The course of pneumonia in preschool children. What is childhood pneumonia? Symptomatic drugs in the treatment of pneumonia

Colds in children are often complicated by pneumonia, which is difficult to detect and treat. This severe pathology can be different, it all depends on what area of ​​inflammation it covers.

Babies under three years of age usually suffer from a complex form of pneumonia that occurs atypically. With such an ailment, the child cannot cough up sputum and say exactly where it hurts. To avoid the negative consequences of the disease, it is important to identify in advance Symptoms in children of 2 years old, as a rule, are more pronounced than in schoolchildren.

Causes of inflammation of the lung tissue

Most often, in young children, pneumonia occurs due to a weakened immune system due to stress or hypothermia. The common cold and SARS can be an impetus for the spread of this disease. If parents suspected 2 years, symptoms, treatment methods and timely diagnostics will help cure the disease.

The main causative agents of this acute disease of the respiratory system in a baby under 5 years old can be some bacteria, for example, Klebsiella. This rod-shaped microorganism is transmitted mainly by fecal-oral, contact, and sometimes by food. Reproduction occurs At risk are infants and premature babies. It is found in the baby's feces during tests, while the child's stool becomes yellow-green and frothy with particles of undigested food.

When this bacterium infects the respiratory tract, the patient's temperature rises to 41 degrees and pain in the chest appears. Moreover, Klebsiella is resistant to many antibiotics, so it is difficult to treat pneumonia caused by this microorganism in a 2-year-old child. Symptoms of bacteria entering the baby's body are as follows: weight loss and appetite, the appearance of a strong odor of feces, and fever. Even a child can actively stand out sputum with bloody streaks and an unpleasant odor. Such a microorganism is dangerous for newborns, as it can provoke the development of pyelonephritis, meningitis, abscesses and other dangerous pathologies.

In addition, staphylococcus, which is in the microflora of the mucous membrane, can lead to inflammation of the lungs without causing harm, but with a decrease in the protective functions of the body, it begins to actively multiply.

Chlamydia can also cause pneumonia in young children. Such microorganisms are manifested by serious pathologies of the respiratory organs. When they appear, the child develops a dry cough, the general state of health remains normal. Timely therapy allows you to get rid of chlamydia in 2 weeks. In advanced cases, these microorganisms lead to vomiting, blue skin and rapid deep breathing.

When chlamydia enters the body, conjunctivitis occurs. Even at an early stage of the disease, symptoms such as:

• sore throat;
• runny nose;
• dry cough;
• sinusitis;
• temperature fluctuations.

When these microorganisms are found in an infant, the mother will also have to undergo an examination and a therapeutic course, since infection in this case most likely occurred in utero. The treatment of chlamydia requires an integrated approach, including physiotherapy, general health-improving drugs and antibiotics.

Mycoplasma also often leads to pneumonia in young children. Such single-celled organisms live off healthy cells. They affect the respiratory tract, and sometimes the organs of the genitourinary system.

These types of causative agents of pneumonia in children 2-3 years old are most common, although they are not the only ones. Pneumonia is mixed, viral, provoked by protozoa or helminths, bacterial, fungal.

2 years: symptoms and first signs

It is not immediately possible to make a correct diagnosis. Gradually begin to develop when pneumonia is detected in a child 2 years of age and older, symptoms. And to determine the appearance of this pathology immediately is not so simple. A small patient is not able to independently assess the degree of pain, unlike an adult. In children, it is more difficult to detect the onset of the development of the disease. It is difficult to establish whether the baby recently felt a headache, malaise, chills, weakness in such an insidious pathology as pneumonia. The main symptoms in children 2 years old in the early stages of the formation of the disease usually come down to the fact that:

• The kid is lethargic and naughty all the time.
• With a cold, a rise in temperature occurs after a few days.
• There is a cough.
• One part of the chest during breathing lags far behind.
• Rapid shallow breathing appears.

If the baby has lost his appetite, he often sweats, sleeps constantly on one side, then most likely he has pneumonia. In a child of 2 years, the symptoms are usually more pronounced, so any changes in his behavior should alert parents. If you suspect pneumonia, you should immediately consult a doctor, because this disease can lead to tragedy. Only with a correctly diagnosed diagnosis can we talk about complete recovery and prevention of complications after the inflammatory process in the lungs.

Inflammation of the lungs: symptoms in children 2 years old

With such a disease, signs of other respiratory infections may appear, for example, sore throat, sneezing, runny nose. it can be heavy, superficial, wet or dry, and in some situations it is completely absent. Sputum begins to stand out only if the inflammation has passed to the bronchi.

When pneumonia is detected, the symptoms in children 2-3 years old are as follows:

• Violation of the frequency and rhythm of breathing.
• Paleness and cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle.
• Loss of appetite and aversion to food.
• Tearfulness and fatigue.
• Wheezing from the lungs and other extraneous sounds.
• Widening of the nostrils during breathing.

A baby with such an ailment has rapid and shallow breathing. Help to identify inflammation of the lungs symptoms. In children 2 years old, signs can be seen during an external examination of the body. First of all, attention should be paid to the chest, since the affected lung lags behind the general rhythm during breathing.

