Bronchitis symptoms treatment for children 5 years old. Bronchitis in children: signs and symptoms, treatment and prevention. How to treat acute bronchitis and cough in children

Bronchitis occurs when inflammation of the lining of the bronchi caused by viruses or bacteria. In infants - as a complication of SARS or diseases of the upper respiratory tract. It manifests itself primarily as a cough - first dry, then wet.

A pediatrician should make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. What does it consist of, and how else can parents help the child?

Features of the treatment of bronchitis in infants

In young children (up to a year), bronchitis is dangerous because it can quickly become chronic from acute and even be complicated by pneumonia.

The most dangerous form of bronchitis in infants is bronchiolitis - spread of inflammation to small bronchi due to viral infection . The condition of the crumbs deteriorates sharply, his shortness of breath increases and cyanosis occurs.

In no case should you hesitate to call a doctor if the baby is less than a year old or has a fever (above 38 degrees), shortness of breath, cyanotic lips and nails, and a strong unproductive cough. In such a situation, immediate hospitalization is necessary.

Until the ambulance arrives, the parents' help will consist of relieving the symptoms of a cold

1. It is necessary to create the optimal temperature and humidity using heaters and humidifiers, ventilate the room by going out with the child to another room.
2. At a low temperature and the absence of allergic reactions to facilitate breathing crumbs can be lubricated legs with warming creams and ointments.
3. You can hold your baby in your arms over the steam to alleviate a cough. from a container with a hot weak solution of salt (but this is if the child does not have a fever!).
4. Give your baby plenty to drink to avoid dehydration . If you refuse to breast or bottle, drink clean water from a teaspoon - little by little, but often.

In the hospital, the child will be prescribed a number of medications and procedures.

• Inhalation and oxygen breathing to get rid of signs of respiratory failure.
• Preparations with interferon.
• Antihistamines to relieve swelling and avoid allergic reactions to drugs.
• Rehydrants for dehydration.
• Antibiotics — only if there is a need for them. Augmentin, Sumamed, Amoxiclav, Macropen, Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone are usually prescribed.

How to treat acute bronchitis in children after a year?

In severe cases, the disease will also require hospitalization. It is possible to treat children older than a year on an outpatient basis with mild forms of the disease in compliance with the regimen and recommendations of the doctor.

To successfully overcome the disease, you will need to take a number of necessary measures.

• Neutralize the cause of the infection - viruses, bacteria or allergens.
• Remove puffiness respiratory tract.
• Reduce the viscosity of sputum for her best escape.
• Relieve dry cough .

Parents should know what can and should be done at home

1. The basis of the treatment of bronchitis is the observance of bed rest, and a plentiful warm drink every 30-40 minutes (teas, fruit drinks, herbal decoctions, boiled milk with honey and butter, Borjomi, rosehip infusion).
2. The room where the baby is located should be warm (20-220 C), but well ventilated. To maintain the required humidity of 70%, it is necessary to carry out frequent wet cleaning without products containing chlorine, use a humidifier or wet towels with batteries. Avoid passive smoking. Continue walking only after the heat has subsided; you can also “walk” at home, wrapping the baby in a blanket, sitting at an open window or window for 10-15 minutes.
3. All medicines assigned solely on an individual basis.
4. Additional activities (distracting and soothing) can be used only if there are no contraindications and discomfort in the baby. A good help in the treatment will be a tapping massage and baths with decoctions of anti-inflammatory herbs (in the absence of fever). Again, all this is done only in the absence of a high temperature and on the recommendation of a doctor!
5. During the illness, it is recommended adhere to a strict dairy and vegetable fortified hypoallergenic diet. The food is fractional, the food should be enough high-calorie.

What will the doctor prescribe

1. Medications to relieve a wet cough (may be given but not required)

• Mucolytics to loosen mucus- Ambroxol (Fervex, Lazolvan), Acetylcysteine, Bromhexine; required when antibiotics are prescribed.
• Expectorants for the removal of sputum from the bronchi- Pertussin, Mukaltin, herbal products (they use marshmallow, anise, elecampane, thermopsis, licorice, plantain). Infants are not prescribed because of the possibility of a gag reflex and increased cough.

