Scraping for enterobiasis: how to test children, how to take a smear for worm eggs?

Parasitic infestations are common diseases that children are more susceptible to. The simplest and most informative analysis that allows you to identify different types of intestinal parasites is scraping for the eggworm (enterobiasis).

Despite the prevalence of the procedure, its accuracy can be influenced by many factors, so it would be useful to learn the correct algorithm for preparing and collecting biomaterial. How to take an eggworm test for a child, as well as important points of this procedure are discussed in our information.

About helminths

Helminths and their eggs come in a wide variety and they can have different names, so the manifestations of their life activity also differ. With worms, itching sensations occur in the rectum, grinding teeth in a dream indicates damage to the body by pinworms. Worms of this kind are more common in children. The presence of roundworms can be recognized by poor appetite, nausea and weight loss. To prevent the development of pathologies associated with the presence of worms in the body, it is necessary to undergo periodic examinations. The name of the type of parasite is determined through laboratory tests. Worms can affect all organs, which then begin to disturb, and if the diagnosis is incorrect, incorrect treatment is prescribed. The therapy does not bring any effect, so the disease takes on a different character. In medicine, infection by parasites of the body is usually called helminthiasis.

Worms

Causes of enterobiasis in children

Enterobiasis is a disease caused by helminths of the pinworm genus, adult specimens of which reach up to 4 mm (males) and up to 12 mm (females). The location of the worms is the small and large intestines. Females lay eggs in the anus, as the offspring need oxygen to develop. After 6 hours, the eggs are fully mature and the larvae are ready for further development.

When the female lays eggs in the anus, severe itching occurs. As a result of scratching, the eggs end up on the baby's hands, and then into the mouth or onto household items. To continue development, they only need to get into the intestines.

The larvae can only be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person. Animals can only be carriers of eggs. The life cycle of helminths is up to 2 months in the human body, and up to 25-31 days outside the host’s body.

Causes of infection and development of the disease:

1. Failure to keep the patient's hands clean. From them, eggs from an infected child fall on toys or other objects, as well as on the fur of pets;
2. Failure to comply with hygiene measures. After contact with infectious things or animals, the eggs end up in the hands of a healthy person. The patient can also re-infect himself through dirty fingers;
3. The eggs are laid at night and may end up on the baby's bedding and underwear. From there they fall into the baby’s arms and beyond;
4. From household items, future larvae can spread cockroaches and flies throughout the apartment and onto food. Unwashed fruit or bread that has been sitting on the table for a long time may contain eggs;
5. Children with weak immune systems are more susceptible to infection.

About the analyzes performed

What tests need to be taken and how to take the eggworm test for a child is determined by a specialist. There are 3 types of examination for the presence of parasites in the body:

• Scraping for enterobiasis. Enterobiasis is a common disease caused by pinworms. It is easily transmitted between children - these are unwashed hands and fingers, which children often put in their mouths. It’s also easy to get infected through bedding. The main manifestation of the pathology is itching in the anal area. Tangible symptoms appear at night, when helminths begin to lay eggs. The baby becomes restless and often wakes up in his sleep. The analysis is taken directly from the anus in the morning.
• Stool analysis. Fecal examinations determine the presence of other types of helminths in the body, for example, roundworms or lamblia. Laboratory tests show whether there are pathological abnormalities of internal organs, including inflammatory processes provoked by the activity of pests.
• Blood tests are more accurate for confirming the disease in cases where there is a suspicion of pathology, but a stool test or scraping for enterobiasis does not yield a positive result.

The taken biomaterial does not in all cases indicate the presence of parasites in the body, because they lay eggs only on the seventh day.

All three methods are effective with proper preparation for delivery and direct collection of biomaterial. A normal indicator is a negative result of the studies.

Scraping for enterobiasis

Definition of illness

Enterobiasis is the appearance of small helminths (pinworms) in the body of an individual. They parasitize the lower part of the small intestine, feeding on its contents. It often affects children and is very easily transmitted through unwashed hands and household items. The pinworm is a small white-gray round worm, about a centimeter long.

The resulting severe itching near the anus forces you to scratch these places; the eggs get hidden under the nails, and then, if hygiene is not observed, they end up in the mouth, on all surrounding objects and food, and they also remain on bed and underwear. Once in the mouth, the eggs end up in the small intestine, and after 4–6 hours new individuals appear that can give birth to offspring.

Pinworms stick to the intestinal walls, erosion and inflammation of the mucous membrane occur, and the absorption of nutrients is disrupted. The waste products of parasites are carried by the blood throughout the body, causing allergic reactions. Pinworms are capable of penetrating various internal organs: the appendix, kidneys, bladder, and in girls, the genitals, causing serious illness.

