Bronchopneumonia in children symptoms treatment. Focal pneumonia in children Komarovsky

You are an active person who cares and thinks about your respiratory system and health in general, continue to play sports, lead a healthy lifestyle, and your body will delight you throughout your life, and no bronchitis will bother you. But do not forget to undergo examinations on time, maintain your immunity, this is very important, do not overcool, avoid severe physical and severe emotional overload.

It's time to start thinking about what you're doing wrong...

You are at risk, you should think about your lifestyle and start taking care of yourself. Physical education is a must, or even better start playing sports, choose the sport that you like best and turn it into a hobby (dancing, biking, gym or just try to walk more). Do not forget to treat colds and flu in time, they can lead to complications in the lungs. Be sure to work with your immunity, temper yourself, be in nature and fresh air as often as possible. Do not forget to undergo scheduled annual examinations, it is much easier to treat lung diseases in the initial stages than in a neglected form. Avoid emotional and physical overload, smoking or contact with smokers, if possible, exclude or minimize.

It's time to sound the alarm! In your case, the likelihood of getting pneumonia is huge!

You are completely irresponsible about your health, thereby destroying the work of your lungs and bronchi, pity them! If you want to live long, you need to radically change your whole attitude towards the body. First of all, go through an examination with specialists such as a therapist and a pulmonologist, you need to take drastic measures, otherwise everything may end badly for you. Follow all the recommendations of doctors, radically change your life, it may be worth changing your job or even your place of residence, absolutely eliminate smoking and alcohol from your life, and keep contact with people who have such addictions to a minimum, harden, strengthen your immunity, as much as possible be outdoors more often. Avoid emotional and physical overload. Completely exclude all aggressive products from everyday use, replace them with natural, natural products. Do not forget to do wet cleaning and airing the room at home.

The phrase "pneumonia" is very scary for parents. At the same time, it does not matter at all how old or months the child is, this disease among mothers and fathers is considered one of the most dangerous. Is this really so, how to recognize pneumonia and how to properly treat it, says a well-known pediatrician, author of books and articles on children's health Evgeny Komarovsky.

About the disease

Pneumonia (this is how doctors call what is popularly called pneumonia) is a very common disease, inflammation of the lung tissue. Under one concept, doctors mean several ailments at once. If the inflammation is not infectious, the doctor will write "pneumonitis" on the card. If the alveoli are affected, the diagnosis will sound different - “alveolitis”, if the lung mucosa is affected - “pleurisy”.

The inflammatory process in the lung tissue is caused by fungi, viruses and bacteria. There are mixed inflammations - viral-bacterial, for example.

The ailments included in the concept of "pneumonia" are classified by all medical reference books as quite dangerous, since out of 450 million people from all over the world who fall ill with them a year, about 7 million die due to incorrect diagnosis, incorrect or late treatment, and also from the swiftness and severity of the course of the disease. Among the dead, about 30% are children under 3 years old.

According to the location of the focus of inflammation, all pneumonias are divided into:

Focal;
Segmental;
Equity;
Drain;
Total.

Also, inflammation can be bilateral or unilateral if only one lung or part of it is affected. Quite rarely, pneumonia is an independent disease, more often it is a complication of another disease - viral or bacterial.

The most dangerous pneumonia is considered for children under 5 years of age and the elderly, among such cases the consequences are unpredictable. According to statistics, they have the highest mortality rate.

Yevgeny Komarovsky claims that the respiratory organs are generally the most vulnerable to various infections. It is through the upper respiratory tract (nose, oropharynx, larynx) that most microbes and viruses enter the child's body.

If the baby's immunity is weakened, if the environmental conditions in the area where he lives are unfavorable, if the microbe or virus is very aggressive, then the inflammation does not linger only in the nose or larynx, but falls lower - into the bronchi. This disease is called bronchitis. If it cannot be stopped, the infection spreads even lower - to the lungs. Pneumonia occurs.

