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Infectious diseases arise due to the ingestion and reproduction in the human body of various microorganisms and parasites. A specialist in this pathology is an infectious disease specialist. Infectious diseases can develop against the background of various chronic pathologies in the body, and against the background of infection, decompensation of the existing disease occurs. Infectious diseases can lead to the development of surgical pathology, and in severe cases, to urgent conditions requiring resuscitation. Therefore, an infectious disease doctor must know the specifics of all related medical branches, and have the skills of resuscitation. The infectious disease doctor must have knowledge in specific laboratory diagnostics aimed at identifying the pathogen. Know the current current epidemiological situation of infectious diseases in the region.
Groups and types of infectious diseases
The activity of an infectious disease specialist is focused on various organs and systems of the human body. This is the gastrointestinal tract and liver with intestinal infections and viral hepatitis, helminthic invasions and parasitosis. These are hematopoietic organs of hematopoiesis in transmissible blood infections, when the pathogen immediately enters the bloodstream, spreads throughout the body and leads to the development of pathological conditions in various organs and systems. Infection occurs through the bites of blood-sucking insects.
This is the immune system and internal organs in non-transmissible blood diseases, when the infection is transmitted through the use of dirty needles and various medical and cosmetic instruments, as well as respiratory tract infections transmitted by airborne droplets. This is the skin and mucous membranes with infections of the outer skin, when the infection is transmitted by contact through the skin and mucous membranes.
The specificity of the activity of an infectious disease specialist covers the treatment of all internal organs and systems, therefore, during the appointment, the infectious disease specialist not only communicates with the patient to clarify his complaints, but also finds out the epidemic history of the person, along with a general examination, conducts a physical examination of the patient.
It is important for the doctor to know exactly whether the patient had contacts with infected patients, whether he was in endemic areas for any diseases. To prescribe adequate treatment, the doctor needs data from various additional examinations and tests. The treatment itself by an infectious disease specialist very often consists not only in medications, prescriptions for specific serums, but also in special diets that must be strictly observed for a favorable outcome of the disease.
An urgent need may lead to emergency vaccination of a patient against specific diseases in the focus of which he was recently.
The following types of diseases fall under the competence of the specialist in question: typhoid and typhus, anthrax, salmonellosis, toxoplasmosis, hepatitis, measles, influenza, tularemia, mumps, botulism, encephalitis, adenovirus infections, natural and chicken pox, malaria, scarlet fever, plague, cholera, foot and mouth disease, meningococcal infection, erysipelas, whooping cough, helminthiasis, tetanus, diphtheria, food poisoning, dysentery, rubella, acute respiratory infections, KU fever, viral lesions of the nervous system, poliomyelitis, ornithosis, rabies, brucellosis, paratyphoid A and B, hemorrhagic fever, leishmaniasis, infectious mononucleosis, yersiniosis.
Diagnosis and symptoms of infectious diseases
The main tests that must be passed during the examination and treatment by an infectious disease specialist include:
- crops and smears on the flora (bacterioscopy and bacteriology);
- general blood analysis;
- coagulogram;
- blood chemistry;
- markers of viral hepatitis;
- PRC-diagnosis;
- serological diagnostics, in which specific antibodies are determined;
- determination of markers of inflammation and sepsis.
Diagnostic methods may vary, depending on the type of infectious disease.
To diagnose changes in the state of internal organs, the following are carried out:
- electrocardiography;
- sigmoidoscopy;
- ultrasonography;
- fibrocolonoscopy;
- liver scan;
- x-ray examination;
- FGDS (fibrogastroduodenoscopy);
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging);
- CT (computed tomography).
That is why, having felt at least one or several signs of serious diseases, it is necessary to visit an infectious disease specialist. These symptoms include:
- regular, often recurring, very severe headaches;
- fever;
- insomnia or increased sleepiness;
- pustules and aphthae on mucous membranes of any location;
- fatigue and chronic fatigue;
- pain, heaviness and aching joints or muscles;
- all kinds of rashes;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes (their enlargement);
- swelling, redness and itching of the skin;
- all kinds of dysfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract – diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, nausea;
- prolonged catarrhal manifestations.
