Nursing and prevention of acute gastroenteritis in children

Acute gastroenteritis in children is a common disease in children. Especially when the weather gets warmer, if children do not pay attention to their diet, they can easily develop acute gastroenteritis.

Acute gastroenteritis is an acute inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa. It often occurs in summer. The hot and humid summer climate is suitable for the reproduction of bacteria and microorganisms, and food is prone to corruption and deterioration. Children's digestive systems are not yet mature, and their local anti-infection ability is poor. In addition, they grow and develop quickly, and the gastrointestinal tract is heavily burdened. If they are not careful, they are prone to illness. If children have symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, changes in the frequency and shape of stools, and fever, they are mostly suffering from acute gastroenteritis. Today, let's learn about acute gastroenteritis in children.

1. Nursing of children with acute gastroenteritis

If a child develops acute gastroenteritis due to physical condition or diet, we must treat the child in time. The most important treatment for acute gastroenteritis is fluid therapy, which can be improved by oral rehydration salts and continuous eating. If the diarrhea is severe, intravenous rehydration can be used to avoid dehydration. Commonly used drugs such as montmorillonite powder can protect the intestinal mucosa, reduce water loss, and even excrete toxins and bacteria from the body through adsorption. In addition, probiotics can be used appropriately to regulate the function of intestinal flora and shorten the duration of gastroenteritis.

After a child suffers from acute gastroenteritis, daily care is not a cure, but it is also very important. In addition to improving the child's discomfort, it can also help the disease recover faster. Common care methods include:

1. During illness, the amount of food and the interval between meals need to be adjusted according to the changes in the child's condition. The food must be nutritionally balanced to make up for the consumption caused by the disease.

2. It is recommended to breastfeed infants, which helps them gain immunity. For infants who are adding complementary foods, try to give them complementary foods that they are already familiar with. When feeding complementary foods, you should start from less to more, from thin to thick, and choose light, easily digestible foods. Avoid crude fiber, high-fat, and high-sugar foods to avoid aggravating diarrhea.

3. Pay attention to the diet and do not let your child eat foods that he or she is allergic or intolerant to. Raw, cold, spicy and irritating foods should also be avoided to avoid increasing the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.

4. If the child's abdomen catches a cold, it may cause faster intestinal motility and worsen diarrhea, so the child's abdomen should be kept warm. You can use an electric warmer or cover yourself with more quilts to keep warm and improve the symptoms of diarrhea.

5. Strengthen the care of the child's anus and buttocks skin, keep it clean and dry to avoid skin damage, infection, etc.

6. Some types of childhood gastroenteritis are contagious. During the illness, disinfection and isolation work should be done to prevent cross infection. Children's personal belongings and tableware should be disinfected regularly, and children's urine and feces should be cleaned up in time. Parents should disinfect their hands in time after touching children's belongings.

7. Closely observe the changes in the child's condition and mental state. If recurrent fever, drowsiness, convulsions, etc. occur, go to the hospital for treatment in time.

2. How to effectively prevent children from suffering from acute gastroenteritis

When children get sick, parents are the most anxious and children suffer the most. The best way to prevent children from getting sick is to prevent it in advance, especially for common diseases like acute gastroenteritis. If children pay attention to it in their daily lives, they can avoid getting sick to a large extent.

1. To prevent acute gastroenteritis, you should improve your child's physical fitness and let your child exercise properly. If more and more bacteria accumulate in the body, the physical fitness will be damaged. When the body's immunity is poor, it is easy to be invaded by various bacteria. Therefore, people who want to strengthen their physical fitness should pay attention to adjusting their lives.

2. Pay attention to personal hygiene

Maintaining good hand hygiene is particularly important for preventing gastrointestinal diseases. Remind your children to maintain good personal hygiene, wash their hands frequently, and develop a habit of washing hands. Wash your hands before meals, after defecation, and after contact with possible contaminants. You can refer to the seven-step hand washing method and change clothes frequently.

3. Stay away from sick groups

If there are patients with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis around, do not have close contact with the patient, such as hugging, sharing toys, tableware, etc. Do not take your children to play in crowded places during the high-incidence season of the disease. Wear a mask.

4. Pay attention to your diet

All food should be thoroughly washed and cooked before feeding to children. Raw and cooked food should be handled separately, and leftovers should be avoided as much as possible.

Parents should not be anxious if their children have acute gastroenteritis. They should observe their children's symptoms and seek medical treatment in time. After 3-10 days of treatment and care, they will recover. However, we still recommend that parents pay attention to their children's hygiene and diet, try to avoid acute gastroenteritis, and reduce the risk of affecting their children's health.

Author: Li Duo, Wuhan Wuchang Hospital