How to treat inflammation in young patients?

It is important to diagnose the disease in time and prescribe effective therapy in order to avoid complications. First of all, the doctor determines whether the child needs hospitalization or not, and then prescribes a set of procedures and medications. But in most cases, the treatment of children under 3 years of age is carried out in a hospital, since daily monitoring and, if necessary, emergency assistance are required. Even under constant supervision should be babies with rickets, weakened immune systems and chronic respiratory diseases.

As already known, symptoms of pneumonia can be detected. In children 2 years of age, treatment consists of taking antibiotics. These are: "Sulfamethoxazole", "Amoxicillin", cephalosporins ("Zefthera"), macrolides ("Clarithromycin") and fluoroquinolones ("Moxifloxacin", "Levofloxacin", etc.) Doctors carry out empirical treatment until they receive the results of a bacterial study.

In the event that the condition of a small patient does not improve within two days, a new drug is prescribed. When the disease is caused by viral infections, antibiotics do not bring the desired result, so antiviral drugs are prescribed: interferons, Oseltamivir. If pneumonia is provoked by a fungus, then drugs such as Diflucan, Flucanosol and other similar drugs must be used.

When a child has severe hypoxia, he is transferred to a ventilator in the intensive care unit. For dehydration, oral rehydration with saline solutions is performed, and possibly the use of infusions.

For the treatment of pneumonia, antipyretics, mucolytics, anti-inflammatory and expectorant drugs, as well as bronchodilators are used.

Symptomatic treatment of the inflammatory process in the lungs involves physiotherapy, breathing exercises, drainage massage, ultraviolet radiation and physical education. In addition, doctors recommend using probiotics to normalize the intestinal microflora, as well as sorbents to remove toxic substances from the body. With pneumonia, inhalations are still done with a nebulizer, immunomodulators and vitamins are used.

Diagnostic procedures

2 years of symptoms will help to recognize. Diagnosis of this disease is performed only by a doctor. And in some cases, it is quite difficult to detect this disease. After all, even on an x-ray it is not always possible to see. That is why, if parents assume that the baby has this particular ailment, they should insist on a more thorough examination.

Symptoms will help to detect pneumonia in a 2-year-old child, diagnostic methods are aimed at performing a complete examination:

• X-rays of light.
• Biochemical research.
• Blood analysis.
• Parent and child survey.
• Percussion of the chest.

In babies up to a year, this pathology is able to develop rapidly, so in their case, one should not hesitate if frequent breathing appears and the temperature rises.

How to cure respiratory disease with folk remedies?

If pneumonia does not go away in a child of 2 years old for a long time, the symptoms of the disease only increase, it is necessary to combine the main therapy with traditional medicine. But before resorting to taking such funds, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

When pneumonia is accompanied by a strong cough, an expectorant made from natural products will help. To improve sputum discharge, you should squeeze the juice of white cabbage and add a little honey to it. So, 1 teaspoon of bee product is diluted in 100 grams of liquid. The baby should be given the medicine received several times a day, 10 grams immediately after eating.

Helps fight inflammation of the lungs herbal decoction. For its preparation you will need: oregano, angelica, St. John's wort, lavender. All these components are taken in equal proportions, mixed and filled with water. After that, the mixture is boiled for at least 20 minutes. To enhance the healing properties of the decoction, it is necessary to add tinctures of viburnum and oak bark to it. Infuse the mixture for 2 hours. Babies are given a ready-made broth in a teaspoon 3 times a day.

In the treatment of pneumonia, inhalations using various essential oils have proven themselves well: coriander, eucalyptus, fir and basil. Such procedures should be performed in the morning and in the evening, and the duration of each should be about 5-10 minutes.

A fairly effective method of treating pneumonia is a compress applied to the baby's upper back. First, a mixture of honey, camphor oil and alcohol is made. Then a piece of fabric is taken and soaked in the resulting mixture, after which the flap is applied to the indicated place. It is advisable to wrap the child in a warm blanket and leave the compress on all night.

To combat this insidious disease in folk medicine, honey with radish is often used. The root crop is cut into two halves, while the upper part should be smaller in size. All the pulp is removed from the large half, filled with honey and covered with a small part. After the mixture is infused, it can be given to the baby several times a day. A new dose of this medicine should be prepared daily. It is undesirable to take this remedy for more than 5 days.

Complications of pneumonia

In advanced cases, the pleura may be involved in the inflammatory process, because of which the baby begins to complain of severe pain in the chest. When this happens, croup with a specific rash is often added to the pleurisy, which leads to the defeat of the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe lung. But the most dangerous complication is pulmonary destruction, which in most cases leads to death.

Late or incorrect therapy of pneumonia often leads to cardiovascular insufficiency, especially often this ailment occurs in children 2 years old. This happens with severe inflammation and long-term intoxication of the body.

How to care for sick children?

When doctors have diagnosed the symptoms of which have been discussed above, it is necessary to provide him with a cozy and favorable environment. On top of that, the baby needs complete rest. During this period, you should add more vegetables and fruits to the diet. To avoid dehydration caused by the disease, it is necessary to ensure that the child drink plenty of water.

