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A child's cough is always a cause for concern not only for the child himself, but also for his parents, who often immediately use antibiotics for children with a cough without fever. It can be called for various reasons, most often, viral ailments and colds and bacterial infections. In this case, cough spasm may be different character, and also be accompanied by other symptoms of a cold infection. However, the presence of a cough is not always the reason for the need to take antibacterial drugs; only a doctor can determine their importance in therapy.
Before deciding on treatment, the local doctor must determine the real reason the appearance of a cough spasm. Medicines are chosen depending on the source of the cough, for example, allergies are often accompanied by severe irritation mucous membranes, causing lacrimation and all the symptoms of acute respiratory illnesses. In this case, the use of antibacterial drugs will not make any sense, but will only harm the already weakened child’s body.
Cough spasm can be caused mechanical damage mucous membrane of the throat, in this case, the use of any drugs against bacteria will also not make sense, since its signs will disappear along with healing. Some parents, preferring not to consult a doctor again, begin to treat cough caused by a viral infection with antibiotics. However antibacterial drugs have absolutely no effect on viral formations, but only reduce the immunity of the child’s body, which is necessary to combat external irritants.
The use of antibacterial drugs for a cough in a child makes sense if the doctor has clearly established bacterial infection in organism. This can be determined by the following signs:
However, even the presence of these symptoms is not a reason to independently prescribe antibacterial drugs without the participation of a pediatrician. Many antibiotics not only have strong side effects, but are also contraindicated in childhood. Only a qualified doctor can select a drug.
Treatment with antibacterial drugs is dangerous, especially for children. fragile organism. However, in some cases it will not be possible to do without such medications. There is a certain group of antibacterial medications approved for use specifically in childhood. Such drugs have a special composition that does not harm children's health, since their effect is gentle.
The main feature in choosing an antibacterial agent is determining the need to take them.
Only a doctor can engage in such activities, since attempts to self-medicate mean the risk of endangering the child’s health. Since in early childhood there is a certain problem with taking medicines, preference should be given to suspensions and other liquid forms. Tablets are not suitable for all children, since swallowing them can cause vomiting reflex. That is why most often antibacterial drugs are prescribed to children in the form of a dry substrate, which is converted into a suspension using conventional boiled water. The measuring spoon included with the medicine will allow you to accurately calculate the dosage.
If children's body categorically does not take oral medications, the only way out the situation remains intramuscular or intravenous administration. In the first case, the attending physician prescribes injections, which is an equally common practice for complicated infectious diseases; in the second, a course of IV drips is administered, which is preferably carried out in a hospital setting.
To choose the dosage and frequency of administration children's antibiotic It affects not only the disease itself, but also the age and weight of the child. The duration of the course is usually determined by complications that are possible with a particular disease. In addition, if the onset of improvement takes too long, the doctor may consider it appropriate to extend the duration of treatment to the maximum allowed.
Children's antibiotics may be narrowly targeted and may not be suitable in every case. If no visible improvement occurs during treatment with an antibacterial drug, adjustment of treatment and change of drug is required, while this action Only a pediatrician can.
Since antibacterial medications have big list side effects, important point is constant monitoring of the child’s condition. In addition to the pediatrician, his parents must monitor the baby’s condition. The slightest deviation from the previous condition for the worse requires a re-examination by a doctor.
Treatment of cough, regardless of the cause of its occurrence, as well as its presence accompanying symptoms, is carried out through one drug. Changing it is possible only if there is no positive dynamics of treatment, and prescribing new drug Only a doctor can. Most often when children's cough antibacterial medications are prescribed wide range actions that have Negative influence against various pathogenic microorganisms.
Prescribing a highly targeted drug is difficult to determine the type of pathogen. This type of analysis is not available in every clinic, and the waiting period can be up to two weeks, which can become a critical moment for the child’s body.
Each drug is prescribed based on the type of illness, as well as the age and weight of the child. In this case, it is worth considering the possibility of individual allergic reactions to one or another component in its composition.
The most common drugs in pediatrics are the following:
Choosing an antibacterial drug for a child is therefore a serious undertaking that requires qualified knowledge. After examining the baby, the pediatrician will be able to make a diagnosis, determine the advisability of taking antibacterial drugs, and also make a choice of medication and determine its dosage, frequency and duration of therapy.
