Pneumonia symptoms in children 15 years old. Signs of pneumonia in children of different ages

Pneumonia is very widespread among the child population. In most cases, there are isolated cases of infection, but sometimes outbreaks of pneumonia are possible among babies from the same group. According to statistics, the incidence rate under the age of three years is 20:1000, and after three years the incidence decreases to 6:1000. It is not possible to immediately diagnose pneumonia; for this it is necessary to conduct a series of diagnostic studies, starting with an x-ray and a general blood test. If necessary, other procedures may be prescribed. Unfortunately, despite the large number of modern therapeutic measures aimed at combating this pathology, it is among the top ten diseases that most often lead to child death.

The inflammatory process in the lungs begins to develop not only due to a decrease in immune defense, but also due to the impact of predisposing factors and infectious agents on the body. Depending on how the infection occurred, pneumonia occurs:

• fungal;
• bacterial;
• viral;
• medicinal;
• physico-chemical.

Among all microorganisms that provoke inflammation, pneumococcus is in first place. The incubation period for the introduction of pneumococcus into the body lasts only three days. During the height of the illness, a small child’s body temperature begins to rise significantly, namely up to 39-40°C. If the pathogen was identified on time and appropriate treatment began, then the duration of drug therapy will not exceed ten days.

The most dangerous type of pneumonia is Legionella form. Has a longer latent period - 4 days. Clinical manifestations of the pathology are more striking: partial or complete pneumonia, respiratory failure. All this together can lead to an unfavorable outcome.

Clinical manifestations of pneumonia depending on exposure factors

Child's temperature

The period when infection occurred and the first signs of the inflammatory process began to appear is one of the impact factors. Because in order to determine the first signs of pneumonia in children, it is necessary to more accurately determine the time when the infection occurred and the infectious agent began an active campaign to destroy the body.

Of course, it will be much easier to carry out treatment when the whole clinic is visible: elevated body temperature, nasal congestion, cough. But still, the most gentle and effective treatment will be the one that began even before these signs appeared.

Since in young patients the immune system is not yet fully formed, the first signs of the disease can be observed even during the incubation period. Even a minimal number of pathological colonies of the infectious agent, which are already in the bronchi and alveoli, contribute to the development of inflammation.

The barrier function of the respiratory epithelium is reduced, and because of this, the infection has already affected the respiratory system and lungs, even before the first clinical symptoms appear.

The impact of a pathogenic microorganism on the respiratory process in a child

A pathogenic microorganism in the tissue structures of the lungs is the second impact factor, since it subsequently affects the development of the disease and the severity of clinical manifestations.

Inflammation of the lungs, which is caused by viral agents and atypical forms of pathogens, very quickly leads to the development of respiratory failure and has an acute course. They cannot be treated with antibiotics, so the main therapy is to increase the body’s protective properties.

Respiratory failure occurs due to damage to the walls of the alveoli with subsequent accumulation of infiltrative fluid. Because of this, the process of normal exchange of gases between the environment and the bloodstream becomes impossible or is partially disrupted.

It is possible to start the normal breathing process only with the help of artificial oxygenation in stationary conditions.

Inflammatory process in premature babies

To assess the characteristics of the course of the inflammatory process in young patients, one should thoroughly study how the process occurs in an adult. Doctors are very afraid of inflammation degenerating into an acute form.

School-age patients endure the inflammatory process quite steadfastly, sometimes even without interrupting their school curriculum. A visit to the doctor occurs only when complications arise.

The severity and course of the pathology is influenced by the baby’s age, as well as the degree of maturity. If the baby is fully term, that is, there is no lack of surfactant and he is completely breastfed, which ensures the supply of immunoglobulins to his body, then the manifestations of inflammation will disappear within two weeks.

Atypical forms of pneumonia are more severe. The inflammatory process progresses very actively, and clinical manifestations make themselves felt and contribute to the development of respiratory failure. In children who were born prematurely, this leads to intoxication of the entire body and disturbances in the functioning of all organs and systems.

Individual characteristics of the child’s body and the inflammatory process in the lungs

The individual structural features of a child’s body completely influence the signs of pneumonia, their severity and duration of the disease. The narrower the baby’s chest, the more difficult the respiratory excursion process will be, which in turn will lead to a more severe course of the disease.

When single foci of inflammation are detected in the lungs, partial respiratory failure develops, which is eliminated by increasing the heart rate, but if the chest is narrow, then this process will not occur due to the impossibility of normal mobility of the pulmonary lobes.

And it follows that you should listen more carefully to the signs of pneumonia in children, since a small body reacts more acutely to changes in the body.

Pneumonia in infants

The baby is crying

The main signs of the development of pneumonia in infants include:

• increase in body temperature to 39-40°C;
• continuous cough reflex;
• increased irritability;
• excessive tearfulness;
• partial or complete cyanosis of the skin;
• accumulation of large amounts of mucus in the lungs.

At the first suspicion of pneumonia, you should consult a doctor, as this will allow you to begin the timely use of medications. And also avoid a long course of antibiotic therapy, which can lead to such an undesirable side effect as dysbiosis.

The latent period of pneumonia in children lasts for four days; during this period, the pathology does not make itself felt. Only a very experienced doctor will be able to suspect pneumonia in a child at the initial stages of the inflammatory process.

It is worth not forgetting and taking into account the fact that in infants the immune system is not yet fully formed, and immune protection is entirely based on immunoglobulins, which a small person receives with mother’s milk. And if the baby is bottle-fed, then there is practically no protection from harmful microorganisms.

In this case, pneumonia is much more severe, and complications occur much more often.

Signs of pneumonia in school-age children

In schoolchildren, pneumonia is most often provoked by microorganisms such as streptococcus and staphylococcus. They belong to conditionally pathogenic pathogens, since they are normally found in the child’s body, but under the influence of predisposing factors they are resold into pathogenic forms.

Staphylococcus and streptococcus wait for the moment when the body's immune defense decreases. This usually happens when:

• parallel developing pathological processes in the child’s body;
• with insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals from food;
• during hypothermia of the body.

Signs of previously untreated or congenital pneumonia do not go unnoticed, since before entering school the child is carefully examined by a number of specialists. Based on the examination and possible symptoms, the further treatment strategy for the child is decided, that is, in what conditions this can be done: at home or whether hospitalization in a hospital is necessary. But some symptoms may persist after discharge.

