Stool - general culture, children up to 2 years old

Fecal culture in children under 2 years of age test

Fecal culture is a microbiological examination thats aim is to accurately identify the speciesof pathogensw (primarily bacteria) present in the examined material. This is extremely important during the diagnostic and therapeutic process, as it enables the planning of appropriate treatment, precisely selected for a given clinical case. Disorders caused by bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract are particularlydangerous for young children, since the occurrence of diarrhea in them can quickly lead to significant dehydration of the body and the appearance of life-threatening complications, such as electrolyte disturbances or severe dehydration.

When should stool cultures be performed in children under 2 years old?

This test is most often ordered in the course of severe diarrhea in children. This type of situation often requires hospitalization of pediatric patientsduring which many diagnostic tests are performed, including stool culture. Before the culture results are obtained, appropriate treatment is implemented (especially aimed at replenishing the electrolytesliquidslost by diarrhea), and the bacterial determinations obtained from the culture enable the implementation of the most effective antibiotic therapy. In the human intestines there are numerous bacteria of the physiological flora, whichre not pathogenicrious under normal conditions.

However, certain situations, such as previous antibiotic therapy or infection through the consumption of bacteria-contaminated food, can result in the proliferation of an excess number of pathological bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. For this reason, it is extremely important to accurately identify the strain causing the disease to avoid also destroying bacteria that&oac;re present under normal conditions.

Who should perform a stool culture in children under 2 years old?

This test should be performed if a child has diarrhea thatra does not diminish with time. The diagnostic criterion for the diagnosis of diarrhea in infants is an increase in the number of stoolsand a change in their appearance from the usual – this is a fairly general classification, but it is due to the fact that each child may have a different frequency of discharge.

A particularly worrisome symptom is the presence of mucus or blood in the stool. This type of disorder in children can quickly become life-threatening, so always consult a pediatrician immediately. Often the causative agent of diarrhea in children are viruses, which&oacute will not be detected by microbiological stool culture, but a bacterial infectious agent can never be ruled out without performing additional tests. Additional symptoms present in a child during this type of infection may be:

• fever
• bl headache and abdominal pain (the child is grouchy, crying)
• vomiting
• blackness, ogl weakness