Antibiotics are very serious drugs, despite the fact that they are sold without a prescription in any pharmacy. Such medications should be taken only as prescribed by a doctor, otherwise you may encounter many complications and errors. For example, temperature when taking antibiotics - is this a normal phenomenon or a pathology? Of course, the answer to this question should be addressed directly to the attending physician, since it depends on the specific disease, the type of antibiotic used, its dosage and many, many other reasons. Nevertheless, let's try to briefly understand the problem.
For most enlightened patients, it is no secret that antibiotics should only be used for infectious diseases that are caused by bacteria. Such drugs do not act on viruses and fungi.
It is also worth noting that in hospitals, when treating severe and complicated infectious diseases (for example, pneumonia or meningitis), responsibility for a well-chosen and correctly prescribed antibiotic lies entirely with the doctor, who constantly monitors the patient and has the results in hand necessary research and analyses. When treating simple infectious diseases, which do not require hospital stay of the patient, the situation is different. Antibiotics can be used independently, indiscriminately, without any treatment regimen, which can not only not be beneficial, but can also be very harmful. IN best case scenario a doctor will be called, who, when prescribing treatment, will be confronted with a fact: for example, parents themselves ask to prescribe an antibiotic for their child, without having the slightest idea whether it is really necessary. Unfortunately, many doctors, instead of wasting time and nerves on explanations, simply dutifully prescribe the drug. The bottom line is that its use is absolutely inappropriate.
And yet, let’s return to the question of temperature during antibiotic therapy. Why does this happen?
The most common method for determining temperature at home is to touch your forehead with your hand or lips. Of course, this method is not accurate, but is only a preliminary determination of the violation. In order to find out the exact indicators, you need to use a thermometer. The choice of thermometers is currently quite large: electronic, rectal, ear, oral thermometer, or in the form of forehead strips.
As for diagnosing the causes of fever, the doctor chooses the method, depending on the disease, the age of the patient, the temperature readings, the appropriateness of the prescribed antibiotics, etc.
Diagnostics may include:
The diagnosis is confirmed by detecting the causative agent of the infectious disease during blood cultures.
It is up to the doctor to decide whether or not to treat fever while taking antibiotics. Of course, in order to make the right decision, you need to know the reasons for such a reaction.
Regarding the forecast for an increase in temperature during antibiotic therapy, the following can be said: if the antibiotic is prescribed and chosen correctly, then this temperature will stabilize over time and the patient will be cured.
When self-prescribing and taking antibiotics, the prognosis can be unpredictable. By taking pills on their own, without a doctor’s recommendation, the patient takes full responsibility for possible negative consequences.
In addition, cases with wave-like manifestations of temperature, when temperature indicators of different heights alternate at certain time intervals, have an unfavorable prognosis. This often indicates the development of complications.
In many cases, fever when taking antibiotics can be considered normal occurrence, but sometimes this situation also serves as a sign of complications. What happened in each specific case - normal or pathological - let a medical specialist decide. The task of each patient is to choose a competent doctor, strictly follow his recommendations and not self-medicate.
Antibiotics are antibacterial drugs that are used to treat infectious diseases. Despite the fact that many diseases cannot be cured without them, these medications should be prescribed to children with particular caution. There are certain indications for the use of antibiotics in children; in addition, when using them, it is necessary to observe a number of important rules regarding the choice of drug, dosage and timing of treatment. Also great importance has the age of the child.
One of the main mistakes that parents make when treating children is self-prescribing antibacterial drugs to the child. Thus, mothers often give their children antibiotics when severe cold, considering them almost the only effective means. Among modern medications, there are many antibiotics in the form of drops, suspensions, syrups or soluble powders produced specifically for children. But they all have serious side effects and can cause undesirable consequences for the child's health. Therefore, only a doctor can decide whether to give a child antibiotics.
Simple and fast way, which would allow specialists to accurately determine the cause of the disease from the first days, does not currently exist. The doctor decides when to give your child antibiotics based on the symptoms of the disease. Yes, it is known that sharp forms Rhinitis (runny nose) and bronchitis are most often caused by viral infections. Accordingly, with such symptoms, antibacterial therapy is usually not carried out, since antibiotics do not have an effect on viruses. And the cause of diseases such as acute otitis media(inflammation of the ears), sore throat and sinusitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses) are in most cases bacteria. In these cases, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics to the child.
