Analysis for enterobiosis
What will the analysis for enterobiasis show, at what time of the day and where is it better to take it for adults and children? How long does the analysis take and how much does it cost? All this was found out together with an expert – an infectious disease specialist Anna Noskova.

“There are people in whom God lives, there are people in whom the devil lives, and there are people in whom only worms live,” Faina Ranevskaya once said. And what would an actress known for her wit say if she found out how many parasites live in us? For example, about a billion people have pinworms in their bodies – the most common type of worm that causes enterobiasis.

What is enterobiasis

Enterobiosis is the most common helminthic invasion in Russia among children and adults. The causative agent of the disease is the pinworm, which lives only in the human body, in the lower part of the small intestine and along the entire length of the large intestine. Moreover, problems are created for a person by female pinworms. It is they who leave the body at night through the rectum to lay thousands of eggs that need oxygen to develop. They do not go far with their future offspring – they lay their eggs in the folds of the anus.

During the maturation of eggs, a person begins to experience severe itching, scratches the place of its localization. So the eggs fall first under the nails, then into the mouth and again into the intestines. The cycle is completed, the number of adult pinworms in the body is replenished. If a person with enterobiasis neglects the rules of personal hygiene, pinworm eggs are easily transmitted to other people – they are transferred to doorknobs, furniture, dishes, food, toys, toilet seats and other things.

Symptoms of enterobiosis

Энтеробиоз может протекать и бессимптомно, но чаще все же он выдает себя характерными признаками:

  • severe itching around the anus, especially at night;
  • insomnia, irritability;
  • pain and discomfort in the abdomen;
  • decreased appetite.

Children can grind their teeth in their sleep, complain of nausea and vomiting, weakness. Sometimes, against the background of enterobiasis, a person may experience involuntary urination, and eczema forms around the anus.

How to take an analysis for enterobiasis

The most common method for diagnosing enterobiasis is scraping from the perianal folds. This is an absolutely simple and painless analysis that you can take from yourself and your child even on your own and take it to the laboratory. It is done using a special adhesive tape, which is applied to the perianal area for a few seconds, and then glued to a glass slide. You can use ordinary stationery tape for these purposes. The second option is a cotton swab moistened with a solution of glycerin, which is carried out along the folds in the anus. No pain. The maximum is mild discomfort.

In both cases, the sample (on a glass slide with a glued tape or cotton swab) is placed in a test tube or disposable sterile container for analysis and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

Where can I get tested for enterobiasis

You can do a scraping at a clinic or medical center. There, the medical staff sends the sample taken for research.

If you have done a scraping at home, take the container with the sample to the laboratory where they do such tests.

Important! If the scraping is taken independently at home, it must be delivered to a medical facility within two hours.

How much does an analysis for enterobiasis cost?

You can take an analysis for enterobiasis both in a state clinic in the direction of a doctor for free, and on your own in a private clinic. Issue price: without taking biomaterials – from 230 rubles, if the analysis is taken by a health worker, everything in the complex costs about 400 rubles.

How to prepare for the test for enterobiasis

Before passing the analysis for enterobiasis, it is necessary:

  • do not wash and do not take a shower;
  • refrain from defecation;
  • do not touch the skin around the anus.

A week before the analysis, it is recommended to stop taking anthelmintic drugs, antibiotics and laxatives.

Popular questions and answers

How long does an analysis for enterobiasis take?

The result is most often ready the next day or even in the evening of the same day. It all depends on the workload of the laboratory. In some clinics, express diagnostics are available, which allows you to get a result a few hours after the procedure.

How many days is the analysis for enterobiasis valid?

According to existing standards, the validity of tests for enterobiosis is 10 days.

What indicators in the analyzes allow you to determine enterobiasis?

The purpose of the analysis is to check for the presence of pinworms, so the result will be either “detected” or “not found”. The number of parasites is indicated as follows:

+ — single pinworm larvae were found,

++ – average degree of infection,

+++ – there are a lot of parasites.

Can the interpretation of the analyzes be incorrect?

An analysis for enterobiasis may not detect pinworm eggs if the patient has not properly prepared for the procedure, or at an early stage of enterobiasis. For this reason, the doctor sends for a second test, especially if there are specific symptoms. The most reliable results are obtained with a threefold analysis performed daily or every other day.

Why are pinworms dangerous besides causing discomfort?

Они мешают нормальной работе пищеварительного тракта. Дискомфорт, вызванный постоянным зудом, вызывает бессонницу, раздражительность и превращает поход в туалет в испытание. Дети на фоне энтеробиоза плохо едят, много капризничают, теряют вес. У женщин острицы могут проникнуть в половые органы и спровоцировать вульвиты и вульвовагиниты.

How often do you need to repeat the analysis for enterobiasis so that the result is as accurate as possible?

Daily or every other day. Usually, scrapings are done three times, but in some cases, to clarify the diagnosis, the number of scrapings can be increased to 5-7.

What instruments are used in the laboratory to detect pinworm eggs?

With a microscope.

Is an analysis for enterobiasis and an analysis for worm eggs the same thing?

No. An analysis for enterobiosis is a scraping that allows you to identify pinworms that declare their presence in the body with itching in the anus at night. And an analysis for worm eggs is an analysis of feces. It provides information about the presence of other parasites in the human body (ascaris, necator, bovine and pork tapeworms, and others), the presence of which a person may not even be aware of.

How is enterobiasis treated?

For the treatment of enterobiasis, anthelmintic drugs are used. All family members (with the exception of pregnant women, for whom these drugs are contraindicated) should be treated at the same time. But just taking a pill, unfortunately, is not enough.

Therefore, in order to avoid re-infection, at the same time as taking the drug, the following rules must be observed for two weeks:

• take a shower every morning to remove a large number of eggs on the skin, paying particular attention to the perineal area;

• регулярно подстригать ногти, не грызть их и не чесать анус;

• daily change and wash at T>60 ℃ underwear, bed linen, pajamas, towels;

• carry out wet cleaning with a soapy solution of all surfaces in the house and children’s toys.

It is also necessary to vacuum upholstered furniture, carpets, wash curtains, wash pets.

Is it possible to get enterobiasis again after recovery after some time?

Yes. So remember: washing your hands with soap and water after going to the toilet, changing diapers, and before eating is a surefire way to prevent pinworm infection!

Sources:

  1. Laboratory diagnostics of helminthiases and protozoa. Guidelines https://www.rospotrebnadzor.ru/upload/iblock/9a0/muk-4.2.3145_13.pdf
  2. Medical parasitology. Textbook G.I. Myandina, E.V. Tarasenko. https://studfile.net/preview/5807609/
  3. Enterobius vermicularis infestation of the appendix and management at the time of laparoscopic appendicectomy: Case series and literature review.  ScienceDirect. Сайт научных публикаций.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1743919110001056

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