However, the airborne route of infection is not the only one. If we take into account that the lungs, in addition to gas exchange, perform several other important functions, it becomes clear why sometimes the disease appears in the absence of a viral infection. Nature has entrusted the human lungs with the mission of moistening and warming the inhaled air, purifying it of various harmful impurities (the lungs act as a filter), and similarly filter the circulating blood, releasing many harmful substances from it and neutralizing them.

If the baby underwent surgery, broke his leg, ate something wrong and got severe food poisoning, burned himself, cut himself, one or another amount of toxins, blood clots, etc. gets into the blood in various concentrations. by a defense mechanism - coughing. However, unlike household filters, which can be cleaned, washed or thrown away, lungs cannot be washed or replaced. And if one day some part of this “filter” fails, becomes clogged, the very disease begins, which parents call pneumonia.

Pneumonia can be caused by a wide variety of bacteria and viruses.. If a child falls ill while in the hospital with another illness, then in a huge degree of probability he will have bacterial pneumonia, which is also called hospital or hospital pneumonia. This is the most severe of pneumonias, because in conditions of hospital sterility, the use of antiseptics and antibiotics, only the strongest and most aggressive microbes survive, which are not so easy to destroy.

Most often, pneumonia occurs in children, which arose as a complication of a viral infection (ARVI, influenza, etc.). Such cases of inflammation of the lungs account for about 90% of the relevant childhood diagnoses. This is not even due to the fact that viral infections are “terrible”, but to the fact that they are extremely widespread, and some children get sick with them up to 10 times a year or even more.

Symptoms

To understand how pneumonia begins to develop, you need to have a good idea of \u200b\u200bhow the respiratory system works in general. The bronchi constantly secrete mucus, the task of which is to block dust particles, microbes, viruses and other unwanted objects that enter the respiratory system. Bronchial mucus has certain characteristics, such as viscosity, for example. If it loses some of its properties, then instead of fighting the invasion of alien particles, it itself begins to deliver a lot of "trouble".

For example, too thick mucus, if the child breathes dry air, clogs the bronchi, interferes with normal ventilation of the lungs. This, in turn, leads to congestion in some areas of the lungs - pneumonia develops.

Often pneumonia occurs when the child's body is rapidly losing fluid reserves, bronchial mucus thickens. Dehydration of varying degrees can occur with prolonged diarrhea in a child, with repeated vomiting, high fever, fever, with insufficient fluid intake, especially against the background of the previously mentioned problems.

Parents can suspect pneumonia in a child by a number of signs:

Cough has become the main symptom of the disease. The rest, who were present before, gradually pass, and the cough only intensifies.
The child became worse after improvement. If the disease has already receded, and then suddenly the baby feels bad again, this may well indicate the development of complications.
The child cannot take a deep breath. Each attempt to do so results in a violent fit of coughing. Breathing is accompanied by wheezing.
Pneumonia can manifest itself through severe pallor of the skin. against the background of the above symptoms.
The child has shortness of breath and antipyretics, which had always helped quickly before, ceased to have an effect.

It is important not to engage in self-diagnosis, since the absolute way to establish the presence of inflammation of the lung is not even the doctor himself, but an x-ray of the lungs and bacterial sputum culture, which will give the doctor an accurate idea of which pathogen caused the inflammatory process. A blood test will show the presence of antibodies to viruses if the inflammation is viral, and the Klebsiella found in the feces will suggest that pneumonia is caused by this particular dangerous pathogen. At home, the doctor will definitely listen and tap the area of the lungs of a small patient, listen to the nature of wheezing during breathing and during coughing.

Is pneumonia contagious?

Whatever caused inflammation of the lungs, it is in almost all cases contagious to others. If these are viruses, they are easily transmitted to other family members through the air, if bacteria - by contact, and sometimes by airborne droplets. Therefore, a child with pneumonia should be provided with separate dishes, towels, bed linen.