Preparing the baby for scraping

It is recommended to check scrapings for eggworms annually. The method for determining the type and presence of helminths is much more effective than in feces.

To obtain the correct result and prescribe effective treatment, you should follow standard recommendations when preparing to submit biomaterial. Without compliance with them, interpretation of the results will be unreliable. List of recommendations:

• for a week do not eat foods that cause disruption of the gastrointestinal tract;
• bathe the baby in the evening to eliminate as much as possible foreign microbes on the mucous membrane and skin;
• It is best to take the analysis yourself during the morning awakening, while the child has not yet gone to the toilet;
• you should not take antibiotics or other medications for a week;
• Prepare: a jar, a cotton swab or adhesive tape.

You can get tested in a specialized laboratory, but also early in the morning. It is in the morning that helminths descend to the anus to lay eggs. Therefore, biomaterial should be taken during this period of the day.

How is the analysis carried out?

Scraping for enterobiasis is carried out in any medical organization (paid and free) where there is a laboratory. Typically no referral is required. The cost of analysis is within reason: from 200 to 500 rubles.

For better access to the perianal fold, the patient spreads his buttocks with his hands. The laboratory assistant collects the material with a cotton swab or adhesive tape, depending on the method of subsequent research.

1. Scraping from perianal folds. The material is collected with a cotton swab soaked in glycerin. It is passed along the perianal area, capturing the border of the anal mucosa. A cotton swab is dipped into the solution, then taken to the laboratory, where it is centrifuged and microscopically examined for the presence of pinworm eggs.
2. Graham's method. This method involves using adhesive tape about 10 centimeters long. Take one end with tweezers and apply it to the skin in the perianal area, creating tight contact between the adhesive tape and the skin. Then peel off and transfer to a cover glass, without air bubbles. Microscopy is performed in the laboratory.
3. Imprint method using glass eye rods according to Rabinovich. The sticks, dipped into the glue solution with the wide end, are dried, maintaining their sticky properties for several days. To avoid injury to the skin, the sharp edge of the edge is removed. The stick is applied to the perianal fold from different sides, then placed in a test tube and taken to the laboratory, where microscopic examination is carried out. In this way, the eggs are preserved for a long time and lie freely on the adhesive base.

It is recommended to carry out the analysis 3 - 5 times with an interval of up to 7 - 10 days to increase the accuracy of diagnosis.

Using this test, helminth eggs can be excluded or detected. There are quite a lot of situations in which it is necessary to establish the presence of signs of helminthiasis. The study is carried out when the baby shows any signs of parasitic pathology, which may be enterobiasis. In order to confirm the diagnosis, a scraping is required, followed by interpretation of the result.

This analysis is also carried out for children for certain “social” indications. Most often, the test must be performed before a child visits the pool, when registering a personal medical record for adolescents, or for planned hospitalization in a hospital. To perform this test, the child is usually given a referral from the children's clinic. The pediatrician prescribes it during the appointment.

About getting tested for enterobiasis

Before taking a test for helminths in a child, you should listen to the advice of a specialist. At first glance, there is nothing complicated here, but for the results to be reliable, you must follow the basic rules.

Specialist consultation

List of recommendations:

• It is best to schedule the procedure in the morning, after waking up. This is due to the fact that pinworms begin physical activity at this time. Eggs are laid in the anal area. You should not treat the baby’s anal area with any medications and rinse with water when taking material.
• You need to prepare a cotton swab in the evening, and early in the morning, moisten it in warm water, and pass it around the child’s anus. You should collect it carefully, despite the fact that the method is painless. Afterwards, put the contents into a sterile jar and then take it to the laboratory.
• It is possible to identify the presence in another way. To do this you will need tape or adhesive tape. Glue it to the place of the oral folds, at the same time making sure that there are no formations of air bubbles.
• Then remove the tape and place it on glass taken from the laboratory. Place everything in a sterile jar. Then send the test for worms to a specialized laboratory.
• How long the research will take depends on the capabilities of the medical institution and the testing methodology.

These methods are effective and painless, children can easily tolerate them. If the results of laboratory tests are positive, there is no need to delay following the doctor’s instructions for treatment.

Stool analysis

For what symptoms is scraping done for enterobiasis?

1. Suspicion of pinworm infection (Enterobius vermicularis);
2. “Barrier” analysis (during hospitalization, issuing a medical record, a certificate for the swimming pool, etc.).

The period from infection to the appearance of symptoms for enterobiasis is 12 - 14 days. This is the time during which pinworms reach sexual maturity. The main signs of the disease are itching or discomfort in the anus, redness of the skin around the anus or in the perineum especially after stool, increased interest of the child in his genitals, masturbation.