At home, parents can observe the following signs of pneumonia:

1. Constant shortness of breath and lack of oxygen. The baby's breathing quickens and leads to cyanosis of the skin. This condition develops due to an insufficient amount of surfactant formed and parallel damage to the alveoli.
2. Decreased reflex activity. At birth, the child begins to develop natural reflexes - breathing, sucking. Over time, they should become clearer and more expressive, but in children with pneumonia they are sluggish and weak. This becomes especially noticeable when the child makes certain movements, which lose their clarity and confidence.
3. Increased irritability towards others, as well as excessive tearfulness. Unfortunately, most parents attribute this symptom to the baby’s capriciousness or a mild cold, unaware that this may be a sign of impending pneumonia.
4. Increase in body temperature to 39-40°C. This sign must be observed because children have periods of uncontrolled rise and fall in temperature.
5. Disorders of the central nervous system, namely lethargy or, conversely, increased activity and excitability. These symptoms are very stable, and under the influence of environmental factors (calming or punishing the child) they cannot be changed, since the changes lie deep inside the body.
6. Decreased appetite and, accordingly, loss of body weight of the child. This is one of the first signs that can be observed in children with pneumonia. Viral agents have the ability to involve not only the respiratory tract, but also the cellular structures of the intestine in the process of damage. And as a result, this leads to a decrease in food cravings, indigestion, nausea, sometimes turning into vomiting.
7. Problems in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, namely disturbances in blood flow in the pulmonary circulation. Over time, signs of damage to the cardiovascular system intensify as the lung tissue is affected. Externally, this is manifested by partial or complete cyanosis of the skin, swelling of the legs and abnormal heart rhythm.
8. Critical weight loss due to impaired food digestion. This is accompanied by constant vomiting and dehydration.

Why is pneumonia so dangerous?

When massive outbreaks of swine and chicken flu were observed in 2008-2010, it was found that when children with a reduced immune defense are exposed to a virus on lung tissue, pulmonary edema very quickly develops, which actually causes death. And children with stronger immunity could cope with the pathogen on their own.

Pneumonia in children is a serious inflammatory disease that affects the respiratory sections of a child’s lungs. The pathology can have different etiologies, but is always severe, and children under 3 years of age suffer from pneumonia three times more often than older children (from 3 to 16 years).

Predisposing factors for newborns are perinatal pathologies and lungs, immunodeficiency states, and also - in such cases, congenital pneumonia develops.

Predisposing factors for older children may include:

• passive smoking;
• the presence of foci of chronic infection and other pathological conditions in the body.

At the same time, you need to understand that for the onset of the disease a necessary condition is the presence of such a predisposing factor as hypothermia of the child.

Etiology

There are a lot of bacteria and viruses that can cause the development of this disease in a weakened child’s body. In particular, pneumococci are the most common pathogens, but there are other bacteria that can cause this disease, and these are:

• chlamydia;
• Proteus;
• etc.

The pathogen enters the body through the respiratory tract, enters the lung tissue and infects the alveoli. Taking into account the type of pathogen, there are several forms of pneumonia in newborns:

• bacterial and fungal;
• mycoplasma and viral;
• rickettsial;
• a disease resulting from helminth infestation.

In addition, pneumonia in children can be allergic in nature and be associated with the fact that the baby’s body is not yet fully formed and cannot adequately respond to certain irritants. Pneumonia in newborns can also be caused by exposure to a variety of chemical or physical irritants.

Separately, it is necessary to say about pneumonia in newborns and older children caused by viruses. They are also divided into several groups, depending on the type of virus, and are:

• flu;
• parainfluenza;
• adenoviral;
• respiratory syncytial.

As mentioned above, for the development of pneumonia in a child, predisposing factors must be present. The following states can be added to those listed earlier:

• prematurity;
• hypovitaminosis;
• birth injuries.

And all children are given vaccinations at birth, which are designed to protect the child from various pathologies. And such a vaccination can cause a decrease in the protective reaction of the baby’s body, as a result of which it can develop.

Classification

In modern medical practice, pneumonia in newborns is classified not only by etiological signs, but also by causal ones. Taking into account the cause of pneumonia in a child, pneumonia is divided into primary and secondary. Primary occurs when an infection enters the baby’s body, and secondary occurs as a consequence of other foci of infection existing in the child’s body.

In addition, the disease can be classified according to the nature of its course. It could be:

• acute pneumonia in children;
• subacute form of the disease;
• protracted.

According to the degree of damage to the lung tissue, several types are distinguished - the disease can affect one lung or two at once (one or two-sided pneumonia) and most often it is the right one that is affected - right-sided pneumonia develops.

Symptoms

Depending on the type of disease, signs of pneumonia in children can be very diverse. Nevertheless, there are some symptoms characteristic of each type of pneumonia, these are symptoms of general intoxication:

• heat;
• drowsiness and weakness;
• refusal to eat;
• cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle;
• unreasonable sweating;
• rapid, heavy breathing;
• headache (moody in young children due to pain symptoms).

To distinguish the signs of pneumonia in a child, you need to know how this or that type of pneumonia manifests itself:

• focal. A disease that affects only a small area of ​​the lung. It is the mildest form of the disease and can sometimes occur hidden, without any particular symptoms or with unexpressed symptoms. The source of infection can be located in any part of the lung - often in young children, hilar pneumonia occurs, which is characterized by damage to the root of one or two lungs, and is characterized by severe intoxication and severe symptoms;
• segmental. We talk about this disease when individual segments of the lung are affected. The disease begins abruptly and is characterized by an increase in temperature to high numbers and a rapid increase in symptoms of intoxication. Cough with pneumonia in a newborn is absent or mildly expressed, while the baby feels pain in the chest or abdomen and difficulty breathing. Diagnosis of this disease is carried out on the basis of radiography methods - the x-ray shows individual affected lobes merging into a single segment;
• . A disease in which the process involves not only a lobe of the lung, but also part of the pleura. As with segmental, the onset of the disease is acute. The temperature rises, the child complains of dizziness and nausea, and chills are observed. Newborn babies often cry, breathe heavily and their temperature also rises, which can reach critical values. Cough with this type of pneumonia in newborns is rare, and in the first 3 days it may even be completely absent, then it becomes dry, and after a few days sputum appears that looks like rust. Often the course of the disease is associated with the appearance of abdominal syndrome (especially in young children), which is manifested by flatulence and vomiting. Only an experienced doctor can diagnose the disease - based on X-ray data, anamnesis and physical examination of a small patient. A blood test taken from a child with lobar pneumonia will show a shift in the leukocyte count to the left, an acceleration of the ESR;
• interstitial. This type of disease is less common than others - it often occurs in premature babies, as well as in newborns with immunodeficiency conditions. In addition to the symptoms described above (hyperthermia, excessive sweating, etc.), interstitial pneumonia of newborns is characterized by changes in the gastrointestinal tract, a drop in blood pressure and disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. This type of pneumonia is characterized by a debilitating cough with scanty sputum, and you can also visually observe swelling of the chest.