Treatment according to Komarovsky

Once the diagnosis is established, the doctor will decide whether the child will be treated at home or in the hospital. This choice will depend on how old the child is and how severe the pneumonia is. Pediatricians try to hospitalize all children under 2 years of age, because their immunity is weak, and the treatment process should therefore be constantly monitored by medical personnel.

All cases of obstruction during pneumonia (pleurisy, bronchial obstruction) are grounds for hospitalization of children of any age, as this is an additional risk factor, and recovery from such pneumonia will not be easy. If the doctor says that you have uncomplicated pneumonia, then with a high degree of probability he will allow you to treat it at home.

Most often, pneumonia is treated with antibiotics, and it is not at all necessary that you will have to do a lot of sick and terrible injections.

Antibiotics, which can quickly and effectively help, the doctor will determine according to the results of a sputum analysis for bakposev.

Two-thirds of cases of pneumonia, according to Yevgeny Komarovsky, are perfectly treated with pills or syrups. In addition, expectorants are prescribed, which help the bronchi to clear accumulated mucus as soon as possible. At the final stage of the child's treatment, physiotherapy and massage are shown. Also, children who are undergoing rehabilitation are shown walking and taking vitamin complexes.

If the treatment takes place at home, then it is important that the child is not in a hot room, drinking enough fluids, vibration massage is useful, which helps to expel bronchial secretions.

Treatment of viral pneumonia will proceed in the same way, with the exception of antibiotics.

Prevention

If the child is sick (ARVI, diarrhea, vomiting and other problems), it is imperative to ensure that he consumes enough fluids. Drinking should be warm so that the liquid can be absorbed faster.

A sick baby should breathe clean, moist air. To do this, you need to ventilate the room, moisten the air with a special humidifier or with wet towels hung around the apartment. Do not allow the room to be hot.

The walls of the bronchioles in an acute form, we can talk about such a disease as bronchopneumonia, which is often found in children, and parents treat it at home. In any case, this disease is very dangerous, since if not properly treated, a fatal outcome can occur. And in order for the child to be safe, it is necessary to know the maximum information about bronchopneumonia.

Every parent should remember that it is small children under the age of three who are at risk. The body of the baby during this period of life is still weak, not formed, which entails possible diseases.

As for the cause of the development of bronchopneumonia in children, this disease can occur due to the ingestion or activation of the following in the body:

streptococcus;
staphylococcus;
Pneumococcus;
influenza bacillus.

Since the above bacteria can be in the normal microflora of a baby in small quantities, they can begin to actively develop in the presence of a weakened immune system, flu, whooping cough, measles and other diseases.

IMPORTANT! In order to protect the child from bronchopneumonia and other diseases, it is necessary to increase the immunity of the baby, and in case of an illness, immediately seek help from a doctor for the correct and adequate treatment.

How to determine the presence of bronchopneumonia in children?

An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor, because if this disease is suspected, a referral to an x-ray is mandatory. The picture clearly shows the lesions of the bronchi, which gives reason to assert the presence of bronchopneumonia. Since in children the disease can affect both one of the lungs, and both at the same time, we can talk about the division of the disease into two subspecies - unilateral or bilateral.

However, at home, you can also suspect an ailment for the following signs:

in children there is an increase in body temperature up to 39 degrees;
the baby suffers from, and breathing becomes very heavy and painful;
the child's skin becomes pale due to intoxication of the body;
the baby seems lethargic, weak and passive;
heart rate increases significantly.

It is necessary to take into account the fact that an increase in body temperature (radial pneumonia) is not always manifested, which makes it difficult to suspect the disease on your own. The child should definitely be shown to the doctor, and not try to fight the disease on your own at home.

Treating children for bronchopneumonia with standard medicine

When the presence of bronchopneumonia in children is confirmed, the doctor prescribes a treatment that will be the most and safe for the baby. All activities are primarily aimed at ensuring that the foci of the inflammatory process resolve.

IMPORTANT! Medications in the treatment of bronchopneumonia in children are selected individually, based on the severity of the disease, the duration of its course, as well as the condition of the baby.

