What is lactulose

Lactulose - a carbohydrate that is produced during deep processing of milk and consists of galactose and glucose Glucose: The energy source . Lactulose is an isomer (the same composition, but has other properties), milk sugar (lactose), but, unlike the latter, is not absorbed in the intestine, because the person does not have the necessary enzymes for its digestion. Like any sugar lactulose attracting an increased amount of fluid from the surrounding tissue (the wall of the lumen of the intestine), the fluid liquefies and increases in stool volume, providing soft stool. In addition, lactulose increases the secretion of bile into the duodenum.

In the colon lactulose is captured and processed by the beneficial bacteria of the colon, processed acidic contents of the colon, inhibiting thus the growth and reproduction of pathogenic microflora (bacteria that can cause disease), and creating a favorable environment for the reproduction of the normal intestinal microflora involved in the digestive process .

Inhibits also putrefaction in the intestine, where the fall in blood toxic breakdown products (e.g., ammonia), which also contributes to the improvement of the body. The use of lactulose prevents absorption of products ichorization proteins in the blood, the liver releases a lot of work (as is known, the liver neutralizes toxins coming into it with the blood). This effect is allowed to use the lactulose for the treatment of severe liver disease in violation of its functions. Also prevents the toxic effects of the decay products of proteins in the brain, which can occur when insufficient liver function.

Lactulose is used in medicine to treat various diseases, it is manufactured under different names: Duphalac, portalak, lizalak, Normase, Lactusan and others. In the food industry it is used as a dietary supplement for the production, which has healing properties.

The mechanism of action of Duphalac

Duphalac (INN - lactulose) comes in a syrup for oral administration.

Dufalac laxative effect (attracting water into the lumen of the tissue), stimulates intestinal motor activity, improves the absorption of calcium and phosphorus (this helps to prevent the discharge of bone - osteoporosis). It also promotes the excretion of toxic products of protein breakdown, creates an acidic environment in the colon (under the influence of lactobacilli lactulose split with the formation of lactic, formic and acetic acids) that is conducive to growth and reproduction of beneficial intestinal microflora (bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, Escherichia coli) and neblagoroiyatnoy for development of pathogens, which are much better "feel" in putrid environment.

Impact Duphalac leads to that sucked in the blood ammonia returns into the intestine and excreted with feces semisolid. This prevents an increased burden on the liver and toxic effects in brain.

Dufalac does not reduce the absorption of vitamins and is not addictive. Action Duphalac comes in one-two days after admission. The drug is not being absorbed reaches the large intestine, and there is split normal intestinal microflora.

Indications and contraindications to the use of Duphalac

Dufalac appointed:

• constipation for the normalization of the bowel;
• in severe liver diseases in violation of its functions and complications in the form of toxic effects not neutralized decay products of proteins in the brain (hepatic encephalopathy);
• if necessary, a stool softener (eg, hemorrhoids Hemorrhoids - a shameful disease Before bowel surgery);
• in intestinal dysbacteriosis Intestinal dysbiosis - how dangerous it is? ;
• with diarrhea caused by various infections (Salmonella, Shigella) in the complex therapy;
• acute food poisoning in the complex therapy.

Duphalac can be applied to pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Admission Duphalac is contraindicated in case of hypersensitivity to the drug, ileus, acute appendicitis, intestinal bleeding. Precautions should be taken for patients with diabetes Diabetes - threatening and incurable disease .

Side effects

At the beginning of the reception Duphalac may cause bloating, this phenomenon takes place on their own within a few days and did not require discontinuation of therapy.

If you take the drug for a long time in high doses, it can develop a violation of salt metabolism, which manifests itself in the form of dehydration, weakness, fatigue, pain in the heart, seizures.

Duphalac - good medicine for the treatment of diseases of the digestive system, which produces a reliable pharmaceutical company "Solvay Pharma".

How to treat salmonellosis

Salmonellosis samoogranchivayuschimsya refers to infections that in healthy adults usually resolves without specific treatment. In milder forms of salmonellosis, and no risk of complications of antibiotic therapy is not recommended; Many experts believe that in such cases it may even slow down the recovery of salmonellosis. Antibiotics are needed only children under the age of three months, as well as people who have an increased risk of serious complications of salmonellosis. In some cases, it can be used to treat Salmonella phage. Preparations of this type can also be used for the prevention of infections caused by nosocomial strains of Salmonella.