Preventive measures

They help to identify pneumonia in a child of 2 years old symptoms, while prevention avoids the occurrence of this disease. Pneumonia prevention is key to reducing child mortality. Prevention consists in hardening the baby, breastfeeding, the fight against dust and gas pollution in the room, playing sports.

It is important to protect your child from passive smoking and to observe basic personal hygiene standards. You should also respond quickly to any signs of malaise. In the case when a beloved child suffers from pneumonia too often and for a long time, it is better not to take risks and get vaccinated. Of course, it will not be able to protect against all pathogens, but it will form a stable defense against streptococcus and pneumococcus.

Duration of illness

If the pathology proceeds without complications, then the child will recover with proper treatment in 10 days. Sometimes doctors insist that drugs be used for 2 weeks to consolidate the result. If after this time, the signs of the disease have not disappeared, and the child's condition has not improved, then the treatment regimen should be changed and antibiotics of a new group should be used.

You can not self-medicate or start the disease. It is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the baby. Of course, the improvement does not come immediately, but if there are no changes after a few days, it is better to consult a doctor again.

Pneumonia is an acute infectious disease, the causative agent of which is most often bacteria. The disease proceeds with focal lesions of lung tissues.

In a sick child at the age of 4, the signs of the disease may differ significantly from the manifestation of the disease in an infant. An X-ray image helps to distinguish pneumonia from bronchitis, which clearly shows the darkening of the respiratory section of the respiratory system.

Among 1 thousand children of the first year of life, pneumonia, or pneumonia, occurs in 15-20 cases, and among preschoolers - in 36-40. In school-age children and adolescents, the incidence is much lower and amounts to only 7–10 cases. The highest mortality rates from pneumonia are recorded at the age of up to 4 years.

The causative agent enters the alveoli of the lungs, where it provokes the development of the inflammatory process. Fluid (exudate) accumulates here, which prevents physiological air exchange. The amount of oxygen entering the body is sharply reduced, so a sign of pneumonia in a child is hypoxia. Lack of oxygen is often the cause of disruption of the circulatory system. This condition poses a danger not only to health, but also to life, so treatment should begin immediately.

GENERAL SIGNS IN CHILDREN

It is quite difficult to identify signs of pneumonia in a child at an early stage. In the early stages, the symptoms of pneumonia are difficult to distinguish from the manifestations of acute bronchitis.

General symptoms:

• Increase in body temperature. Infection of lung tissue is accompanied by an inflammatory process that causes fever. Unlike common viral infectious diseases, the temperature in pneumonia does not decrease by 2–3 days, but remains at 37–38 degrees for a long time, despite competent ARVI therapy.
• Cough may have a different character or be absent altogether. It can be dry, wet, paroxysmal, or resembling the symptoms of whooping cough. Probably also a change in its character from dry to wet. It is possible to secrete mucous or purulent sputum, if traces of blood are found in it, it is necessary to immediately inform the doctor about this.
• Pain in the chest can occur during coughing or when inhaling. The pain syndrome is concentrated on the right or left, and also gives under the shoulder blade.
• Change in breath sounds. A doctor may hear wheezing or rough breathing when listening.
• Lack of oxygen.

External manifestations:

• fast fatiguability;
• pallor and cyanosis of the skin in the region of the nasolabial triangle;
• swelling of the wings of the nose;
• rapid shallow breathing (more than 40 times per minute in children from 1 to 6 years old);
• excessive sweating without physical and emotional stress;
• loss of appetite on the background of intoxication.

The described symptomatology makes it possible to identify the first signs of pneumonia in children in time.

From the point of view of laboratory diagnostics, valuable information can be obtained from the results of a clinical blood test. It reflects the total amount of inflammatory metabolic products in its liquid fraction.

The presence of pneumonia can be indicated by an increased content of stab and segmented leukocytes (more than 15 thousand per 1 cubic mm), as well as a significant increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Timely consultation with a pediatrician will help determine which signs actually indicate pneumonia, and differentiate them from symptoms of other lung diseases.

SIGNS IN THE CHILD OF THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE

In children up to a year, pneumonia manifests itself 10 times more often than in schoolchildren. The highest incidence is observed among children 3-9 months.

The danger of pneumonia in infants is the rapid spread of the pathological process in the lung tissue and the violation of the functions of digestion and urination.

Features of symptoms:

• Symptoms of pneumonia in children under one year old develop gradually. First, there is a general malaise, which is manifested by weakness, loss of appetite, regurgitation, sleep disturbances. Then there are symptoms similar to a viral infection: dry cough, sneezing and nasal congestion.
• The disease occurs at a relatively low and stable body temperature. As a rule, it does not exceed 38 degrees or may not rise at all.
• Cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle and fingertips is aggravated by crying, during strong crying or breast sucking.
• Retraction of the skin between the ribs.
• With the development of respiratory failure, the two halves of the chest are involved in the act of breathing in different ways.
• Later, there is an increase in breathing and a violation of its rhythm. The wings of the nose are tense, they become pale and motionless.
• Babies up to three months may have foamy discharge from the mouth. Such signs of pneumonia in a child under one year old can be harbingers of frequent and prolonged respiratory arrest.