Diagnostics

As mentioned above, one or another type of pneumonia is diagnosed in infants and older children on the basis of bacteriological tests, radiography and local examination. In particular, they check the temperature reaction, the presence of signs of respiratory failure (shortness of breath, cyanosis of the mucous membranes and skin).

Patients are prescribed, in which increase and neutrophilia are noted. X-rays confirm the damage to a certain lobe, segment or the entire lung.

It should be noted that the most severe prognosis for the course of the disease is in newborns, since their body is weak and cannot cope with the infection on its own. Moreover, such children often experience destruction of lung tissue, which can lead to death. Therefore, the earlier pneumonia is detected in a small child and the sooner its treatment is started, the better the prognosis.

Treatment

Newborns suspected of having this disease are subject to immediate hospitalization. The hospital also provides treatment for pneumonia in children with moderate and severe forms of the pathology. Children aged 3 years and older in the presence of the initial stage of the disease with mild symptoms can be treated at home, with the necessary medical supervision several times a week. It should be remembered that the consequences of pneumonia can be the most severe - often, if not treated in a timely manner, children experience damage to internal organs and the central nervous system.

Treatment of the disease should be comprehensive and include:

• drug therapy;
• physiotherapy;
• normalization of diet and drinking regime.

The main place in the treatment of pneumonia is given to antibiotics. Within a day after the start of treatment, the condition improves, provided that the drug is selected correctly, taking into account the sensitivity of the pathogen to it. The treatment process takes from 6 to 10 days, depending on the severity of the little patient’s condition.

If the disease is caused by viruses, antiviral drugs are prescribed. Immunostimulants and mucolytics are also indicated. Antipyretic drugs are prescribed if the child’s temperature rises above 38.5.

Depending on the symptoms, other medications may also be prescribed to maintain and protect other organs and systems. For example, antihistamines, corticosteroids, cardiac glycosides. Breathing exercises are mandatory, helping the child’s lungs restore their functions (for children over 3 years old) and massage, which is suitable for children of any age. Sometimes it is necessary to take medications that reduce bronchospasm - in this case, the child is prescribed aminophylline.

The prognosis for treating the disease is favorable, provided that treatment is started in the early stages of the disease. The child is discharged from the hospital after completing the course of antibiotics, but at home he still needs symptomatic treatment to eliminate residual effects.

In addition, prevention of pneumonia in children plays an important role in preventing relapses of the disease. Doctors recommend using traditional medicine in the post-clinical period to eliminate the consequences of the disease and increase immunity. In particular, inhalations with fir oil, consumption of radish with honey, cabbage juice with honey as an expectorant, a mixture of butter with propolis as an immune-strengthening agent, etc., help well.

Is everything in the article correct from a medical point of view?

Answer only if you have proven medical knowledge

Pneumonia is a serious disease, the essence of which is the inflammatory process in the lung area. This disease is not uncommon in both children and adults. But children get sick more often due to age-related characteristics of the body.

According to world statistics from 2016, among children under five years of age, the mortality rate from pneumonia is 15%. In most children, pneumonia is detected as a secondary disease. It occurs as a complication after another illness (for example, bronchitis, ARVI, mononucleosis, measles), which weakened the baby’s immunity and made the body susceptible to infections from the environment.

There are many causes and pathogens of pneumonia. The main group is bacteria. The study of the symptoms of pneumonia in children should be carried out taking into account both the pathogen and the age group.

The occurrence of pneumonia is directly related to the state of the body's immune system. Therefore, the main risk group is newborns, babies in the first year of life, children with pathologies of the immune system and chronic diseases.

The main channel of infection for all infectious diseases is the respiratory tract. By airborne droplets, the pathogen first reaches the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, after which it continues to move inside the body. Rhinitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis occur. As it spreads, the bronchi become infected - bronchitis. If at this stage the body cannot stop the infection, and therapeutic measures are taken, then the next stage is pneumonia.

Inflammation affects the area of ​​one or both lungs, as a result of which the functionality of the organ is impaired. In the absence of timely treatment, irreversible processes in the body are possible, which sometimes lead to the death of the patient.

The disease can also occur due to infection during injury or due to vomit entering the lungs.

The pathogens may be different, but the symptoms of the disease in the classic version are active enough for any parent to have reason to seek medical help.

Routes of infection, risk group

The risk group includes premature babies, infants who have suffered hypoxia, asphyxia in the perinatal period, babies with vitamin deficiency, with pathologies of the respiratory tract, immune system, and cardiovascular system.

Among infants, congenital pneumonia is observed due to intrauterine infection. This is predominantly a viral infection, the causative agents are: herpes, chickenpox, cytomegaloviruses. The risk increases significantly if a pregnant woman is sick for a long time.

Diseases during pregnancy are a fairly common occurrence, since the body of a pregnant woman is under stress from hormonal and physiological changes, increased stress on internal organs and many other processes accompanying pregnancy.

The next danger is intrahospital infection. The born baby is practically sterile inside and out. The intestines are not yet populated by lactic acid bacteria, the skin is not populated by the microflora familiar to an adult. At this moment, the appearance of pathogenic bacteria may not meet resistance from the infant’s immune system. The causes of this disease are Escherichia coli, staphylococcus, and streptococcus. Dangerous viruses include measles, influenza, and Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

In 70% or more of sick infants, the cause of pneumonia is pneumococcus.

Other common pathogens that cause pneumonia in children under 7 years of age include Haemophilus influenzae, Maraxella, and chlamydia.

Signs of pneumonia in a child

Pneumonia often begins as ARVI or flu, sometimes this is what they are, pneumonia begins later and is a consequence.

Pneumonia in a child as a result of incorrect treatment of influenza and ARVI

The main symptoms of influenza or ARVI are known to everyone and are of no interest to anyone. These are hyperthermia, fever, dry skin, cough, runny nose, weakness and drowsiness.

A child’s body has a hard time coping with excess mucus in the respiratory tract. If you do not ensure that the patient drinks a lot and regularly irrigates the mucous membranes with expectorant syrups using inhalations, then mucus stagnation occurs. It begins to slowly descend to the level of the bronchi, the cough becomes muffled and deep.