Among the antibiotics, doctors often prescribed for the treatment of salmonellosis trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin Ampicillin - if one can not procrastinate   or amoxicillin. If the infection is caused by resistant bacteria, can be used drugs such as ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, or fluoroquinolones, but they are usually not recommended for patients under 18 years. If the salmonella infection has spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract, it may be used antibiotic shirokospektralny Antibiotics - whether they will help you in the foreseeable future?   cephalosporin. In such rare cases, treatment may continue for four weeks, but it usually lasts only 14 days.

Because of the resistance range of effective antibiotics is becoming an increasing problem in the treatment of salmonellosis Treatment of salmonellosis - Recommendations for all ages . This is one of the main reasons that doctors do not use antibiotics for the treatment of mild and moderate forms of salmonellosis, and insist that the patients did not interrupt treatment prematurely.

Prevention of Salmonella

Recommendations for prevention of salmonellosis in everyday life:

• Always wash your hands thoroughly before you start to cook;
• Wash your hands in the following order: Wet your hands with clean running and preferably warm water. Lather hands for twenty seconds, thoroughly cleaning the space between the fingers and wrist. Rinse hands under warm running water. The public is best to turn off the water, touching the faucet with a paper towel (if taps are not installed, which after some time turn off automatically). Dry your hands. Before cooking, as well as when you're holding there is visible dirt, use a damp cloth soaked in alcohol instead of soap and water inefficiently. In other cases, they can be used if you can not wash your hands with soap and water;
• Cook poultry until it warms up, at least up to 74 degrees Celsius;
• Beef and pork should be warm, at least up to 71 degrees Celsius;
• Eggs should be cooked until the yolks they will not be hard - at the same time as their temperature rises to about 72 degrees Celsius;
• Do not eat any foods containing raw egg;
• Do not drink the whole (unpasteurized) milk;
• Do not use a microwave oven for cooking of raw food of animal origin. In a microwave oven are heated unevenly, because of which they can remain viable bacteria;
• Paragraphs catering asking how to roast thoroughly meat, poultry or eggs. If you see that you filed dishes have not been sufficient heat treatment, tell the waiter and ask them to prepare a meal as you said;
• Do not let raw meat or juices, as well as other animal products in contact with food that you eat raw. So, do not put vegetables or fruit on the surface, where it lay until meat or eggs. Previously they need to be washed thoroughly with warm water and soap. If you or other family members are ill with salmonellosis, and in your home are people with weak immune systems The immune system - how it works? Or small children, for cleaning surfaces used for cooking, can also be used disinfecting solutions. However, the general disinfection of salmonellosis is not required (it is, of course, applies only to private homes, not points or catering industries, where they found the pathogens Salmonella infection);
• Wash your hands each time after you touch the animals, birds, reptiles or their feces, and after visiting zoos, farms, and in the garden;
• You also need to wash their hands after using the toilet - both in public places and at home;
• Do not cook food and try not to touch the food and dishes of other people, if you are ill with salmonellosis. Of course, if properly washed their hands, they do not have the bacteria, however, this measure helps to reduce the risk of infection of healthy people through negligence.

Recommendations for prevention of salmonellosis while traveling to third world countries:

• Do not drink tap water and do not wash her vegetables and fruits;
• Do not wash fruits and vegetables with water from the rivers, especially if they flow through the major cities (think, for example, the Ganges River, the water in which today has an extremely high level of pollution - and it's not the only such example in developing countries);
• Drink only bottled water;
• Do not order in restaurants, drinks with ice;
• If the quality of drinking water causes you to doubt, boil it or use special tools to disinfect the water (you can buy in some drugstores and specialty stores);
• Do not buy food and drinks from street vendors, or in small shops. It is best to buy products in large retail chains;
• If possible, eat at restaurants or well-known hotel chains in the areas of catering, you are advised to familiar;
• Before the meal, wash your hands thoroughly. In addition to soap and water is strongly recommended to use disinfectants.