Symptoms of pneumonia in children under 6 months of age may be atypical, so if pneumonia is suspected, an X-ray examination is required.

SIGNS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Symptoms of pneumonia in a child at 1 year old and in older children have some differences. Preschool children have a more stable immunity, so pneumonia manifests itself with clear typical symptoms.

Features of symptoms:

• In a child from 2 to 5 years old, a sign of pneumonia at the initial stage may be the general symptoms of a viral infection, which solo against the background of other diseases.
• Most often, in children of preschool and school age, pneumonia occurs by the type of bronchopneumonia.
• When a 3-year-old child has pneumonia, his respiratory rate is more than 50 breaths per minute.
• Cough may appear only on the 5-6th day of illness, but may be absent altogether.
• Preparations based on ibuprofen and paracetamol cannot reduce body temperature.
• Sputum when coughing occurs only with inflammation of the surface of the bronchi. It may be greenish or yellowish in color.
• Extrapulmonary symptoms may also be observed: muscle pain, palpitations, confusion, indigestion, skin rashes.

- an acute infectious process in the lung parenchyma with the involvement of all structural and functional units of the respiratory section of the lungs in inflammation. Pneumonia in children occurs with signs of intoxication, cough, respiratory failure. The diagnosis of pneumonia in children is made on the basis of a characteristic auscultatory, clinical, laboratory and radiological picture. Treatment of pneumonia in children requires the appointment of antibiotic therapy, bronchodilators, antipyretics, expectorants, antihistamines; in the stage of resolution - physiotherapy, exercise therapy, massage.

General information

Pneumonia in children is an acute infectious lesion of the lungs, accompanied by the presence of infiltrative changes on radiographs and symptoms of damage to the lower respiratory tract. The prevalence of pneumonia is 5-20 cases per 1000 young children and 5-6 cases per 1000 children over 3 years of age. The incidence of pneumonia among children increases annually during the seasonal influenza epidemic. Among the various lesions of the respiratory tract in children, the proportion of pneumonia is 1-1.5%. Despite advances in diagnosis and pharmacotherapy, rates of morbidity, complications, and mortality from pneumonia among children remain consistently high. All this makes the study of pneumonia in children an urgent issue of pediatrics and pediatric pulmonology.

The reasons

The etiology of pneumonia in children depends on the age and conditions of infection of the child. Neonatal pneumonia is usually associated with intrauterine or nosocomial infection. Congenital pneumonia in children is often caused by herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, chicken pox, cytomegalovirus, chlamydia. Among nosocomial pathogens, the leading role belongs to group B streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella. In premature and full-term newborns, the etiological role of viruses is great - influenza, RSV, parainfluenza, measles, etc.

In children of the first year of life, the predominant causative agent of community-acquired pneumonia is pneumococcus (up to 70-80% of cases), less often - Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella, etc. Traditional pathogens for preschool children are Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, Proteus, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus. In school-age children, along with typical pneumonia, the number of atypical pneumonias caused by mycoplasma and chlamydial infections is increasing. Factors predisposing to the development of pneumonia in children are prematurity, malnutrition, immunodeficiency, stress, cooling, chronic foci of infection (dental caries, sinusitis, tonsillitis).

In the lungs, the infection penetrates mainly through the aerogenic route. Intrauterine infection combined with amniotic fluid aspiration leads to intrauterine pneumonia. The development of aspiration pneumonia in young children can occur due to microaspiration of the nasopharyngeal secretion, habitual aspiration of food during regurgitation, gastroesophageal reflux, vomiting, dysphagia. Hematogenous spread of pathogens from extrapulmonary foci of infection is possible. Infection with hospital flora often occurs when a child undergoes tracheal aspiration and bronchoalveolar lavage, inhalation, bronchoscopy, and mechanical ventilation.

The “conductor” of a bacterial infection is usually viruses that infect the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, disrupt the barrier function of the epithelium and mucociliary clearance, increase mucus production, reduce local immunological protection and facilitate the penetration of pathogens into the terminal bronchioles. There is an intensive multiplication of microorganisms and the development of inflammation, which involves adjacent areas of the lung parenchyma. When coughing, infected sputum is thrown into the large bronchi, from where it enters other respiratory bronchioles, causing the formation of new inflammatory foci.

The organization of the focus of inflammation contributes to bronchial obstruction and the formation of areas of hypoventilation of the lung tissue. Due to impaired microcirculation, inflammatory infiltration and interstitial edema, gas perfusion is disturbed, hypoxemia, respiratory acidosis and hypercapnia develop, which is clinically expressed as signs of respiratory failure.

Classification

The classification used in clinical practice takes into account the conditions of infection, X-ray morphological signs of various forms of pneumonia in children, severity, duration, etiology of the disease, etc.