This is followed by blockage and inflammation of individual parts or the entire lung. The alveoli fill with fluid or pus, shortness of breath, chest pain, and other symptoms of pneumonia appear.

Body temperature

An increase in body temperature is a natural reaction of the body to the invasion of infection. Helps inhibit many microorganisms and slow down the development of pathogenic flora.

Antipyretic medications are used when non-intervention can harm the body, because at a temperature close to 40 degrees, the protein of animal cells begins to coagulate, which threatens the death of not just the cells, but the entire body.

But the very presence of hyperthermia in a child is good; it indicates the presence of an inflammatory process and serves as a stimulator for parents to consult a doctor.

Pneumonia is characterized by a high temperature, which is almost uncontrollable by standard antipyretics.

In children with immune system disorders or severe chronic diseases, the temperature can only rise to 37.5.

Can pneumonia occur without fever?

This happens sometimes - it's enough to make you worry about how to recognize the symptoms of pneumonia in children.

The absence of fever can be observed in a patient with a chronic infection or pathology of the immune system. The baby may also have a mild cough due to general weakness of the body. Constantly observing the clinical picture of one disease, it can be difficult to distinguish between another, especially if the main signs are absent.

However, there are some symptoms that may indicate pneumonia. This

• labored breathing
• shortness of breath, chest pain
• blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle.

These signs are present against a background of weakness, drowsiness, depression, general intoxication of the body, pallor of the skin, dry mucous membranes.

Baby's breathing

The main sign and, perhaps, the main danger of pneumonia is difficulty breathing. As a result of the accumulation of fluid in the alveoli and bronchi, these organs cease to perform their functions correctly. As the disease progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult for the patient to breathe, and characteristic signs appear:

• chest pain
• dyspnea
• cough
• wheezing

All symptoms or some of them are observed at once. If left untreated or improperly treated, increased symptoms can lead to respiratory failure, which is life-threatening for the baby.

Only older children can indicate pain in the chest; parents of infants should be extremely careful.

Shortness of breath is rapid, intermittent and shallow breathing, which is accompanied by a whistle or other sound with each inhalation or exhalation. At the same time, you feel the load that the body overcomes when breathing.

The presence of this symptom indicates the risk of developing pulmonary edema.

Coughing is a natural mechanism for clearing the airways of foreign objects and mucus. If the cough is wet and loud, good. With pneumonia, before treatment, the cough is dry, barking, mucus cannot separate from the walls, so the cough does not bring relief.

Wheezing occurs when mucus in the bronchi and lungs prevents air from passing freely; it moves, constantly encountering obstacles.

Cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle

This symptom is clearly visible in infants - it is manifested by blueness of the nasolabial triangle with any tension of the facial muscles: when crying, sucking.

In children under one year of age, due to immature immunity, symptoms of pneumonia may not include fever.

A characteristic indicator is a rapid pulse and rapid shallow breathing: in infants up to 3 months - above 60 breaths per minute, in babies from 4 to 12 months - above 50.

You should pay attention to cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle and pale skin.

Symptoms in a child over 1 year old

If a child between 1 and 5 years old takes more than 40 breaths per minute, this is a sure sign of pneumonia. At the same time, he tries to breathe with his whole body so that chest movements bring less pain.

In older children, pneumonia usually occurs with hyperthermia and fever, which lasts for several days, after which symptoms of damage to the alveolar tissue are added.

Diagnosis of the disease

Diagnosis of pneumonia is carried out by a pediatrician, or an initial examination is carried out by an emergency doctor if, due to the child’s condition, it would be more appropriate to call her.

Differential diagnosis requires distinguishing pneumonia from acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, bronchitis, tuberculosis, and mycoviscidosis.

The final diagnosis is made on the basis of an x-ray of the lungs. In addition, a general blood test, a general urine test, and bacteriological and virological examinations of sputum to identify the pathogen are prescribed.

Kinds

By type of distribution it is divided into:

• Focal - with the formation of foci of infiltration, up to 1 cm in size, which are located in random order. Later they can grow and merge with each other (focal-confluent appearance).
• Segmental – affects an entire segment of the lung. Signs of pneumonia in children, such as high fever, cough and wheezing, may be absent at the initial stage of the disease. The following come to the fore: weakness, nausea, dizziness, refusal to eat. Then tachycardia, pallor, and microcirculation disorders begin.
• Croupous – more often observed in patients over 5 years of age. It is characterized by the development of fibrinous inflammation of the lung lobe or 2–3 segments of the lobe, with pronounced symptoms. From the first days the following symptoms appear: fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, weakness, signs of general intoxication of the body (vomiting is possible), tachycardia, rapid breathing (in children over 5 years old - more than 40 breaths per minute), pallor.
• Interstitial – damage to the connective tissue of the lung. This species is dangerous due to its severe disease and high mortality rate. Characterized by a sharp, acute onset. The temperature rises up to 40 degrees and is almost not reduced by antipyretic drugs, and can last up to ten days. Shortness of breath and rapid breathing up to 60 breaths per minute. Myocarditis and pulmonary edema may occur.

Chlamydial

The name of the disease according to the type of pathogen, the main one is chlamydia pneumoniae or chlamydophila pneumonia.

By the end of the third week, signs of normal malaise include a rise in temperature to 38 degrees and a dry cough. Chronic diseases of the body become more active.

The following symptoms are characteristic of chlamydial pneumonia: rash, neurological abnormalities, joint pain, gastrointestinal disorders.

Mycoplasma

A common type of disease, occurs in 20% of cases, typical for people under 15 years of age. The Mycoplasma pneumoniae virus is transmitted by airborne droplets.

The incubation period can last from one to three weeks. During this time, mycoplasmas actively multiply and spread between cells and on mucous tissues. The course of the disease itself with clinical symptoms of pneumonia in children lasts about 2 weeks.

The first symptoms are an increase in temperature to non-critical levels, sore throat, runny nose, chills, dry cough, pain when swallowing. These symptoms are usually mistaken for the flu, which makes timely diagnosis of this type of inflammation difficult. Later, pain in the chest area and difficulty breathing appear.

Atypical

This term combines all types of diseases that are caused by rare pathogens. This disease often occurs latently, without pronounced symptoms. Therefore, diagnosis is difficult. True, most of these diseases proceed without complications, but there are exceptions; they are aggravated by the lack of adequate treatment due to diagnostic errors.

