[Medical Q&A] How to treat bacillary dysentery?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Huang Lei, deputy chief physician, Fifth Medical Center, PLA General Hospital

The following points should be achieved in the treatment of bacillary dysentery.

(1) Control infection: Use antibiotics as prescribed by the doctor for a course of 5 to 7 days. During the use of antibiotics, it is important to ensure that the treatment is thorough. The presence or absence of symptoms cannot be used as a criterion for stopping antibiotic treatment. During the treatment process, stool examinations and stool cultures should be performed repeatedly. If the dosage is insufficient, the course of treatment is not long enough, or the treatment is not thorough, it may turn into chronic dysentery.

(2) Actively replenish fluids to prevent dehydration.

(3) Symptomatic treatment: Patients with high fever can use antipyretic and analgesic drugs appropriately. When sepsis is severe, small doses of adrenal corticosteroids can be given on the basis of strong antibacterial drug treatment!

(4) Note: Children with bacillary dysentery must not use antidiarrheal drugs such as phenoxylate that inhibit intestinal motility! If such antidiarrheal drugs are used, it will cause inflammation to accumulate in the intestine and aggravate the infection, or there is a possibility of complications such as sepsis!