According to the conditions in which the infection of the child occurred, there are community-acquired (home), nosocomial (hospital) and congenital (intrauterine) pneumonia in children. Community-acquired pneumonia develops at home, outside a medical institution, mainly as a complication of SARS. Nosocomial pneumonia is considered to be pneumonia that occurs 72 hours after the child's hospitalization and within 72 hours after his discharge. Hospital pneumonia in children has the most severe course and outcome, since the nosocomial flora often develops resistance to most antibiotics. A separate group consists of congenital pneumonia that develops in children with immunodeficiency in the first 72 hours after birth and neonatal pneumonia in children of the first month of life.

Given the X-ray morphological signs of pneumonia in children, there may be:

• Focal(focal-confluent) - with foci of infiltration with a diameter of 0.5-1 cm, located in one or more segments of the lung, sometimes bilaterally. Inflammation of the lung tissue is catarrhal in nature with the formation of serous exudate in the lumen of the alveoli. With a focal-confluent form, individual areas of infiltration merge with the formation of a large focus, often occupying an entire share.
• Segmental- with involvement in inflammation of the whole segment of the lung and its atelectasis. Segmental lesions often occur in the form of prolonged pneumonia in children with an outcome in pulmonary fibrosis or deforming bronchitis.
• Krupoznaya- with hyperergic inflammation, passing through the stages of flushing, red hepatization, gray hepatization and resolution. The inflammatory process has a lobar or sublobar localization with involvement of the pleura (pleuropneumonia).
• Interstitial- with infiltration and proliferation of the interstitial (connective) lung tissue of a focal or diffuse nature. Interstitial pneumonia in children is usually caused by pneumocystis, viruses, fungi.

According to the severity of the course, uncomplicated and complicated forms of pneumonia in children are distinguished. In the latter case, it is possible to develop respiratory failure, pulmonary edema, pleurisy, destruction of the lung parenchyma (abscess, lung gangrene), extrapulmonary septic foci, cardiovascular disorders, etc.

Among the complications of pneumonia occurring in children are toxic shock, lung tissue abscesses, pleurisy, pleural empyema, pneumothorax, cardiovascular insufficiency, respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, DIC.

Diagnostics

The basis of the clinical diagnosis of pneumonia in children is the general symptoms, auscultatory changes in the lungs and x-ray data. During the physical examination of the child, a shortening of the percussion sound, weakening of breathing, fine bubbling or crepitant rales are determined. The "gold standard" for detecting pneumonia in children remains lung x-ray, which allows to detect infiltrative or interstitial inflammatory changes.

Etiological diagnosis includes virological and bacteriological studies of mucus from the nose and throat, sputum culture; ELISA and PCR methods for the detection of intracellular pathogens.

The hemogram reflects inflammatory changes (neutrophilic leukocytosis, increased ESR). Children with severe pneumonia need to conduct a study of biochemical blood parameters (liver enzymes, electrolytes, creatinine and urea, CBS), pulse oximetry.

Inflammation of the lungs is a pathological process in the tissue of these organs, caused by the activity of the infection. The ability to cure the disease without consequences is increasing due to modern diagnostic methods, a wide selection of antibiotics. In order to timely identify the disease, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the typical symptoms of pneumonia, and if they are detected, begin treatment.

Pneumonia is a dangerous pathology, for a complete cure from which it is necessary to apply a set of measures after the first symptoms appear. If the lung tissue suffers from the action, the work of the entire respiratory system is disrupted. The main symptom of a typical form of the disease is the implementation of the respiratory function is not in full. Cells receive an insufficient amount of oxygen, which negatively affects the general condition of the patient. Visually, you can notice the appearance of severe weakness, fatigue. The child is practically not interested in things that were of value to him before. Sleepiness appears.

Infectious pathogens

The following infectious agents can affect the occurrence of pneumonia:

1. bacteria. Inflammation of the lung tissue causes staphylococcus aureus, pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae or Escherichia coli.
2. Viruses.
3. Fungal.
4. Chlamydia, mycoplasmas.
5. Helminths. If a child fell ill with pneumonia at the age of 2 years, it is possible that the larvae influenced the onset of the pathological process. If roundworms are present in the body, the larvae can spread through the pulmonary circulation, reaching the lung tissue.

Impaired immune response

Immunity to the child improves slowly, bacterial infections have a special negative effect. If a child at the age of 2 begins to attend any circles, goes to kindergarten, the likelihood of a dangerous disease increases, including pneumonia. If your child suffers from frequent runny noses that turn into sinusitis, has a sore throat several times a year, it is possible that his body will not be able to cope even with a simple infection.

Deterioration of local immunity

The condition of the nasal mucosa affects the ability to purify the air from pathogenic bacteria. When air enters the nasal cavity, it is cleared of negative impurities, in particular, dangerous microorganisms. If for any reason the standard structure of the mucosa is broken, a runny nose occurs, from which a person cannot breathe through the nose, bacteria, viruses quickly penetrate below. An inflammatory process may occur in the tissues of the respiratory organs. Pharyngitis, bronchitis develops, the occurrence of pneumonia is not excluded.

On a note! It is necessary to pay attention to protracted pharyngitis in a timely manner, to conduct competent treatment in order to eliminate the likelihood of dangerous complications.

Physiological causes

In most cases, children as young as 2 years of age have anatomical features that may contribute to the onset of pneumonia.