In girls, in addition, pinworms can crawl into the genital tract, causing inflammatory and infectious diseases (vulvovaginitis, urethritis, thrush). The child becomes excitable in the evening, very capricious, cannot fall asleep for a long time at night, sleeps restlessly - often wakes up, screams in his sleep, cries, rushes around the bed (while maintaining normal daytime sleep).

Such symptoms may not occur every day if there are few worms in the intestines. But when the number of parasites increases, the discomfort and the described symptoms may become permanent.

In addition, pinworms, like any other source of chronic infection, can cause disruption of normal intestinal function (abdominal pain, increased gas formation - flatulence, constipation or diarrhea, indigestion of food, etc.), allergic reactions, intoxication (lethargy, increased fatigue, irritability, grinding teeth), lead to intestinal dysbiosis.

Preparing for stool donation

Tests for worms in children are checked during stool collection. This method has been known for a long time, but there are certain nuances. To obtain a reliable result, you must do the following:

• adhere to an appropriate diet, including not eating foods that cause flatulence and bloating, for about a day;
• You should stop using antibiotics within a week;
• You cannot take laxatives or use suppositories, otherwise the result will be distorted;
• there should be no drops of urine, saliva, wastewater or other waste products in the feces;
• For young children, you can take a sample from a diaper;
• It is recommended to use a sterile jar or tray for bowel movements (a storage container can be purchased at a pharmacy or disinfected yourself).

Foods that are not recommended to eat during the week: beets, fruit juices, cherries, strawberries, cabbage, cucumbers. They cause flatulence, and stool tests may be distorted.

Fruit juices

Symptoms of enterobiasis

Symptoms of enterobiasis sometimes pass under the guise of other diseases, especially in females. When pinworms enter the ovaries, uterus and vagina, they cause inflammatory processes there, which is accompanied by characteristic symptoms: pain in the lower abdomen, vaginal discharge, menstrual irregularities and others.

Accordingly, the patient will refer her complaints to a gynecologist. When pinworms penetrate the lumen of the vermiform appendix of the cecum (appendix), they can cause an attack of colic, which resembles the pain of acute appendicitis.

Pinworms also sometimes contribute to the development of acute appendicitis.

In the case where enterobiasis is suspected in a patient, the symptoms that you should pay attention to are the following. Symptoms of enterobiasis in humans:

Symptoms of enterobiasis in humans:

sensation of itching in the anal area: itching usually occurs at night during the period of activity of the female pathogen. Children itch especially badly, not realizing in their sleep what they are doing.

Parents pay attention to fingernail marks after scratching. Itching occurs periodically if the pinworm infestation is not severe

That is, as new sexually mature individuals mature, itching will appear; if the pinworm infestation is severe, then itching appears not only around the anus, but also spreads to the genitals and perineum. Infection of scratching sites leads to local complications: paraproctitis, eczematous dermatitis, sphincteritis, pyoderma. The patient sleeps poorly at night, does not get enough sleep, and becomes irritable (especially children). Children's academic performance declines and concentration decreases; These neurological disorders may worsen further, resulting in headaches, fainting, and seizures resembling epileptic ones. Some develop nocturnal enuresis; intestinal symptoms: abdominal pain, rumbling in the intestines, bloating, nausea, vomiting, stool disorders. Sometimes there is diarrhea with mucus.

Collection of stool and testing

On how to collect an analysis so as not to violate the collection technology, you need to follow the recommendations of specialists and know some rules. There are several nuances in this simple matter:

• Biomaterial is donated on the same day and the ideal time would be the morning, but if for some reason children cannot go to the toilet, then you can play it safe with an evening bowel movement. Feces will not lose their properties if stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours, but no more.
• When you have an evening bowel movement, you should collect the stool in a jar. The deadline will be to submit the analysis 24 hours before laboratory tests. In this case, it is necessary to keep the contents in the refrigerator in a container, hermetically sealed and wrapped in plastic. You can use the space between the window sashes in winter.
• A sufficient amount for analysis is two teaspoons.
• The material can be collected using disposable or clean utensils, such as a fork or spoon. Feces are collected from the middle and sides of the total mass.
• Next, the prepared material for testing must be taken to the clinic at your place of residence or to a private medical institution. The results of the analysis are not correct in all cases due to non-compliance with basic recommendations during preparation and delivery.

Blood test
The presence of pronounced helminthic feces without any tests already indicates the presence of parasites in the body. This visible indicator requires attention from parents.

Analysis results

You can almost always find out the results the next day. But it is best to carry out the analysis within 3 days in order to know for sure that there is no infection.

A positive result should be explained by a specialist, since thanks to the study, not only pinworms can be identified.

