Dysentery is an acute infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella. It affects the rectum and is accompanied by intoxication of the body and frequent diarrhea.
Chronic dysentery develops in case of improper treatment of the acute form or as a result of a complete lack of treatment. If the symptoms of dysentery persist for three months, then the disease is considered chronic. It can occur in recurrent or continuous forms. There are also mild, moderate and severe forms of chronic dysentery.
The relapsing form is more common, in which periods of exacerbation alternate with periods of remission, when there is an alleviation or disappearance of symptoms. The duration of each period can be different. Periods of relapse in symptoms are usually similar to mild or moderate acute dysentery, but are stable and long-lasting.
The patient’s temperature is normal or slightly elevated, stools up to five times a day, sometimes with splashes of blood, tenesmus is absent. Minor cramping pains are observed during walking or when changing body position. Symptoms of damage to the large intestine may be accompanied by signs of disruption of the central nervous system. The efficiency of patients decreases, sleep is disturbed, headaches, irritability, irritability are observed. Some infected people show autonomic disorders, there are signs of vagotonia.
During the examination, changes in the mucous membrane of the sigmoid and rectum are detected. During the relapse period, sigmoidoscopy reveals a clinical picture characteristic of acute dysentery, namely, an uneven alternation of hyperemic areas with pale ones with a clearly visible expanded vascular network. At the same time, the dull mucous membrane is thinned and easily injured.
During remission, working capacity is maintained, but patients complain of constant dull headaches, discomfort in the abdomen caused by arching pains, as well as heaviness in the epigastric region and constipation. Sigmoidoscopy reveals a pronounced vascular network on an atrophic, pale mucosa.
The continuous form of chronic dysentery proceeds without periods of remission for many years. The disease is constantly progressing, the patient’s condition worsens and is accompanied by bowel dysfunction. This leads to the development of anemia, malnutrition, dysbacteriosis, hypovitaminosis. Most often, this form is provoked by Shigella Flexner. To date, the continuous form is rare, mainly in elderly people with pathological diseases or in people with chronic alcohol intoxication.
Stool for dysentery
A characteristic feature of dysentery is a stool with a bloody and mucous component. The vital activity of Shiggel bacteria that have entered the gastrointestinal tract is accompanied by disturbances in the work and anatomical lesions of the intestines, leading to the appearance of bloody impurities in the patient’s feces. The bacteria then decompose, releasing toxic substances.
Different strains of Shiggels have different levels of toxin production. At the same time, the goblet cells of the intestinal mucosa begin to intensively secrete mucus in order to protect it from irritating factors. This process is regulated by the nervous system, therefore, the stronger the intoxication, the more pathological mucous impurities in the infected stool.
The amount of blood in the feces of the patient is not the same and depends on the general condition of the infected, the form, severity and stage of dysentery. Depending on the above factors, the stool may have a liquid (acute form) or semi-liquid consistency with blood streaks. It may have the character of rectal spitting and resemble a smear of purulent thick cloudy mucus.
In a severe course of the disease (a continuous form of dysentery), a mucous exudate is released with copious amounts of blood, so the stool is without feces and resembles a bloody mess. The patient’s feces contain millions of bacteria, so an infected person is a “reservoir of shigella” and a potential spreader of bacilli. It does not matter in what form and severity the disease occurs.
Chronic dysentery in this sense is of great danger, because it has a long character. In addition, during asymptomatic periods, the patient continues to visit public places and, perhaps without knowing it, spreads the infection.
It should be understood that even such seemingly harmless intestinal dysfunction as diarrhea can pose a serious threat to health and cause serious consequences.