Risk factors:

1. Insufficient airway patency, which affects the rapid increase in the number of infections, the emergence of difficulties in stopping the symptoms of the disease.
2. Slow ventilation of the lungs, which is caused by insufficient development of the bone tissue of the ribs.
3. An incompletely developed respiratory system, which increases the risk of atelectasis, which provokes the preparation of an optimal environment for the reproduction of dangerous microorganisms.
4. The constant presence of the child in a prone position, this is what there is a risk of formation of stagnant processes.

Signs of illness

Main symptoms:

Typical symptoms of pneumonia

When a child reaches the age of 2 years, there is a significant improvement in the protective functions of the body. At the same time, the likelihood of developing a bacterial infection, which leads to serious health problems, remains. Often, children suffer from pleurisy, accompanied by the release of exudate. In some cases, pneumonia does not go away as the only disease, but proceeds along with pharyngitis, severe tonsillitis. If a serious allergic reaction develops due to taking a large amount of antibiotics, a narrowing of the lumen in the bronchi is possible.

The first symptoms of pneumonia:

1. Deterioration of the general condition of the body.
2. Signs of severe intoxication without other symptoms of poisoning.
3. In the case of an increase in temperature, this indicator does not decrease. It is necessary to worry if such a deviation lasts for 3 days.
4. When breathing, the intercostal muscles are involved, which is why they are often drawn inward over the affected area.
5. Cyanosis that occurs in the region of the nasolabial triangle. This deviation can manifest itself in a calm state of the baby, but most often it intensifies during crying, emotional overstrain.

On a note! Usually inflammation of the lungs at the age of two develops due to the action of bacteria. The body at this age is less susceptible to viruses, but the immune system has not yet adapted enough to fight bacteria. When listening, hard breathing is diagnosed, the doctor notes moist rales.

With the aggravation of the disease, severe shortness of breath occurs. This deviation develops quite quickly, since the organs and cells receive an insufficient amount of oxygen. Signs of pneumonia are often associated with a respiratory viral infection. Parents first of all pay attention to the increasing runny nose, cough, fever. At this age, inflammation of one lung or its lobe most often appears.

Inflammation of the lungs can occur both unexpectedly and after a severe viral infection. Attention should be paid to a severe cough that cannot be stopped with standard medicines. If you find this symptom, you should contact a specialist as soon as possible. In some cases, with the development of pneumonia, the cough increases at night. The general condition of the child worsens, activity slows down. In this case, the baby can reveal severe anxiety, especially with the aggravation of negative symptoms.

It is worth paying attention to poor appetite. With pneumonia, one of the characteristic symptoms is pallor of the skin, an increase in the respiratory rate up to 40 times per minute. It should be taken into account the presence of a large number of cases of pneumonia without a strong increase in temperature, in conditions of an erased clinical picture.

On a note! It is necessary to assess the condition of the child, paying attention to specific indicators, in particular, temperature.

Dangerous forms of pneumonia

The latent form of pneumonia is characterized by blurred symptoms. It is the most dangerous type of the disease. It is necessary to carefully monitor the behavior of the child. With pneumonia, his condition worsens significantly, usually parents notice whims, crying, while coughing and runny nose do not occur.

A latent form of pneumonia can appear when immunity deteriorates. The risk of this disease increases if parents do not monitor the dosage and frequency of medication. These drugs adversely affect human immunity, especially dangerous at an early age. Often, antibiotics have a negative effect in conjunction with antitussive drugs, since as a result of blocking the process that regulates the release of sputum along with mucus, the risk of infection and the spread of infection increases. Children who are immunocompromised from birth have an increased risk of pneumonia.

On a note! Atypical pneumonia is caused by chlamydia, mycoplasmas. There may be strong structural changes in the lung tissue, while the general signs do not reflect the symptomatic picture.

The main signs of an atypical form of pneumonia:

1. Severe intoxication that does not go away for no apparent reason.
2. Headache.
3. Unpleasant sensations in the muscles.
4. Hyperhidrosis.
5. An increase in body temperature (this symptom may be absent).
6. The amount of food consumed per day is significantly reduced. The child may refuse food completely.
7. Enlargement of lymph nodes in size.

With atypical pneumonia, the disease can be detected due to the retraction of the skin in the area of ​​​​the inflamed area during breathing. If inflammation of the lungs arose as a result of the activity of mycoplasma on the skin, the formation of a polymorphic rash is possible. An increase in the size of the spleen and liver is not excluded, which is most often noted only at a doctor's appointment. Often, pneumonia occurs with an erased symptomatic picture, which is why people confuse it with pharyngitis, protracted tonsillitis. It is necessary to identify the disease as early as possible in order to eliminate the risk of complications.

Video - How to suspect pneumonia?

How is the diagnosis made?