Often, treatment can take place in, but under the supervision of medical professionals. Such a decision has a very positive effect on children, because the home environment does not frighten and promotes recovery.

With bronchopneumonia in children, the doctor prescribes:

Taking antibiotics.
Reception of funds that strengthen the body of the baby.
Immunostimulating drugs.
Taking special vitamins and minerals.
Plentiful drink.
Medical.

All of the above appointments, parents can provide the baby in full at home. However, in some cases, you can not do without hospitalization. Severe forms of the disease in children can pose a threat to the life of the baby, which requires special monitoring and additional treatment measures.

As for nutrition in bronchopneumonia, it should be balanced, proteins and carbohydrates should be in sufficient quantities. In no case should you overload the baby's stomach with food, feeding should be in small portions, but often. Also, do not forget about drinking, various herbal teas, fruit drinks and mineral water should be in large quantities.

Non-traditional methods of treating children from bronchopneumonia

If a baby has bronchopneumonia without and can be treated at home, parents can additionally use folk, well-known methods of treatment with the permission of a doctor. Additional activities can significantly improve and speed up the healing process.

The home environment allows parents to show maximum attention to a sick child and provide proper care. , should be periodically ventilated, because fresh air is necessary for the patient. Wet cleaning will also benefit.

Among the many folk recipes, the following can be distinguished, which are not difficult to cook at home:

Treatment of children at home can be very effective, because the child is constantly under the care of parents and feels care and love. Bronchopneumonia can also be treated at home, but you should always see a doctor to avoid complications. It is also necessary to strengthen the immune system of the baby so that he can independently prevent various diseases. Children's health should always be a priority!

Indications for emergency care arise mainly in severe forms of small-focal pneumonia in children of the first 2 years of life. Early recognition of the disease is important for the timely initiation of treatment, since deaths are not completely excluded. Often develop protracted forms with purulent complications. In early childhood, there is a more severe course of small-focal and large-focal pneumonias of a segmental nature than disseminated focal ones. In infancy, bilateral paravertebral pneumonia occurs more often; in the second year of life, pneumonia of a lobar nature occurs. In addition to mild and moderate forms of small-focal pneumonia (localized pneumonia), severe toxic, toxic-septic and septic ones are also observed.

Symptoms:

predominantly gradual (after several days) development of catarrhal phenomena of the upper respiratory tract, less often acute with toxicosis, meningeal and meningoencephalitic syndrome;

elevated or high temperature, often at the beginning with a phase of excitement, anxiety, with deterioration of sleep (shortened, intermittent) and appetite, blanching, periodic cyanosis, then a phase of inhibition, lethargy with drowsiness and negativism;

rapid, shallow breathing, increasing shortness of breath with tension or swelling of the wings of the nose, less often groaning, groaning breathing, often breathing with an irregular rhythm, sometimes apnea and the release of foamy mucus in children during the first months of life, hacking cough;

pallor of the skin with a grayish tinge, slight cyanosis in the nasolabial triangle or a bluish-gray color of the skin of the face;

physical data: bloating of the lungs (a consequence of a reflex change in the tone of the vagus nerve) or shortening of percussion sound with a tympanic tinge, further limited dullness. Auscultatory noted at first hard breathing with dry rales, from the 3rd-4th day of the disease small moist sonorous rales, especially in the posterior medial sections and along the axillary line, a bronchial shade of breathing and bronchophony with the confluence of small foci;

muffled heart sounds, bloating, liver enlargement, initial hypoxemia - respiratory (respiratory) is replaced by mixed respiratory and cardiovascular (respiratory-circulatory);

X-ray data: in the first days, emphysema, omission of the diaphragm, enhanced pattern of the lungs and roots, later small-focal shadows in the medial sections;

blood: leukocytosis (sometimes leukopenia) with neutrophilia, accelerated ESR.

In toxic forms of pneumonia, urgent hospitalization is necessary.

