Assessment
The child with dysentery will present you with sudden onset of fever, prostration, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain and tenesmus. Patient may suffer from shock due to loss of fluids and electrolytes. Sometimes the patient will present with headache, drowsiness, coma, neck rigidity and convulsions.
What Steps will You Follow in Diagnosis?
You have to send stool sample which shows leukocytes and red blood cells. Blood count which reveals marked leukocytes with rise of polymorpho nuclear cells in majority of the cases. Stool for culture and sensitivity. Once you have identified a case with dysentery next step is to plan the nursing care for such case.