Therefore, you should be extremely careful and, if you have any suspicions, seek help from a medical facility.

You should pay attention to the duration and nature of the course of ARVI and influenza. If the patient's condition improves and then worsens again, it is time to consult a doctor. If the cough remains dry for a long time and does not go away, residual effects after the illness persist for a long time - you need to seek advice from a medical institution.

If atypical pneumonia is viral in nature, then treatment methods may be sufficient even if the diagnosis is incorrect, since the therapy includes immune-modulating, antiviral, antipyretic drugs and mucolytics.

Acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis - differences from pneumonia

The bronchi are the main routes through which air enters the lungs. With bronchitis, mucus accumulates in them, which makes breathing difficult. Bronchiolitis is a blockage of small bronchial passages by mucus.

Bronchitis is considered a less dangerous disease that is easier to treat. With bronchitis, the baby may not have a fever at all, he may feel relatively normal. And with the standard course of pneumonia, an inflammatory process with a strong reaction of the body is a standard set of clinical manifestations.

Pneumonia in children may be accompanied by coughing up blood; this does not happen with bronchitis.

A characteristic sign of any of these diseases is a cough with wheezing. When it appears, you should immediately contact a pediatrician who will listen to the child’s chest and determine the affected area of ​​the body. The diagnosis is confirmed by x-ray.

Which doctor should I contact?

In case of rapid progression of the disease, hyperthermia and difficulty breathing, it is advisable to call an ambulance. The doctor on duty will most likely be able to identify pathology in the respiratory system.

Children under 2 years of age are usually admitted to the hospital even with bronchitis, since the child’s body often cannot independently work to remove mucus from the bronchi, and at home there are not enough resources for qualified help. When admitted to the hospital, the baby undergoes a full range of examinations, making it most likely that the correct diagnosis and source of the disease will be established.

If you do not think it is necessary to call an ambulance, then the first point of reference for any questions about your health is your pediatrician. He will examine the child and, if necessary, prescribe additional tests and therapy.

Treatment of pneumonia in a child

Treatment of pneumonia in any conditions involves quarantine. Whatever causes pneumonia, it is contagious. Therefore, it is advisable for children, even with community-acquired pneumonia, which is often viral, to be allocated a separate room, personal dining rooms, bedding, and bath amenities.

Children under two years of age and patients with severe illness are subject to mandatory hospitalization. They are also admitted to the hospital if there is a small child in the house who has not been affected by the disease.

Basic principles of treatment

There are targeted and symptomatic treatment. Both of them are used together to treat pneumonia.

Symptomatic treatment is aimed at reducing certain symptoms.

Targeted therapy is developed individually in each case and consists of destroying the causative agent of the disease.

Medicines

Antipyretics are used to reduce the temperature. To relieve pain, use painkillers.

To facilitate breathing, drugs for shortness of breath and mucolytics are used to thin the sputum. It is important to know that in case of pneumonia, bronchitis and other diseases of the respiratory tract, when the infection causes blockage of blood vessels with mucus, the use of drugs that stop coughing is contraindicated.

On the contrary, therapy is aimed at softening and removing mucus from the respiratory tract. To do this, patients are given plenty of fluids to drink and expectorant medications, for example, with ambroxol hydrochloride as the active ingredient. It can be taken orally or used as an inhalation solution.

Inhalations are very effective; they include several functions: taking medication, moisturizing the mucous epithelium, restoring water balance, diluting sputum.

Antitussive medications are used in completely different cases, when it is necessary to prevent a cough of a different nature, for example, an allergic one. For better sputum discharge, special physical procedures are prescribed. For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics are prescribed.

Is it possible to treat pneumonia in a child at home?

If the symptoms of pneumonia are relatively mild and there are no very small children in the house, then treatment at home is permitted subject to the following conditions:

• quarantine, regular ventilation of the premises;
• strict adherence to the doctor’s recommendations, treatment with folk remedies - only after agreement with the doctor;
• carrying out therapeutic exercises and massage, which helps get rid of phlegm;
• purity;
• healthy nutrition, vitamin therapy.

Forecast and consequences

If you seek medical help in a timely manner and treatment is started on time, with the right approach to the rehabilitation period, the prognosis is positive. The disease may pass without leaving any consequences for the body.

But it also happens differently. If therapy is not started in time, the inflammatory process may be followed by tissue necrosis, sepsis, asthenic syndrome, exudative pleurisy, pleural empyema, etc.

Conclusion

There is nothing that is guaranteed to protect a baby from pneumonia. But there are preventive measures that significantly reduce the risk of becoming an unpleasant statistic.

1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle for your child. Daily routine, healthy eating, walks in the fresh air, conditioning, sports.
2. Timely vaccination against common diseases will prevent pneumonia, as a complication of these dangerous diseases.
3. Precautions for contact with infected people.
4. It is necessary to promptly consult a doctor for the treatment of all childhood ailments, from flat feet to holes in the teeth.

In 2017, Russia experienced several outbreaks of community-acquired pneumonia among the population. The mortality rate is about 5%, lower than in previous years. This may indicate progress in medicine and a more attentive attitude of people to their health and the health of their children.

A common disease that poses a real threat to life is pneumonia in children, in the treatment of which modern medicine has made great progress. Even 30-40 years ago, according to statistics, doctors were able to save only every 3-4 children with pneumonia.

Modern methods of therapy have reduced the mortality rate from this disease tenfold, but this does not make the disease less serious. Prognosis in the treatment of each child always depends not only on the correct diagnosis and treatment plan, but also on the timeliness of contacting a doctor.

Inflammation of the lungs, called pneumonia, is a common disease that occurs not only in children of all ages, but also in adults.

The concept of pneumonia does not include other lung diseases, for example, vascular or allergic lesions, bronchitis and various disorders in their functioning caused by physical or chemical factors.

This disease is common in children; as a rule, approximately 80% of all lung pathologies in children are pneumonia. The disease is an inflammation of the lung tissue, but unlike other lung diseases, such as bronchitis or tracheitis, with pneumonia, pathogens penetrate into the lower parts of the respiratory system.

The affected part of the lung cannot perform its functions, emit carbon dioxide and absorb oxygen. For this reason, the disease, especially acute pneumonia in children, is much more severe than other respiratory infections.

The main danger of childhood pneumonia is that without adequate treatment, the disease quickly progresses and can lead to pulmonary edema of varying severity, and even death.

