Infantile paralysis: etiology, pathogenesis, symptoms and treatment of the disease

When the results of tests is diagnosed with polio, the symptoms in children may indicate the flu, which often results in misleading parents and they delayed to seek qualified help from professionals.

root Causes pathology

Poliomyelitis is a disease of viral etiology. It is characterized by lesions of the cells of the Central nervous system (CNS). The causative agent of poliomyelitis for a long time is able to maintain its viability. In medicine there were cases when the virus continued to live within 120 days. Penetrating into the body, the virus mainly affects the spinal cord (gray matter).

The etiology of the disease is that polio is dangerous for children under the age of 10 years. At risk are children under 6 years of age. In rare cases, the disease can also affect adults.

get Infected with a virus is possible only in such ways:

• airborne
• alimentary route (dirty hands, contaminated water or food).

The Main way of entrance of infection in polio – digestive tract in upper and lower segment. There is another type which is only characteristic of children, is vaccine-associated. The source of infection is a scheduled or unscheduled preventive medicine live attenuated oral vaccine by Sabin. The complication occurs when the condition is violated a protective immune functions.

Polio in children occurs in 2 forms:

1. Visceral or nephrolithiasis. The illness passes in a mild form for several days, and then receding.
2. Paralytic. The result of this disease is the paralysis of various muscle groups. In this situation dangerous is the paralysis of the muscles of the pharynx, as it may lead to suffocation. According to statistics, almost half of the patients fully recovers, that is the paralysis wears off. The second half of the total number of cases after the disease some disorders. 15% of patients disability remains for a lifetime, and only 1% are those who have irreversible paralysis.

Manifestations

The Pathogenesis of polio includes several stages:

• intestinal
• viremia
• neural stage.

Once the virus will enter the body through mucous membranes, the intestinal phase begins and the reproduction of the virus. The time interval from infection to the first signs of the disease may range from 5 to 12 days. Then the virus from the intestinal phase into the viremia. This phase is characterized by further spread of polio throughout the body. Via the bloodstream the virus reaches the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, lung, heart and adipose tissue. The next stage of development of the pathogenesis of poliomyelitis is its spread to other organs and the Central nervous system. The virus attaches to the cell membranes, and then dissolve them. Reaching nerve cells, polio depletes their energy potential, which may lead to the death of their nuclei. In difficult cases the likely defeat of neurons and posterior horn cells of the spinal ganglia. Might suffer even proximal parts of peripheral nerves.

The Reticular formation in the brain is damaged, as the vestibular nuclei and the deep structure. By increasing vascular permeability under the action of the virus occurs tightness, swelling of the healthy parts of the nervous tissue, cell infiltration occurs, and then the disintegration of the cells. The spread of the virus throughout the body may stop at any stage. Based on the fact that when the virus will stop and what areas are damaged, is determined by a form of polio.

Clinic of polio in children manifests itself initially as symptoms of flu or common cold (runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, nausea, etc.).

When nephrolithiasis form all the symptoms disappear in a few days. Through this pathogenesis of some patients can not assume of the seriousness of the disease and infect others.

Of Paralytic polio in children can be divided into several forms which are determined depending on what muscle groups were affected by paralysis.

Clinic of paralytic polio are:

1. Spinal form. Paralysis of the muscles of the trunk, upper and lower limbs.
2. Bulbar form. Speech becomes slurred, and the act of swallowing difficult. Disturbed respiratory function and cardiovascular system.
3. Encephalitic form. The brain is affected.
4. Pontina form. The defeat of the nucleus of the facial nerve.
5. Mixed form. Multiple foci of inflammation.

How to cure polio?

Infantile paralysis refers to infectious diseases of viral etiology, characterized bythe diversity of clinical forms and is contagious. If your child suffers from the first signs of polio, it should be hospitalized. The treatment is carried out only in a hospital environment. All who contacted a child is kept in conditions of quarantine.

The a Child with signs of polio is appointed comprehensive examination:

• virologic and General analysis of blood;
• urinalysis
• definition of paired antibodies in paired sera;
• seeding from the nasopharynx and faeces.

If there are no visible disease symptoms, it is possible to identify it at initial stage is quite difficult.
Specific treatment does not exist.

The Patient shows a strict bed rest and systematic treatment that aims to reduce the deformation of the paralyzed muscle (by applying a special surgical bus) and the removal of pain.

Paralysis of the respiratory muscles, it is recommended to use the machine for artificial lung ventilation. After the disease has receded, the patient will need rehabilitation therapy. Rehabilitation course is tailored to each patient and is aimed at restoring normal functionality of muscles and increasing immunity.