Specially for you | Gastrointestinal diseases are prevalent in summer, so the "Intestinal Clinic" is here to help

You should know that the weather in my country is hot in summer and autumn (usually from May to October) every year, and the number of diarrhea patients mainly caused by bacterial infection reaches a peak. The epidemic period of Class A and B infectious diseases - cholera, dysentery, typhoid and paratyphoid - is also during this period. In order to avoid cross infection and to make medical treatment more convenient and quick, hospitals above the second level set up an independent area as the intestinal outpatient clinic to separate the intestinal outpatient clinic from the comprehensive outpatient clinic. The intestinal outpatient clinic of our hospital is a sentinel point for monitoring intestinal infectious diseases in the city. The intestinal outpatient clinic is open all year round and is open day and night from July to September.

01What kind of patients with certain symptoms need to visit the intestinal outpatient clinic?
The intestinal clinic monitors outpatient cases who visit with diarrhea as the main complaint, that is, 3 or more bowel movements per day and abnormal stool characteristics, such as loose stools, watery stools, mucous stools, or bloody stools.

02What diseases does the intestinal clinic mainly treat?

The intestinal outpatient clinic mainly monitors infectious diseases of the intestine. The scope of diagnosis and treatment includes cholera, dysentery, typhoid and paratyphoid, infectious diarrhea, bacterial food poisoning and other infectious diseases mainly caused by acute diarrhea, playing a role in monitoring and screening of infectious diseases.

03What is cholera?

Cholera is an acute and severe intestinal infectious disease caused by infection with Vibrio cholerae. It is mainly caused by diarrhea caused by cholera toxin produced by Vibrio cholerae and is transmitted through contaminated water or food. Typical cases have acute watery diarrhea as the main symptom, with rapid onset, severe painless diarrhea, often accompanied by projectile vomiting, no nausea, and vomitus and diarrhea are rice water-like. In severe cases, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and metabolic poisoning may occur in a short period of time. In severe cases, circulatory failure and acute renal failure may develop rapidly, leading to death. Cholera is a Class A infectious disease stipulated in the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases". The routine stool test dedicated to the intestinal outpatient department of our hospital contains a braking test, which is often used as a rapid screening method.

04What is bacillary dysentery?

Bacillary dysentery, also known as bacillary dysentery, is an intestinal infectious disease caused by Shigella and mainly spreads through the digestive tract. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, mucus, pus, blood in the stool, and tenesmus, which may be accompanied by fever and systemic toxic blood symptoms. In severe cases, septic shock and/or toxic encephalopathy may occur. Bacillary dysentery is a Class B infectious disease as defined in the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

05What is typhoid fever?

Typhoid fever is an acute intestinal infectious disease caused by Salmonella typhi. Clinical features include persistent fever, apathy, relatively slow pulse, rose rash, hepatosplenomegaly, and low white blood cell count. Sometimes serious complications such as intestinal bleeding and intestinal perforation may occur. Typhoid fever is a Class B infectious disease as defined in the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

06What is infectious diarrhea?

Infectious diarrhea is a group of intestinal infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms, their products or parasites, with diarrhea as the main clinical feature.

07What is bacterial food poisoning?

Bacterial food poisoning refers to an acute infectious toxic disease caused by eating food contaminated by bacteria or bacterial toxins. According to different clinical manifestations, it is divided into gastrointestinal food poisoning (with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc. as the main characteristics) and neurological food poisoning (with symptoms of the central nervous system such as paralysis of the eye muscles and pharyngeal muscles as the main manifestations).

08What should we pay attention to in preventing common intestinal infectious diseases in summer?

1. Develop good hygiene habits and wash your hands before and after meals;

2. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating, do not eat raw, cold or unclean food, and do not drink raw water;

3. Promote the use of serving chopsticks and separate meals;

4. Food should be cooked thoroughly before consumption, especially shellfish and crustaceans;

5. Overnight food must be thoroughly heated before eating;

6. Raw and cooked food should be stored separately;

7. All cooking utensils and eating utensils should be washed clean and kept dry after use;

8. Sterilized utensils and non-sterilized utensils must be stored separately to prevent cross contamination.