In children with a weak immune system, the disease occurs in very severe forms. For this reason, pneumonia in infants is considered the most dangerous, since their immune system is not yet fully developed.

The state of the immune system plays a large role in the development of the disease, but it is important to correctly determine the cause of pneumonia, since only in this case its treatment will be successful.

Causes of pneumonia

For successful treatment of pneumonia in children, it is important to correctly diagnose the disease and identify the causative agent. The disease can be caused not only by viruses, but also by bacteria and fungi.

Often the cause is the microbe pneumococcus, as well as mycoplasma. Therefore, the nature of the occurrence of pneumonia may be different, but this particular point is important for organizing effective treatment, since the drugs to combat bacteria, viruses and fungi are completely different.

Pneumonia can have different origins:

1. Bacterial origin. The disease can occur not only against the background of another illness of the respiratory system, as a complication, but also independently. Antibiotics for pneumonia in children are used specifically for this form of the disease, since it requires careful and urgent antibiotic therapy.
2. Viral origin. This form of the disease is the most common (detected in approximately 60% of cases) and the mildest, but requires adequate treatment.
3. Fungal origin. This form of pneumonia is rare; in children, it usually occurs after inadequate treatment of respiratory diseases with antibiotics or their abuse.

Inflammation of the lungs can be unilateral, affecting one lung or part of it, or it can be bilateral, affecting both lungs at once. As a rule, with any etiology and form of the disease, the child’s temperature rises significantly.

Pneumonia itself is not a contagious disease and even with a viral or bacterial form it is very rarely transmitted from one child to another.

The only exception is atypical pneumonia, the cause of which was the activation of a certain type of mycoplasma. In this case, the disease in children is very severe, accompanied by high temperatures.

Special mycoplasmas of pneumonia, causing respiratory mycoplasmosis and pneumonia, are easily transmitted by airborne droplets, causing various forms of respiratory system diseases, the severity of which depends on the state of the child’s immune system.

The symptoms of this type of pneumonia are somewhat different:

• At the very beginning of the disease, the child’s temperature rises sharply, reaching 40°C, but after that it decreases and becomes subfebrile with persistent values ​​of 37.2–37.5°C. In some cases, complete normalization of indicators is observed.
• In some cases, the disease begins with the usual signs of an acute respiratory viral infection or a cold, such as a sore throat, frequent sneezing, and a severe runny nose.
• Then shortness of breath and a very strong dry cough appear, but acute bronchitis also has the same symptoms, this fact complicates the diagnosis. Children are often treated for bronchitis, which greatly complicates and aggravates the disease.
• By listening to a child's lungs, the doctor cannot detect pneumonia by ear. The wheezes are rare and varied in nature; there are practically no traditional signs when listening, which greatly complicates the diagnosis.
• When examining a blood test, as a rule, there are no pronounced changes, but an increase in ESR is detected, as well as neutrophilic leukocytosis, supplemented by leukopenia, anemia and eosinophilia.
• When performing an X-ray, the doctor sees in the images foci of heterogeneous infiltration of the lungs with an enhanced expression of the pulmonary pattern.
• Mycoplasmas, like chlamydia, which causes atypical pneumonia, can exist for a long time in the epithelial cells of the lungs and bronchi, and therefore the disease is usually protracted and, having appeared once, can often recur.
• Treatment of atypical pneumonia in children should be done with macrolides, which include clarithromycin, josamycin and azithromycin, since pathogens are most sensitive to them.

Indications for hospitalization

Only a doctor can decide where and how to treat a child with pneumonia. Treatment can be carried out not only in a hospital setting, but also at home, however, if the doctor insists on hospitalization, this should not be prevented.

Children are subject to hospitalization:

• with a severe form of the disease;
• with pneumonia complicated by other diseases, for example, pleurisy, cardiac or respiratory failure, acute impairment of consciousness, lung abscess, drop in blood pressure, sepsis or infectious-toxic shock;
• who have damage to several lobes of the lung at once or a lobar variant of pneumonia;
• up to a year. In infants under one year of age, the disease is very severe and poses a real threat to life, so their treatment is carried out exclusively in a hospital setting, where doctors can provide them with emergency care in a timely manner. Children under 3 years of age also undergo inpatient treatment, regardless of the severity of the disease. Older children can undergo home treatment, provided that the disease is not complicated;
• who have chronic diseases or severely weakened immunity.

Treatment

In most cases, the basis of therapy for pneumonia is the use of antibiotics, and if the doctor prescribed them to the child, in no case should they be abandoned.

No folk remedies, homeopathy or even traditional methods of treating ARVI can help with pneumonia.

Parents, especially during outpatient treatment, must strictly comply with all doctor’s instructions and strictly follow all instructions in terms of taking medications, eating, drinking, resting and caring for a sick child. In a hospital, all necessary measures must be carried out by medical personnel.

Pneumonia needs to be treated correctly, which means you should follow some rules:

• Antibiotics prescribed by a doctor must be taken strictly according to the established schedule. If, as prescribed by a doctor, you need to take antibiotics 2 times a day, then an interval of 12 hours should be observed between doses. When prescribing three doses, the interval between them will be 8 hours, and this rule cannot be violated. It is important to observe the timing of taking medications. For example, cephalosporin and penicillin antibiotics are taken for no longer than 7 days, and macrolides should be used for 5 days.
• The effectiveness of treatment, expressed in improvement of the child’s general condition, improved appetite, decreased shortness of breath and decreased temperature, can be assessed only after 72 hours from the start of therapy.
• The use of antipyretic drugs will be justified only when the temperature in children over one year of age exceeds 39°, and in children under one year of age - 38°. High temperature is an indicator of the immune system’s fight against the disease, with maximum production of antibodies that destroy pathogens. For this reason, if the baby tolerates a high temperature normally, it is better not to bring it down, since in this case the treatment will be more effective. But, if the baby has had febrile convulsions at least once against the background of an increase in temperature, an antipyretic should be given only when the readings rise to 37.5°.
• Nutrition. Lack of appetite with pneumonia is a natural condition. There is no need to force your child to eat. During the treatment period, you should prepare light meals for your baby. The optimal diet would be liquid porridge, steamed cutlets made from lean meat, soups, boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins.
• It is also necessary to monitor your drinking regime. The child should drink plenty of pure still water, green tea with raspberries, and natural juices. If a child refuses to drink liquid in the required amount, he should be given small portions of special pharmaceutical solutions to restore the water-salt balance, for example, Regidron.
• In the child's room, it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning daily, and also monitor the air humidity; for this, you can use humidifiers or place a container of hot water in the room several times a day.
• It should also be remembered that immunomodulators and antihistamines should not be used in the treatment of pneumonia. They will not provide help, but can lead to side effects and worsen the child’s condition.
• The use of probiotics is necessary for pneumonia, since taking antibiotics causes disruption of the intestines. And to remove toxins formed from the activity of pathogens, the doctor usually prescribes sorbents.

