Patient's question:
Patient, male, 9 months old. Diarrhea for over a month. Breastfed. No additional foods added. One month ago, the patient developed diarrhea, with about 5-6 episodes per day, loose stools containing blood streaks. Laboratory tests showed pus cells in the stool. The patient's mental status is good, no vomiting. Fever occurred during this period, suspected of "bacterial dysentery?" After 10 days of treatment, symptoms improved.Doctor's answer:
Hello, first you should check whether the child has taken iron supplements or consumed large amounts of iron-rich foods, such as animal liver or blood, which may cause pseudo-hematochezia. If the stool becomes loose, contains more mucus or mixed with blood, and the infant cries uncomfortably during defecation, it should be considered whether it is caused by bacterial dysentery or other pathogens leading to infectious diarrhea, and medical attention should be sought promptly. If the stool is like red bean soup, dark red in color and accompanied by a foul odor, it may be hemorrhagic necrotizing enteritis; if the stool is jam-colored, it may be intussusception; if the stool is black and tarry, it may be upper gastrointestinal bleeding; if the stool is bright red blood, it mostly indicates that the blood comes from the rectum or anus. In short, blood in the stool should not be ignored.