recommendations (treatment protocol) for the provision of medical care to children with enterobiasis FGBU NIIDI FMBA RUSSIA, Public organization "Eurasian Society for Infectious Diseases", Public organization "Association of Infectious Disease Doctors of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region" (AVISPO)
Markova Daria Olegovna Clinic
Author of the article
Markova Daria Olegovna
Specialty: pediatrician
Experience: 14 years
The information in this article is provided for reference purposes and does not replace advice from a qualified professional. Don't self-medicate! At the first signs of illness, you should consult a doctor.
Analysis features for children and adults
In a medical institution, laboratory assistants take scrapings for enterobiasis. A mandatory requirement for personnel is to wear a mask and gloves during the procedure. Diagnostics is carried out using a special test tube and an elongated stick, at the end of which a cotton swab is wound. The material is pre-impregnated with saline solution or glycerin.
The technique for collecting biocontents consists of the following steps:
- An adult or child is asked to lie on the couch on its side.
- After taking the correct position, the laboratory assistant removes the rod from the test tube.
- The stick is passed along the skin folds surrounding the anus. To facilitate manipulation and relieve discomfort, the buttocks are first separated.
- The rod is returned to the container and closed tightly with a stopper to prevent contact with the external environment.
- The material is then sent for analysis.
Taking a smear is a procedure that causes only mild discomfort. Scraping does not hurt
, but the fence becomes more difficult if there is increased constriction. This phenomenon is relevant for young children.
Another method involves using adhesive tape and glass. It is most often practiced in kindergartens or at home.
. The effectiveness of both methods is the same if all the rules are followed and the tape adheres tightly to the surface of the skin folds. After being removed from the anus, the tape is fixed on the glass. In this form, the material is delivered to the laboratory, where a test for enterobiasis is carried out.
Prices
| Name of service (price list incomplete) | Price |
| Online opinion of a pediatrician (SPECIAL) | 0 rub. |
| Appointment (examination, consultation) with a pediatrician, primary, therapeutic and diagnostic, outpatient | 1750 rub. |
| Consultation (interpretation) with analyzes from third parties | 2250 rub. |
| Prescription of treatment regimen (for up to 1 month) | 1800 rub. |
| Consultation with a candidate of medical sciences | 2500 rub. |