If all instructions are followed, the sick child is transferred to the usual regimen and allowed to walk in the fresh air from about 6–10 days of therapy. For uncomplicated pneumonia, after recovery, the child is given freedom from physical activity for 1.5-2 months. If the disease is severe, sports will be allowed only after 12–14 weeks.

Prevention

It is necessary to pay special attention to preventive measures, especially after the child has suffered from an illness. It is important to prevent accumulation of sputum in the lungs, which is why the disease develops.

Maintaining sufficient humidity in your baby's room will not only help ensure easy breathing, but will also be an excellent measure to prevent mucus from thickening and drying in the lungs.

Sports and high mobility of children are excellent preventive measures that help eliminate mucus from the lungs and respiratory tract and prevent the formation of its accumulations.

Drinking plenty of fluids not only helps keep your baby’s blood in good condition, but also helps thin the mucus in the airways and lungs, making it easier to eliminate naturally.

Pneumonia can be treated effectively only if all doctor's instructions are followed. But, of course, it is much easier to prevent it, and for this, any diseases of the respiratory system should be promptly and completely eliminated.

It must be remembered that pneumonia in most cases becomes a complication when colds or other diseases of the respiratory system are neglected, as well as when therapy is not carried out in a timely manner or treatment is stopped prematurely. Therefore, in order to avoid possible complications and the development of pneumonia, you should not self-medicate colds, but consult a doctor for any manifestations.

Reply

Pneumonia is a disease that can often be found in children of all ages. Pneumonia is a complex disease of the respiratory tract, both when establishing a diagnosis and when prescribing treatment. Everything will depend on how extensively the lungs are affected. Given the age, signs of pneumonia in a 3-year-old child may have their own characteristics. Based on the clinical severity of the disease, the diagnosis can be made immediately or additional studies will be required. Symptoms and treatment for a child with pneumonia will be individual.

Pneumonia is an infection of the lung tissue. When the disease occurs, the infection penetrates into the lowest parts of the respiratory system, as a result of which the affected area of ​​the organ is not able to perform its respiratory function (assimilate oxygen, release carbon dioxide). Therefore, this disease is much more severe than other respiratory infections.

During illness, damage to the alveoli and lung tissue often occurs. Inflammation has various origins and can be caused by:

Based on the area of ​​the disease, pneumonia can be:

• focal;
• segmental;
• shared;
• drain;
• total.

When one of the lungs is affected, the inflammation is called unilateral. If there is inflammation of 2 lungs, then this is bilateral inflammation.

The disease can also develop independently or be a complication of a previous infection.

Factors of infection include:

• hospital (nosocomial) pneumonia;
• community-acquired;
• illness resulting from medical intervention;
• aspiration;
• atypical.

Treatment of pneumonia in children aged 3 years is aimed at eliminating the pathogen, reducing the manifestation of symptoms, and supporting the protective function of the body. The main thing is to correctly determine the factor in the development of the disease, then the treatment will be effective.

It is important to know that the contagiousness of the disease depends on the pathogen. Pneumonia is often contagious. This is a typical pneumonia that is caused by pneumococcus. In addition to pneumonia, this microbe affects the middle ear, manifesting itself as otitis media, and meningitis also develops. Even a patient who has had an infection can be an asymptomatic carrier of pneumonia. Therefore, you may not notice who became the carrier of the infection from which the child became infected.

However, the manifestation of pneumonia also depends on viral illnesses that last a long time. In this case, the bacterial disease is transformed into a viral infection, since the child’s immunity is reduced.

Causes of the disease

The disease in children may differ in manifestations and speed of development. It is often severe and requires inpatient treatment.

Pneumonia in young children is rarely contagious and more often manifests itself as a complication of sore throat or bronchitis.

Factors that contribute to the development of pneumonia in children aged 3 years.

1. Oxygen starvation of the baby during pregnancy or during childbirth.
2. Injuries, complications during childbirth.
3. Problems opening the lungs after birth.
4. Prematurity of the child.
5. Anemia, rickets.
6. Developmental delay.
7. Infection of the child's mother with chdamidia, herpes.
8. Weak immunity.
9. Heart disease.
10. Hereditary diseases.
11. Digestive disorder.
12. Lack of vitamins.

Pneumonia also develops when inhaling chemical fumes, allergic processes in the body, hypothermia, or overheating of the respiratory tract. In a three-year-old child, various processes that weaken organ tissue can provoke an inflammatory process.

Most often, the disease manifests itself against the background of an acute respiratory disease or influenza. Due to the action of the virus, the body's protective function weakens, for this reason, painful microorganisms cause inflammation. Bacteria are present in the air, on surrounding objects, toys. Children can also become infected from a patient who has a purulent-inflammatory formation.

Children as young as three years old find it difficult to cough up mucus, which is why it accumulates in the organs, leading to the development of pathogens.

Pneumonia in a child can be caused by improper treatment of a respiratory illness. In this case, you should not independently treat the child. This is especially true for preventive courses and antibiotic therapy.

Why does the disease recur?

Quite often the disease affects children as young as three years old. Recurrence of the disease is no exception. This occurs due to the fact that the causative agent of the disease has not been completely eliminated from the body. Therefore, during a decrease in the immune system, bacteria again cause an inflammatory process in the lungs.

Recurrences of pneumonia pose a danger to the child due to severe intoxication of the body.

The reasons that lead to relapse of inflammation include:

• chronic illnesses (heart defects);
• cystic fibrosis;
• the wrong drug is prescribed, which is aimed at combating bacteria during the treatment of primary manifestation pneumonia;
• weakened immunity.

If pneumonia often occurs in children, a full examination is necessary to identify the factor that contributes to the weakening of the body's protective function.

Signs of the disease

With high activity of the infectious agent or with a weakened protective function of the body against this pathogen, when the use of effective medications does not bring a positive result, any parent can guess from individual symptoms that his child needs serious treatment and an urgent examination by a pediatrician.

