The Issue of Early Diagnosis of Intestinal Complications at Antibiotic Therapy in Children

Abstract

The objective of the research was to improve the timely diagnosis of intestinal complications of antibiotic therapy, caused by Clostridium difficile infection in children. We have examined 131 children aged from 6 months to 18 years who received antibiotics for microbial-inflammatory diseases. 116 of them suffered from bacterial-inflammatory diseases, which required antibiotic therapy at hospital or polyclinic; the control group consisted of 15 apparently healthy children. We have used general clinical and immunoenzyme methods. It has been found that in children with somatic diseases, who received antibiotic treatment in hospital, acute diarrhea was the most common intestinal complication, and it has been proved that diarrhea, in most cases, is caused by Clostridium difficile infection. The incidence and clinical features of intestinal complications of antibiotic therapy in children were determined. The existence of subclinical forms of Clostridium difficile infection has been revealed. It is proved that recurrent diarrheal syndrome in children, who received repeated courses of antibacterial drugs in outpatient conditions, is also caused by Clostridium difficile infection.

Keywords

• antibiotic-associated diarrhea
• toxins
• children