Taking a smear from the anus is an unpleasant procedure. Naturally, in a small child, it causes a violent protest reaction. But the importance of such an analysis is truly difficult to overestimate.
An analysis in the form of a scraping from the anus is prescribed not only for children, but also for adults who work with children or deal with food.
What is the analysis for
There are different bacteria that cause intestinal diseases - salmonella, E. coli, shigella, which is the causative agent of dysentery. Their appearance in the intestines does not always lead to disease, the body can "restrain" them on its own. In this case, the person will not get sick, but will be a carrier, and others can become infected from him.
Therefore, it is very important before a child enters kindergarten or before sending to a summer camp to make sure that he is not such a carrier, which is done with the help of bacteriological analysis: a smear is taken from the anus and placed on a nutrient medium, and then the growth of bacteria is monitored.
Another analysis that is done in this way is scraping for enterobiasis. The term literally translates to life in the gut. We are talking about worms that settle in the digestive tract.
A smear from the anus is also used in the diagnosis of intestinal cancer, but the doctor will prescribe such an analysis only if there is a suspicion of such a disease.
How is the analysis done
A swab from the anus can be taken in different ways. This is determined by what kind of analysis needs to be done.
When taking a scraping for enterobiasis, the laboratory assistant draws a sterile cotton swab around the patient's anus. For bacteriological analysis, the stick is inserted into the rectum a few centimeters. In both cases, the patient should stand bent over and spread the buttocks with his hands. If we are talking about a small child, the parent accompanying him will have to push it apart. If the child is afraid of the analysis, resists, he should be held as tightly as possible, otherwise the laboratory assistant may accidentally damage the rectum with a stick.
Before taking a bacteriological test or scraping for enterobiasis, the child does not need to be washed. This can partially destroy the biomaterial near the anus, and the analysis result will be distorted.
The most difficult procedure is taking a smear for cancer. The patient lies on his right side, and the laboratory assistant inserts a stick equipped with a special loop rather deep into the anus. Of course, the parents must also ensure that the child lies motionless in order to avoid injury.