Treatment

Emergency treatment of pneumonia should include measures against hypoxemia (respiratory failure), anti-inflammatory, to increase the body's resistance:

aeration, temperature in rooms, wards 17-20 °, if possible, ultraviolet irradiation of the room, frequent change in the position of children in bed. Children should be picked up, not swaddled. Plentiful drink (vat with 5% glucose solution, ascorbic acid 0.1 g 2 times a day, fruit juices);

oxygen therapy for hypoxemia - humidified oxygen: through nasal catheters or ordinary rubber nipples using a Bobrov apparatus half-filled with water, with a tube system, from an oxygen PILLOW tube covered with several layers of wet gauze, directing oxygen into the respiratory tract with a not very strong jet through the nose or by introducing it into the mouth, in hospitals it is recommended to use special oxygen therapy devices. The duration of oxygen therapy (in severe cases) is 10-15 minutes every hour, through special devices 20-30 minutes 2-4-5 times a day;

antibiotic therapy, preferably directed action (with the determination of the sensitivity of the isolated flora to antibiotics). Within 8-10 days, penicillin sometimes with streptomycin, injections of oxytetracycline or tetracycline drugs orally, erythromycin, oleandomycin, oletethrin, levomycetin, in severe cases, a combination of two antibiotics or a combination of antibiotics with sulfonamides. If treatment is ineffective after 3 days, antibiotics should be changed to others. With the duration of the appointment, it is necessary to add nystatin to prevent fungal diseases;

to stimulate the cardiovascular system, the appointment of a 0.5-1% solution of sodium benzoate caffeine, one teaspoonful 2-3 times a day, cordiamine, corazole (cardiazol) in the form of injections of 0.25-0.5 ml 2 times is indicated per day or inside, 3-5 drops 2 times a day, hytalen or neodigalen inside;

hemotherapy, injections of gamma globulin 1.5 or 3 ml repeatedly, intravenous administration of plasma (with toxic forms, blood transfusions not in the first days of the disease with septic forms);

distracting procedures, mustard plasters, mustard wraps, therapeutic hot baths 1 ° above the child's body temperature, but not higher than 40 ° C, 4-10 minutes with DN1 (first degree respiratory failure). With DN2, give one teaspoon of a 0.5-1% caffeine solution 15 minutes before the bath;

use of fresh air. If the child has free nasal breathing, it is recommended to take him warmly dressed (sheltered) to places protected from the wind or to insulated verandas at a temperature not lower than -5-10 ° for 20-30 minutes with a gradual increase in the walk up to 1 hour 1-2-3 once a day, depending on the reaction of the patient or children dressed, well-hidden, put in rooms with an open window. For children with malnutrition, walking at low air temperatures is contraindicated;

in severe forms of pneumonia, administer intramuscularly cortisone 20-30 mg in 2 doses in the first 2 days with a gradual decrease in dose, or preferably prednisolone intramuscularly or orally, 0.5-1 mg per 1 kg of body weight per day up to 5-10 days with a gradual decrease doses with a diet with restriction of table salt, rich in proteins and an increase in the amount of juices;

funds for dehydration (osmotherapy) are necessary for pneumonia with toxicosis, with meningo-encephalitic syndrome. The introduction of hypertonic solutions: intravenously 20% glucose solution 20-40 ml, intravenously 3-5% sodium chloride solution, intravenously concentrated 2-3-4 times plasma solutions (15-20 ml for young children, 30-50 ml for older ones), intramuscularly 2-3 ml of a 25% solution of magnesium sulfate with 1 ml of 1% novocaine, 10% solution of calcium chloride inside, 1 teaspoon 3-4 times a day;

with significantly pronounced respiratory failure, hyperthermia, severe anxiety, neuroplegic agents are indicated - chlorpromazine from 0.5 to 2 mg per 1 kg of body weight per day in 4-2 doses or a lytic mixture (see treatment of croup);

vitamin therapy: ascorbic acid, vitamins B, B2, B12, A and P;

with flatulence, a small warm enema (36 °) with chamomile infusion or hypertonic enema with 5% sodium chloride solution should be done, a gas outlet tube should be used, an injection of 0.1-0.2 ml of a 0.05% prozerin solution;

in the presence of rickets in a child, prescribe a therapeutic dose of vitamin D2. With a prolonged course of pneumonia, diathermy on the chest or UHF is indicated (with a negative Pirquet reaction).