At the same time, antibiotics can also be used to treat diseases of viral origin. But antibacterial drugs act directly on infectious agents without having an antipyretic effect or destroying the virus. For this reason, it is possible to treat a child with antibiotics for ARVI only if there are certain indications indicating that the disease is complicated by a bacterial infection.
A complication in the form of a secondary bacterial infection occurs with viral diseases of the respiratory tract due to the fact that the child’s body, weakened by the virus, becomes especially susceptible to bacterial microorganisms. Most common symptoms Such complications are a high temperature (from 38 degrees), which lasts for at least three days, discharge from the nose and pharynx of a purulent or mucopurulent nature, and purulent plaque on the tonsils. For such symptoms, treatment requires the use of antibacterial drugs.
In some cases, antibiotics are prescribed for a sluggish course of the disease, when the child does not have a high temperature, but for a long time (from one and a half to two weeks) there are symptoms such as weakness, headache, nausea and vomiting. All of these signs may also indicate the presence of a bacterial infection and the need for antibiotics.
In addition, antibacterial therapy, when it is mandatory to give a child antibiotics, is required when the following diseases are confirmed:
Only a doctor can make the right decision about whether to give a child antibiotics, as well as correctly prescribe an antibacterial drug and the regimen for its use. Using the wrong antibiotic can lead to serious side effects, including acute allergic reactions and disruption of normal activities internal organs. Many antibacterial drugs, which are not capable of causing noticeable harm to adults, pose a serious danger to children and can cause destruction of tooth enamel, growth disorders, dysbacteriosis, liver and kidney damage. A child’s immunity after antibiotics is significantly reduced, which can lead to a rapid relapse of the infectious disease.
When prescribing an antibiotic, it is necessary to take into account the age of the child, general state his body, the nature of the pathogen and its sensitivity to specific active substances medications, the severity of the disease and the individual sensitivity of the child to the components of the drug. It is important for parents to understand that only a doctor can correlate all these factors and prescribe effective and safe antibacterial therapy, and the wrong drug can only worsen the situation.
The child’s immunity needs to be restored after antibiotics. The main side effect of antibacterial drugs is that they destroy not only harmful microorganisms, but also beneficial microflora. Therefore, after a course of antibiotics, it is often prescribed preventive treatment necessary to strengthen weakened immunity.
The most common complication after the use of antibacterial drugs is dysbacteriosis. Therefore, treatment of a child after antibiotics should be aimed at restoring normal gastrointestinal microflora. If antibiotic therapy has been long-term, the doctor may prescribe special drugs containing lacto- and bifidobacteria. They normalize the intestinal microflora, eliminate dysbiosis and gastrointestinal disorders.
The pediatrician should tell parents how to recover a child after antibiotics. All parents can do is provide for their child balanced diet and rest. Any special drugs (biologically active additives or vitamin complexes) can be used to treat a child after antibiotics only after consultation with a specialist.
If a patient is diagnosed bacterial disease, at a temperature, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics.
Such drugs destroy harmful bacteria, affecting specific components of their metabolism. Due to this, healthy cells remain intact.
Since today antibiotics can be purchased openly at any pharmacy, many patients use them for the slightest increase temperature.
Some patients, on the contrary, refuse to take these drugs, considering them harmful to the body. How to use antibiotics correctly for children and adults so that they bring health benefits?
As you know, in the human body there are millions beneficial bacteria that live in the intestines, skin, mucous membranes of the respiratory organs, genitals.
While taking antibiotics, these bacteria can suffer, which directly affects a person's health.
The patient may experience rashes and irritation on the skin, constipation, and candidiasis of the mucous membranes. Thus, the main thing negative consequence With uncontrolled use of antibiotics, microflora becomes disrupted.
Also, harmful bacteria are able to adapt to antibacterial drugs, as a result of which antibiotics become ineffective if used a long period time. Even when consumed different types drugs, there is an active spread of resistant strains.
Therefore, antibiotics should be taken strictly according to the instructions and recommendations of the doctor for no more than the specified period, so as not to cause addiction. Otherwise human body again becomes defenseless against the activity of harmful bacteria.
Despite the fact that antibiotics high temperature may cause harm, such drugs help avoid the development of many serious illnesses, including tuberculosis, smallpox, plague and other diseases.
Antibacterial agents are also used in the treatment of sepsis as a result of infectious lesion and injuries.
Antibacterial drugs have the following main functions:
Thus, antibiotics themselves do not relieve high fever, since they are not related to the disease, but they can be used in a febrile state, which is accompanied by a bacterial inflammatory process.