Signs that lead to the diagnosis of pneumonia:

1. Incessant shortness of breath, in some cases there is difficulty in breathing. In young children, shortness of breath is especially pronounced, and this phenomenon also increases in proportion to the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe site of inflammation.
2. Characteristic wheezing, retraction of the affected area inward during breathing.
3. Decreased duration of percussion sound in about half of patients. Even if this symptom is absent in the first stages of the disease, the absence of inflammation cannot be asserted.
4. Wheezing on breathing. If the disease proceeds in an acute form, this phenomenon may not be detected. If wheezing is heard evenly, this often indicates not pneumonia, but bronchitis.
5. Weakening of breathing. If there are no characteristic wheezing during pneumonia, this symptom is often diagnosed. To clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct an examination additionally.

Important, but not characteristic signs of pneumonia in children are disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, symptoms of severe intoxication in the body, fever, hyperhidrosis. Please note that if a cough occurs in the event of a deep breath, you should immediately consult a specialist, as this symptom may indicate a serious respiratory disease.

On a note! When taking a blood test for pneumonia, leukocytosis is often diagnosed, which is also an important diagnostic criterion. To determine the causative agent of the disease, conduct a bacteriological study. Also, during a diagnostic examination, sensitivity to antibiotics is detected, which allows you to choose the best medicines.

Video - How to diagnose pneumonia?

How to prevent pneumonia?

It is necessary to adhere to the basic rules to reduce the likelihood of developing the disease:

1. Pay close attention to the recommendations, advice of the attending physician when a viral, bacterial infection is detected.
2. Inflammation of the lungs may appear as a complication of SARS. To prevent the onset of the disease, it is necessary to treat the common cold, pharyngitis and other common diseases in a timely manner.
3. When recovering from SARS, you should not immediately send the child to a kindergarten, other places where there is an increased risk of contracting a bacterial or viral infection. It is advisable to wait about 2 weeks. During this time, the immune system will return to normal, which will reduce the likelihood of complications. Antibiotics can be used only with the appropriate appointment of a specialist.
4. If you find out about the spread of any epidemic, it is advisable to spend more time at home, do not go to places with a lot of people. During the epidemic, it is advisable to refuse to visit the kindergarten, if possible, leave the child at home.
5. Maintaining hygiene will help reduce the risk of infection in the body. It is necessary to accustom the child to basic hygiene standards from infancy.

On a note! If pneumonia is diagnosed, a specialized course of therapy is necessary. In some cases, the transfer of the child to the hospital is required. It is forbidden to choose a treatment regimen on your own. It is possible to treat a child at home only after visiting a doctor and receiving the appropriate permission.

Pneumonia can proceed both according to the classical scheme and atypically. In both cases, it is necessary to quickly identify the disease, as well as conduct competent treatment. Knowing the main signs of pathology, it is possible to diagnose pneumonia in a timely manner in order to prevent the development of complications.

Pneumonia is rightfully considered one of the most unpleasant diseases of an infectious nature, as it poses a certain danger to life, and sometimes leads to disability and death. Symptoms of pneumonia in children directly depend on the type of disease, which in turn requires an individual approach to treatment.

Pneumonia is caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi. In addition, the age characteristics of the body and the state of the immune system affect. What pathogens cause disease?

Among them are:

• staphylococcus;
• enterobacteria;
• mycobacterium tuberculosis;
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
• pneumocystis;
• coli;
• legionella;
• haemophilus influenzae.

Almost always in babies, the causative agent is pneumococcus. After 5 years, the infection is caused by mycoplasmas. In school-age children, the cause of the disease is chlamydia.

Factors that affect the development of the inflammatory process in the lungs:

• improper flu therapy;
• SARS;
• sinusitis or bronchitis of any etiology of a chronic nature;
• hypothermia;
• household dust;
• avitaminosis;
• lack of fresh air;
• stressful situations;
• rickets;
• smoke from cigarettes (this applies to families in which there are smokers);
• artificial nutrition for babies;
• congenital heart disease.

Often pneumonia becomes a complication of tonsillitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, asthma.

Types of pneumonia in children

There are several types of pneumonia in children:

1. Viral pneumonia. It is rightfully considered the most easily tolerated form. It does not require special treatment and is able to go away on its own. Sometimes it leaks even without temperature.
2. bacterial pneumonia. It occurs on its own, and is a consequence of a certain disease. Antibiotics may be needed to treat it.
3. Fungal pneumonia. It is the least common, but it is considered one of the most dangerous. In childhood, this type of disease is the result of inadequate use of antibiotics.

Primary signs of the disease

The first thing to alert parents:

• after the child has practically recovered, there is a sharp deterioration in health;
• a productive cough, during the attacks of which sputum discharge was observed, is replaced by a dry unproductive one;
• symptoms of a bacterial infection are noted, for example, the skin remains pale even during an increase in body temperature, weakness and drowsiness occur;
• shortness of breath, sometimes there is shortness of breath even in the absence of temperature, pain in the sternum;
• the temperature can rise to an indicator of 39 ºС, and sometimes even higher; as a rule, antipyretics that are acceptable for your child to take do not help bring it down.

Any of these symptoms should alert adults and serve as a reason to seek specialist advice. The doctor will prescribe related tests and, if necessary, may issue a referral for hospitalization.

Symptoms of pneumonia in a child

In young patients of different ages, either lobar pneumonia or acute focal pneumonia can occur. Each type of disease has its own symptoms.