A scraping may reveal the presence of the following parasites:

1. Liver fluke.
2. Wide tape.
3. Bovine or pork tapeworm.
4. Whipworm.

About a blood test for helminths

A blood test for worms in children provides a more accurate and complete indication of the presence of parasites in the body. If the child is not feeling well, a specialist will order a blood test. If worms enter the body, the intestinal mucosa is damaged, as a result of which the blood changes its composition. This is accompanied by an increase in hemoglobin levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and eosinophils. It is not always possible to accurately determine the presence of parasites in the body when scraping or donating feces, and a blood test for helminths will show all deviations with a high percentage of probability. This type of research will help to discover:

• the number of parasites in the blood;
• what specific type of helminths affects the body;
• parasite reproduction activity.

A blood test is prescribed to children for leukocytosis, to detect invasion and during the period of medical examination at kindergarten or school. Based on the results obtained, treatment is prescribed.

Indications for the procedure

This type of examination is quite widespread; it is often prescribed to young children, since they are the ones most likely to get parasites. It is enough, for example, to stroke a kitten and then eat something without washing your hands; this will almost always lead to the appearance of pinworms. This parasite heals on its own within a month, provided that self-infection does not occur, and in the case of children this is almost impossible.

The study is part of the medical examination, and is also carried out for people before hospitalization or before surgery. Children need it before entering kindergartens and schools, and also, for example, before going to a sanatorium or camp, before going to classes in the pool, and even before returning to the team after the holidays.

In addition, the analysis is prescribed to patients who exhibit characteristic symptoms - severe itching in the anus at night and discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract. This study is also important for those who are currently undergoing treatment for parasites. This way, experts will be able to judge the effectiveness of treatment.

Preparing and taking a blood test

Before directly taking the tests, you must follow the following rules:

• You can’t eat food in the morning, but you can drink water;
• two days before the test, do not eat fatty, salty or spicy foods;
• at least eight hours must have passed since the last meal;
• The child should not perform active physical exercises;
• stop taking medications 2 weeks before the test;
• It is recommended to bathe the child in the evening so that the skin is clean.

It is necessary to donate blood in a specialized laboratory under the direction of a specialist. In this case, the laboratory technician must be informed what medications the child has taken, the duration of their use, as well as any illnesses the child has suffered.

Blood test for worm eggs is taken from a vein. The resulting biomaterial is processed within 5 days. With a positive analysis, it is possible to determine the degree of parasite damage, as well as what type of helminths have specifically settled in the body. In order to make sure that the baby is not infected, it is necessary to undergo tests periodically. If helminthiasis is detected, treatment recommended by your doctor should be started.

How to get tested correctly

In order for the results of diagnosing a parasitic infection to be the most informative, it is necessary not only to carry out preliminary preparations for the analysis, but also to submit the material correctly.

It is best to do this in the morning, immediately after the child wakes up.

To collect stool for examination, it is necessary that the child empties into a potty, which must first be thoroughly washed with laundry soap and rinsed with boiling water. Then you need to take a small amount of material using a special spatula included with the purchased sterile container. In this case, you need to touch different sides of the stool, since parasite eggs can be unevenly distributed in the stool.

If a baby needs to be tested, feces are collected from a clean diaper in the same way. Masses taken from a diaper are not suitable for research.

If a baby needs to be tested, feces are collected from a clean diaper in the same way.

After collecting the material, close the lid of the container and deliver the container to the laboratory within 2 hours. It is recommended to test feces for worm eggs 2-3 times in a row, with breaks of several days.

Material for analysis for enterobiasis can be submitted to a medical institution or collected independently at home. To do this, you need to place the child on his side with his back to you, spread his buttocks and swipe the prepared cotton applicator around the anus several times, which then needs to be placed in a container.

It is also possible to collect material using a glass slide and adhesive tape, which is applied with the adhesive side to the child’s anus for a few seconds and then placed on the glass instrument.

Shelf life of tests

Many studies have a short shelf life. Eggworm scraping is no exception.

You can find out the validity period of the tests either in the laboratory or from the attending physician who ordered the test. As a rule, the analysis is valid for no more than 10 days.

This is of great importance during the examination. Knowing the validity period of the scraping, you can plan it along with other studies that will be required for hospitalization or arrival at the sanatorium.

Parasites can occur in both children and adults. The greatest danger is to the health of children.

With the help of regular tests for eggworms, infection can be recognized at the very first stage. In this case, the treatment will take only a couple of days. This is quite enough to destroy worms at the initial stage of infection.

Diagnostic result

There should be no eggs, larvae or particles of helminths in the tests of a healthy person!

If the invasion is not extensive or the material was collected incorrectly, the result may be false negative. To ensure the accuracy of the diagnosis, scrapings are repeated 2-3 times with an interval of 2-3 days. You also need to repeat the procedure two weeks after recovery.