A differentiated approach to the treatment of various forms of small-focal pneumonia is needed. When layering the cardiovascular syndrome, a more active and long-term appointment of combinations of cardiac agents with glucose therapy is recommended. With meningoencephalitic phenomena, preparations of magnesium sulfate, glucose, bromine, luminal, lumbar punctures. With toxic-septic syndrome, increased doses of antibiotics, blood transfusions, glucose. With atonic syndrome, ephedrine, adrenaline, tonics: Dibazol 1 mg 2 times a day, magnolia vine tincture 2-3 drops 2 times a day. With rickets, ultraviolet irradiation, an alcohol solution of vitamin D2, 100,000 units. once a week for 6 weeks.

Croupous (lobar) pneumonia

Croupous (lobar) pneumonia is an acute infectious-allergic disease with a cyclic course, bacteremia in the first days of illness and toxicosis. It is observed usually at school and preschool age.

Symptoms:

acute onset with high fever, slight chills, usually with a constant temperature curve; general intoxication with headache, vomiting; often there is flushing of the face with dry lips, sometimes with herpes;

in young children, abdominal pain (due to diaphragmatic pleurisy or irritation of the peritoneum during initial bacteremia), in older children, chest pain when inhaling (pleural etiology) radiating to the back and shoulders;

rapid breathing with a groan, shortness of breath, often with swelling of the wings of the nose, cyanosis (in the early days) due to respiratory hypoxemia;

hacking, dry cough at first without sputum, later with viscous, difficult to separate sputum; sometimes (in older children) the sputum has a rusty tint;

lag of one half of the chest during breathing; percussion sound over the affected lobe of the lung is initially shortened, and from the 2-3rd day is dulled (rarely dullness); increased voice trembling, breathing at first with a bronchial tone, then bronchial; gentle crepitant rales are sometimes heard only when the pneumonia resolves;

muffled heart sounds, often with a gentle systolic murmur, blood pressure is initially lowered; enlarged, slightly painful liver;

meningeal syndrome, observed in severe forms of lobar pneumonia, is either a phenomenon of meningism of a reflex nature, or serous meningitis, or less often toxic meningo-encephalitis, sometimes accompanied by convulsions (mainly at preschool age), especially with pneumonia of the upper lobe; possible delirium, agitation, hallucinations at school age, motor restlessness;

leukocytosis of varying degrees with a shift of neutrophils to the left, accelerated ESR;

X-ray examination from the 2-3rd day shows a homogeneous darkening of one lobe, less often part of the lobe, a decrease in respiratory excursions of the diaphragm.

In recent years, the course of croupous pneumonia has changed: sometimes there is damage to only a part of a lobe of the lung or 1-2 segments, with the use of sulfonamides and antibiotics, the cyclicity changes from the 1st day of the disease and often on the 3-5th day a decrease in temperature begins and the elimination of the disease process . Complications of lung abscess and empyema are rare.

Differential Diagnosis

Lobar pneumonia must be differentiated from:

exudative pleurisy, which is characterized by the following symptoms: absolute dullness of the affected part of the lung, absence of respiratory noises, voice trembling, mediastinal shift to the healthy side, with large exudate, the presence of the Rauchfus triangle, the Sokolov-Damuazo line;

tuberculous caseous pneumonia with a protracted course of croupous pneumonia. A detailed history is important; if in the first days tuberculous bacteria have not yet been found in the sputum, then caseous pneumonia is characterized by a meager amount or absence of microbial flora;

lung infarction in children with diseases of the cardiovascular system. In the latter case, the sputum contains blood or an obvious admixture of it, a typical x-ray picture in the form of a wedge-shaped shadow.