When visiting regions with an unfavorable epidemiological situation for any infectious diseases, you should also contact an infectious disease specialist.
Reasons for visiting a pediatric infectious disease specialist
In the modern world, the number of infectious diseases is constantly growing. Some infectious diseases cease to exist due to persistent immunity in the population (smallpox), but others appear (HIV infection).
Children’s organisms are more susceptible to the infectious onset, due to insufficient development and imperfection of the immune system.
The course of infectious diseases in children more often than in adults leads to the occurrence of chronic forms of diseases.
The reason for this state of affairs, to some extent, is the ecological situation, which contributes to the spread of various immunodeficiency states. A consultation with a pediatric infectious disease specialist is recommended for many diseases.
In particular, if the following symptoms appear, it is imperative to show the child to a pediatric infectious disease specialist:
- the occurrence of rashes on the skin or mucous membranes of the child;
- impurities in the stool of blood and mucus;
- headache;
- high body temperature;
- intoxication – pain in the eyes and muscles;
- jaundice;
- diarrhea;
- nausea and vomiting.
At the same time, before visiting the clinic, it is important to follow some rules so that the pediatric infectious disease specialist can correctly diagnose and prescribe therapy. You can not eat for 12 hours before the start of the examination, and it is also forbidden to take any medicines 12 hours before visiting the doctor and taking tests. If medications have been taken, this must be reported to the doctor. By the way, these rules for visiting an infectious disease specialist also apply to adult patients.
Prevention of infectious diseases
To prevent infection with infectious diseases, infectious disease doctors recommend taking anti-epidemic measures. This is a set of recommendatory settings, thanks to the implementation of which it is possible to prevent the occurrence of epidemics of certain diseases in various population groups, reduce the overall incidence and eliminate individual infections.
The main methods of preventing infections include:
- limiting contact with sick or potentially sick people;
- immunization of the population;
- chemical prevention of the occurrence of infectious diseases – taking medications to prevent the reproduction of infections;
- carrying out activities to increase the body’s resistance and strengthen immunity.
Contact restriction refers to isolating infected people from healthy people. It is realistic to carry out isolation in the conditions of the place of residence. Observation is often necessary – that is, monitoring of potentially infected persons, as well as quarantine or, in especially severe cases, hospitalization.
It is important to contact an infectious disease specialist at the first symptoms of infectious diseases.
If this process is delayed, you can harm not only yourself, but also a large number of others, creating an unfavorable epidemiological situation. The epidemic can cover all family members or the entire work team. An isolated person is not a source of infection for the team.
As a personal preventive measure, immunization is the most effective means. Vaccination increases the specific resistance of the immune system against incoming pathogens. Distinguish between active and passive immunization. During recovery from an infectious disease, immunity to the pathogen is formed in the body. The same thing happens when a vaccine is administered to a healthy person. This is how active immunization works – it causes an immune response to the vaccine administered.
All vaccines are based on weakened or dead pathogens of various diseases. With reduced immunity, vaccination is repeated. Unfortunately, vaccination is far from possible for all diseases that exist today, for example, against AIDS, salmonellosis and many other diseases, there are no vaccines yet.
Passive immunization is understood as the introduction into the human body of ready-made antibodies that are obtained from animals or humans after active immunization. This is the introduction of specific serums. After passive immunization, immunity to a particular disease is formed for a short period of time.
To prevent infection with all kinds of infections, infectious disease doctors prescribe pharmacological preparations. For example, to prevent recurrence of infection with tonsillitis, after taking the main antibiotic, patients are given bicillin-5, which protects against possible rheumatism. And when visiting potentially malarial zones, people are prescribed mefloquine; against influenza, the use of rimantadine is effective.
You can increase the body’s resistance to various infections by following simple household rules. It is necessary to regularly observe hygiene, eat well, take multivitamins in the autumn-winter period, when their intake from natural sources can be reduced, use adaptogens according to indications and try to alternate hardening with physical exercises.