Most often, the occurrence of pneumonia depends on the level and extent of infection of the organ. If the area of ​​inflammation is large and actively developing, then the disease can manifest itself clearly and be difficult to develop. In most cases, pneumonia does not develop severely and is treatable.

The main symptoms of pneumonia in a child aged 3 years are as follows::

• stuffy nose or runny nose;
• sneezing;
• weak and lethargic condition;
• constantly want to sleep;
• decreased appetite;
• pale skin;
• temperature increased;
• cough.

Focal (bronchopneumonia) is characterized by its occurrence as a complication or development of acute respiratory viral infection. The disease initially manifests itself as a common cold. The child has a runny nose, is snotty, and coughs. Relative to the rate of development of pulmonary disease, the infection drops lower. Rarely, viral infections initially affect the bronchi and then spread to the lungs. Then the microbial flora joins in, and the child’s health worsens after 5 days of illness.

The child suffers from shortness of breath, which occurs during physical exertion and while crying. Also, shortness of breath can occur, even in a quiet position and during sleep.

While the child is breathing, noises in the lungs can be heard from a distance. The wings of the nose inflate, and breathing is also carried out by the muscles of the chest.

Basically, the disease is accompanied by an increase in temperature, it reaches 39 degrees, in some cases higher, it is not easy to lower it. Although in young children of this age, pneumonia can occur without temperature or with a decrease in temperature due to insufficient protective power of the body and temperature mechanisms.

In children of two years of age, convulsions occur during fever when the temperature is high and does not subside for a long time. Fever-reducing drugs in this situation have no effect.

Fever may be present for several days, even if treatment is prompt, since it is a typical symptom for this disease.

In some cases, a two-year-old child is active, so one may not immediately suspect the presence of pneumonia. Further, when the body is exhausted by compensatory mechanisms, the baby’s behavior changes, he becomes capricious and very excited. There are skin rashes. The child's skin is moist and hot when touched, bowel movements occur, he refuses to eat, which leads to vomiting. The cough is severe and can cause nosebleeds.

When examining the child, you can observe pale skin, blueness is noticeable around the mouth and nose. He is restless, does not want to eat, sleeps a lot. When the doctor listens to the chest, symptoms of heavy breathing are allowed, which indicates an inflammatory process in the bronchi and upper respiratory tract. In addition, small wheezing can be heard above the surface of the lungs. The wheezing is moist and does not go away when the child coughs. This is accumulated fluid in the alveoli, which slams against its walls.

It is possible to note the presence of tachycardia (increased heart rate), and possibly muffled heart sounds due to toxicosis. There may also be such symptoms:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• stomachache;
• diarrhea, which encourages an intestinal infection;
• the liver enlarges;
• bloating of the intestinal loop.

With these signs, the child’s well-being is assessed as severe.

Symptoms can also be determined during additional examinations of the child.

1. Auscultation, listening to the lungs.
2. X-ray of the chest organs.
3. Blood test indicators.

In an X-ray of the lungs, the symptoms of the disease in children are determined by focal tissues with the contours of nerves, in addition, the pattern of the lung is enhanced, and an expansion of the pulmonary roots is noticed.

A blood test revealed an increase in ESR, elevated leukocytes, and a shift in the leukocyte formula.

How to treat the disease

Most often, pulmonary disease in children is treated in a hospital. The only treatment for inflammation is taking antibiotics, often in the form of injections.

There are a large number of funds. The attending physician will decide which medications are appropriate for your child, based on the results of a thorough examination. When one of the prescribed antibiotics does not produce the desired result, the doctor will prescribe another.

It is important to follow the doctor's instructions and not shy away from using medications, because pneumonia is often the cause of death for the patient. The use of folk remedies as the main treatment does not have a positive effect, they are only an auxiliary component.

Antibiotics should be taken strictly on time. When prescribed to take the drug twice a day, you must wait 12 hours between doses. The following antibiotics are prescribed:

• penicillin - take 7 days;
• cephalosporin - take 7 days;
• macrolides (josamycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin) - take 5 days.

The effectiveness of the drugs occurs 72 hours after administration. The child's appetite improves, the temperature decreases, and shortness of breath goes away.

Temperature-reducing agents are used if the temperature exceeds 39 degrees. At the initial stage of disease development, antipyretics are not used, as they make it difficult to assess the effectiveness of treatment.

It is important to remember that at high temperatures the body produces the maximum amount of antibodies against the causative agent of the disease. Therefore, when a child is able to tolerate a temperature of 38 degrees, it should not be lowered. In this case, the body will quickly cope with the harmful microorganism that caused the illness in the child.

If episodes of febrile convulsions have been noticed, the temperature can be reduced at 37.5 degrees.

When children have no appetite during illness, this phenomenon is considered normal and refusal to eat food indicates a serious impact on the liver. Therefore, it is not worth forcing a child to eat. Whenever possible, light meals should be prepared. These can be porridges, soups, steamed cutlets, boiled potatoes, which are easily digestible, as well as vegetables and fruits. Fried, fatty foods should not be given.

Give your child fresh juices (from carrots, apples). It can also be raspberry tea, rosehip infusion, water, adding water-electrolyte solutions (rehydron) to the drink.

It is necessary to ventilate and wet clean the room every day. Use a humidifier, it will help alleviate the patient's condition.

You cannot use drugs that have a general strengthening effect, including antihistamines and immunomodulatory medications, as this can lead to side effects and will not improve the development and outcome of the disease.

During treatment with antibacterial drugs, a child's intestinal microflora is disrupted. In this case, the pediatrician will prescribe probiotics.

1. Rioflora Immuno.
2. Acipol.
3. Bifiform.
4. Normobakt.
5. Lactobacterin.

To remove toxins after treatment, the doctor may prescribe sorbents.

1. Polysorb.
2. Enterosgel.
3. Filtrum.

If the illness is caused by a viral infection, there is no need to take antibiotics. Treatment in the intensive care unit and oxygen breathing will be required.

By following all the doctor’s instructions and observing bed rest, in the absence of complications, the child will recover, but a residual cough and slight weakness in the body will appear throughout the month. If an atypical form of pneumonia is present, therapy may be delayed.

In the course of effective treatment, the child can be transferred to the usual regimen and walks on the 6-10th day of illness. It is allowed to resume hardening after 3 weeks. If the course of the disease is not severe, physical and sports activities are allowed after 6 weeks. For complicated pneumonia after 12 weeks.

It is important not to prohibit children from walking and moving more, while trying to prevent overheating and hypothermia by dressing the child according to the weather.

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