Signs of pneumonia in a croupous child are characterized by:

1. A strong jump in body temperature, often this figure reaches 40 degrees.
2. There is weakness throughout the body, malaise, pain in the head.
3. Pain in the abdomen, in some cases vomiting.
4. The skin becomes white, shortness of breath appears.
5. During breathing, wheezing may be felt in the chest.
6. With coughing fits, sputum with an admixture of blood may pass.
7. At the beginning of the disease, there is practically no cough, but then it grows and delivers a lot of discomfort.

Acute focal inflammation of the lungs, as a rule, is a consequence of an acute respiratory viral infection.

It has a gradual development and is characterized by the following symptoms:

1. Body temperature varies between 38 - 39 degrees.
2. The cough becomes wet.
3. There is pain in the chest area.
4. The body is weakened, the skin is white.

A child up to a year old has other signs of the disease, they directly depend on how the infection occurred - during the bearing of the baby, during labor, or after childbirth.

In the first case, the symptoms will appear immediately after the birth of the child and will be as follows:

• pale skin;
• cyanosis on the face;
• high body temperature;
• asphyxia;
• constant regurgitation;
• lethargy.

If the baby was infected during labor, then, as a rule, symptoms appear on the 11th day:

• body temperature rises;
• breathing becomes difficult, sometimes even groaning;
• the skin becomes pale;
• appetite disappears, regurgitation after each meal;
• diarrhea;
• sometimes pustules appear on the skin;
• in rare cases, breathing stops.

Signs of pneumonia, if infection occurred after childbirth:

• sudden onset of a runny nose;
• increase in body temperature;
• the child often screams, refuses to eat;
• after a certain time, lethargy appears;
• respiratory failure, the appearance of tachycardia is not excluded.

Diagnosis of the disease

Even if your child has almost all of the above symptoms, this does not mean that he has pneumonia.

Therefore, you must remember that the signs can only cause a suspicion of pneumonia, and for a more accurate diagnosis, additional diagnostics and examination of the respiratory system by a specialist will be required.

So, there are several ways to help recognize pneumonia in a child:

1. Listening to the lungs. A good specialist can determine the presence of the disease with a stethoscope.
2. A picture on an x-ray machine. It is advised to take a picture immediately from the front and side, since frontal transillumination just gives a clearer picture.
3. The general condition of your baby is assessed.
4. Clinical blood test. It allows not only to determine the presence of the disease, but also to find out the nature of the inflammation - viral, fungal, bacterial or mixed.

Treatment of pneumonia in a child

Antibiotics must be the basis for the treatment of pneumonia.

1. Antibiotics must be taken strictly at the specified time. If the baby needs to drink 2 tablets per day, then make sure that the interval between them is 12 hours, with 3 tablets the time interval is reduced to 8 hours. The first improvements from the prescribed remedy should be observed after 72 hours, if necessary, you need to contact a specialist.
2. If pneumonia occurs with a temperature, then medicines to reduce it should be used only if the thermometer shows more than 39 degrees, for babies this figure can be at around 38 degrees.
3. During illness, the child may refuse to eat. You shouldn't force him to eat, but you shouldn't starve either. Try to offer him lighter meals during this time.
4. It is necessary to drink as much liquid as possible, even the use of Regidron or its analogues is allowed.
5. In the patient's room, arrange regular airing, do wet cleaning.
6. The use of general tonic, antihistamines is not allowed, as they can lead to various side effects.

Is it possible to treat pneumonia in children at home

Treatment of a child for pneumonia is also allowed at home, but there are clear indications when hospitalization is still recommended:

• children under the age of 3;
• a child who has a severe stage of the disease.

Consequently, older children can be treated at home, but under the supervision of a specialist, and parents, in turn, must follow all the instructions of doctors.

Predictions and Complications

Analyzing the reviews of specialists, we can conclude that a timely visit to the doctor gives a favorable prognosis for pneumonia. The disease brings the greatest danger to newborns and infants. In addition, pneumonia caused by staphylococcus or streptococcus can be dangerous. But if you prescribe the right treatment, then unpleasant complications can be avoided.

Pneumonia in children under 2 years of age can become severe and affect other organs.

The most common complications are abscess, pleurisy, destruction of lung tissue.

Some complications can have a negative effect on other organs and cause:

• problems with blood clotting;
• heart failure;
• pericarditis;
• meningitis;
• endocarditis;
• sepsis;
• myocarditis.

Prevention of pneumonia

These recommendations are standard not only for the prevention of pneumonia in children, but also for any cold:

• Strengthening the immune system. A child from a very young age must be tempered. It is allowed to strengthen the body with the help of immunomodulators, it is only desirable that they be of natural origin.
• Watch your child's nutrition, it should be balanced from an early age. It is desirable that the products consumed have a sufficient amount of vitamins and trace elements.
• Try to immediately suppress the foci of the infection that has entered the body, that is, start the timely treatment of any disease.
• Arrange your child daily walks in the fresh air, regardless of the temperature.

Compliance with such rules cannot completely eliminate the risk of developing the disease. However, in case of inflammation, a strong body will cope with it faster and will be able to avoid complications.