Treatment

Treatment consists in measures to eliminate hypoxemia: aeration, oxygen therapy in case of severe respiratory failure, therapeutic and protective regimen; 3) sulfonamides in combination with targeted antibiotics according to antibiogram or clinical efficacy: penicillin, tetracycline, oleandomycin, oletethrin, etc. It is also recommended to drink plenty of water, ascorbic acid 0.1 g 3 times a day, vitamins A, B, circular mustard plasters , banks, with a protracted course of diathermy. Calcium preparations, codeine for painful coughs, luminal or bromural for agitation and sleep disturbance. Heart remedies according to indications: cordiamine, corazole, lantoside 2-12 drops each or celanide (isolanide) 7 g tablets 2-3 times a day.

Or bronchopneumonia, is an inflammatory disease that affects small areas of the lung. Most often, bronchopneumonia develops in young children (up to 2-3 years). In today's article, we will talk in more detail about this ailment, consider the symptoms, causes and methods of treating pathology. Recommendations for the treatment of bronchopneumonia by such a well-known pediatrician and TV presenter as Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky will also be given.

Bronchopneumonia in children requires adequate and timely treatment, otherwise the outcome of the disease can be sad. Therefore, parents should take this disease seriously and take action at the first symptoms of the disease.

Causes of pathology

Bronchopneumonia, or focal, develops when exposed to various bacteria and viruses. Most often, such an illness is preceded by infections of the upper respiratory tract. For example, bronchitis or SARS can provoke a disease. The most common pathogens are streptococci, pneumococci and many viruses.

Also, pneumonia can develop when food enters the respiratory tract, squeezing the lungs with a tumor, inhaling toxic gases, and also due to surgical intervention.

Bronchopneumonia: symptoms

In children, this pathology is manifested by the following symptoms:

pallor of the skin;
weakness;
increased fatigue;
headache;
cough (both wet and dry) with sputum;
shortness of breath;
heart palpitations up to 110 beats per minute;
wheezing when listening with a stethoscope;
leukocytosis (an increase in white blood cells);
an increase in body temperature up to 39 ºС.

Inflammatory foci are usually concentrated in the bronchioles and are present either in both lungs (most often) or in one of them. Based on this, the child is diagnosed with right-sided bronchopneumonia, left-sided or bilateral. It is possible to detect foci of inflammation only with the help of x-rays. Most often in pediatrics, bilateral bronchopneumonia occurs in a child. With timely treatment, such a pathology is successfully treated.

Bronchopneumonia is most dangerous in children without fever, although this condition is quite rare. The fact is that it is this form of the disease that most often remains without the attention of parents. Due to the lack of adequate treatment, the process is delayed and aggravated. Parents should be alert to any deviations in the behavior and well-being of the child. Only in this way it is possible to detect the disease and start treatment on time, thus protecting the baby from serious consequences.

Possible Complications

Subject to timely and high-quality therapy, the child will recover after 2-3 weeks. If treatment is delayed or carried out incorrectly, bronchopneumonia can provoke serious complications, namely:

purulent otitis;
serous, or purulent, pleurisy;
pericarditis;
myocardial dystrophy;
nephritis.

Bronchopneumonia in children: treatment

In such a difficult period, the baby needs special attention and proper care. This disease is very serious, so parents should definitely know how to treat bronchopneumonia in children.