ARVI is an acute respiratory viral infection. Based on the name of the disease, the causative agent here is a virus. Bacteria and viruses belong to different pathogenic phenomena. Viruses do not have cells; they are genetic material covered with protein shells.
Since viral changes occur exclusively in the patient’s cells, killing viruses with antibiotics is not only useless, but also dangerous to health. Meanwhile, as it shows sociological research, almost 50 percent of people are unaware of this and use antibiotics to fight viruses.
It is not wise to use antibacterial drugs if there is no high temperature. This can cause unreasonable addiction, and only the strongest drugs that are dangerous to health can help with the development of a bacterial infection.
Likewise, antibiotics should not be taken at low temperatures from 37 to 37.5 degrees. Usually, low-grade fever occurs during viral activity.
In the case of a bacterial complication of viral infections such as flu or colds, the doctor prescribes antibiotics.
During a cold, quite often with a decrease in immunity to viral infection a bacterial complication is added. Usually affected by bacteria Airways, middle ear, nasopharynx. But even in this case, taking antibiotics is not always necessary. Treatment is prescribed based on the patient’s age, presence additional diseases and severity of infection.
How to detect bacterial activity:
In particular, if during a cold the sore throat becomes covered with purulent accumulations, the patient has a fever, this symbolizes the development of a sore throat caused by staphylococcus or another microorganism. Dangerous disease is pneumonia, so many patients rush to take antibiotics when they have a cough and fever.
However, it is important to understand that you should not self-medicate; medications should be selected by the attending physician based on the examination, the diagnosis identified and the additional research. In some cases, this is prescribed X-ray examination chest, and also a bacteriological culture of sputum is taken.
In any case, antibiotics should not act as first aid when symptoms of the disease appear. On the contrary, such a drug is used in cases where other drugs cannot help. You should not take antibiotics if you have a sore throat without fever, since tonsillitis and pharyngitis are not accompanied by a fever.
Antibacterial drugs should not be used even when the temperature rises above 39 degrees, since the cause of this condition can be completely different factors.
If the patient is sure that the disease is caused by bacterial activity, treatment should be carried out only after consultation with the doctor.
To maximize the benefits of antibiotic treatment, you need to follow certain rules.
Since a temperature of 38 degrees can be observed during both bacterial and viral activity, the drug should be taken after the diagnosis has been clarified. However, food poisoning cannot be treated with this remedy, as this will destroy the microflora. And in the video in this article we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the advice of Israeli experts on the issue of antibiotics.
I have a lady friend who, every time her seven-year-old daughter starts getting sick, rushes to treat her with antibiotics. This mom also has her “favorite” medications, which, in her words, “will definitely help with everything!” The absurdity and frightening scope of the situation is that this mom is not alone in her beliefs. More than 45% of parents, according to a survey conducted by VTsIOM sociologists, are confident that influenza and ARVI can be treated with antibiotics, and also believe that antibiotics reduce high fever in the best way possible.
So, let's figure out where the error lies. When does the doctor advise you to take antibiotic medications for hyperthermia (high temperature).
First you need to clearly understand what “high temperature” means. For some it is 37.1, and for others 39 is transferred as 37. As for children's health, then mothers and fathers tend to “exaggerate” the numbers, calling “high” an increase in the temperature of their beloved child to 38 degrees.
There is a generally accepted standard for hyperthermia:
Each child tolerates fever differently
High temperature is not a disease, but a sign normal operation immunity of the crumbs. If the temperature has risen, it means that the child’s body is resisting the invasion. Most often, viruses arrive uninvited. Therefore sharp viral diseases – main reason that the thermometer crossed the mark of “38”, “39” and froze somewhere between “39.5” and “40”. Thus, 90% of cases of high fever are viral infections.
It is not difficult to suspect that a virus is at the root of the problem of a child’s deterioration of well-being; it has a recognizable “handwriting”. A sharp and rapid increase in body temperature to 39 degrees or, conversely, low-grade fever around 37.5, dry cough, runny nose, aching sensation in muscles and joints, severe headache. And that's all listed symptoms occur almost simultaneously, the condition worsens rapidly.
In most cases, the temperature rises due to a viral infection
You can learn more about antibiotics for children, when their use is mandatory and how to take them correctly for a child by watching the following video.
When the temperature rises, you should not immediately give your child an antipyretic drug.