Based on the results of blood tests and x-rays, the doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Therapy is aimed primarily at resorption of inflammatory foci. Antibiotics should be prescribed only in severe cases - this is exactly what the well-known pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky insists on. Bronchopneumonia in children, if provoked by viral diseases, should be treated with antiviral drugs. Antibiotics in this case will not only be ineffective, but can also provoke serious complications. But in some situations, one cannot do without such potent medicines. If the temperature of the child is very high, there are signs of intoxication of the body, the child is weakened, the use of antibiotics is justified. However, only a specialist should prescribe the required dose of the drug. Self-medication can threaten not only the health, but also the life of the child. Also, Dr. Komarovsky points out the expediency of physiotherapy and adherence to a diet. Regardless of what the child has: right-sided bronchopneumonia, left-sided or bilateral - treatment should be comprehensive and symptomatic, depending on the cause of the disease.

Therapy at home

Therapy of a typical form of bronchopneumonia can be carried out at home, the treatment of more complex cases should be carried out in a hospital. This is due to the fact that the outcome of some forms of the disease can be fatal, so the constant monitoring of a specialist is very important. If bronchopneumonia is diagnosed in children, treatment should begin with a pulmonologist (a specialist in lung disease). After consulting with a doctor, folk remedies can also be used to treat the disease.

Alternative medicine

Recipes of traditional medicine will help to improve the well-being of the child and speed up the healing process.

Honey and birch buds

750 g (if this is not available, you can use the usual one) heat over low heat, bring it to a boil. Add 100 g of birch buds to honey. Stir the mixture thoroughly and hold for 7-8 minutes on low heat. After the mass, strain and cool. In a glass of boiled water, dilute a teaspoon of the resulting composition and give the child 30 minutes before bedtime.

Plantain

Collect plantain leaves, wash them thoroughly, wring out and dry for some time. Then spread a large towel or sheet on the bed and spread plantain leaves in an even layer on top. Put the baby on top of them with the back, attach the remaining leaves to his chest. Then wrap the child well and leave it like that all night. This procedure should be carried out as many times as necessary.

tar water

Pour 500 ml of medical tar into a sterile 3-liter jar, top up with boiling water, close tightly and leave for 9 days in a warm place. Give a teaspoon of the resulting composition to the child at bedtime. The taste of the product is not very pleasant, so the baby can eat something sweet after it, most importantly, do not drink the medicine with water.

Garlic

In a clean plastic cup, make several holes with an awl. Peel the head of garlic and finely chop. Put the mass in a glass and let the child breathe over it for 15 minutes. It is recommended to carry out such a procedure as often as possible.

Honey compress

The skin of the child in the area of the lungs should be well smeared with honey. In a solution of water and vodka (in a ratio of 1: 3), soak a clean cloth and apply on top. Then wrap the treated area with cling film and wrap with a woolen cloth. Twice a day the compress should be changed to a new one.

Mode and diet

At the initial stage of the disease, it is recommended to observe Be sure to ventilate daily and do wet cleaning in the room where the child is located. After the body temperature returns to normal, it is allowed to walk in the fresh air. However, it is important to be careful and prevent hypothermia of the baby. After 2-3 weeks after recovery, hardening procedures can be resumed, physical activity - not earlier than after 5-6 weeks.

There are no food restrictions. It is important that the diet is balanced, with a high content of vitamins and proteins. It is necessary to ensure that meals are frequent and fractional. You should know that babies are more prone to dehydration than adults. This threat is especially high against the background of elevated body temperature. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the child with a sufficient amount of fortified liquid, it can be warm fruit drinks, compotes, herbal teas, non-cold mineral water.

Physiotherapy treatment is recommended to start after the body temperature is normalized. Inhalations with medications that facilitate breathing and promote sputum discharge, as well as chest massages, will be useful.

Preventive measures

In order to prevent a disease such as bronchopneumonia in children, it is important from early childhood to follow the rules of personal hygiene and lead a healthy lifestyle:

wash your hands regularly with soap;
adhere to a balanced diet;
devote enough time to physical activity;
observe the sleep and rest regimen.

Conclusion

Bronchopneumonia in children is, of course, a serious disease, but it is successfully treated, subject to all the recommendations of a specialist. Parents always need to be on the alert and pay attention to the slightest changes in the child's condition. Take care of your children and be healthy!