2. Medications to relieve dry non-productive cough : Stoptussin, Sinekod.

3. Broad-spectrum antibiotics if needed . They are prescribed with caution, if a bacterial origin of the infection is suspected and for babies up to six months old - to prevent pneumonia. In other cases, according to the well-known pediatrician E. Komarovsky, they do not reduce, but increase the risk of various complications - allergies, dysbacteriosis and the formation of microorganism resistance to the drug.

4. Paracetamol Syrups to Reduce Inflammation and Fever - at elevated temperatures.

5. Preparations to increase immunity and fight viruses - vitamin C, echinacea, Bronchomunal, Aflubin, Umckalor, Anaferon, products with interferon.

Pharmaceutical preparations should be given according to the schedule at the same time of day. You should not mix several drugs - start a diary and mark the intake of all medications.

• Inhalation using specially designed devices - steam, oil inhaler or nebulizer. For procedures, saline solution, mineral water, soda solution, essential oils are used.
• Steaming the legs and rubbing them with warming ointments - if there is no temperature and allergies.
• Warm compresses with sunflower oil on the back and right side of the chest. Put in the evening in the absence of temperature.
• Vibrating chest massage . It is prescribed when a wet cough appears, it is not used in the acute period of the disease and with fever. The child is laid on the tummy so that the head is lower than the legs. The skin is stroked, and then beaten from the bottom up towards the spine for 8-10 minutes. After the procedure, the child must clear his throat, so very young children cannot be massaged.
• Turning babies more often from one side to the other - this will cause the movement of sputum and a reflex cough.
• Breathing exercises : "Blow up the balloons" and "Blow out the candles".

Obstructive bronchitis in young children, what to do?

If, with bronchitis, a significant accumulation of mucus caused blockage of the bronchi, the cough became hoarse, and the breath “whistles”, then the child’s condition is already quite serious and requires urgent treatment.

The primary task is to restore the patency of the bronchi

1. Try to calm yourself and calm the baby , because with excitation, respiratory failure increases. Age-appropriate sedatives can be used.

2. Do not refuse hospitalization, the hospital will help the child!

• Make an inhalation using a nebulizer or ultrasonic inhaler Effectively and quickly stop obstruction with a mixture of salbutamol and glucocorticoid hormones. It is possible to use mineral water, alkaline soda solution, essential oils and medicinal herbs (if there is no allergy), drugs for sputum thinning. Up to 2 years, inhalations are used only in cases where the child is not afraid of the device, does not cry and does not break out of his hands.
• They will give you a “breathe” with humidified oxygen.
• With severe dehydration and intoxication prescribe infusion therapy with intravenous bronchodilators.
• Conduct medical therapy according to the basic scheme with the use of antibiotics, expectorants, antihistamines, antipyretics, immunostimulating and antiviral drugs, physiotherapy and vibration massage.

Important! Antibiotics are prescribed only for bacterial origin of the infection. Antibiotics are contraindicated for obstruction due to allergies or a virus.

Mode, hygiene, diet, drinking plenty of water and additional actions of parents - breathing exercises, vibration massage to facilitate mucus discharge, compresses - are the same as in acute bronchitis.

An additional postural massage will be useful - tapping on the back of the child in the morning. The baby is laid on the tummy (the head should be lower than the legs) and tapped with the ribs of the palms folded in a boat for about 10 minutes. Then the child needs to clear his throat.

Besides, allowed to walk for an hour a day, dressing for the weather , away from roads (so as not to breathe dust and exhaust gases) and places where many children play (so as not to provoke excessive excitement).

Folk remedies for the treatment of bronchitis in children

Rubbing can be applied with baked onions and bear or badger fat , cabbage-honey cakes, steam the legs with mustard or infusions of sage, chamomile, St. John's wort, mint in water with a temperature not exceeding 40⁰С.

Prohibited methods of treatment for bronchitis in children under 2 years of age

Bronchitis in children under 2 years of age requires a balanced and responsible approach to treatment from parents. It should be remembered that some actions can lead to a sharp deterioration in the child's condition.

What can't be done?

1. Unauthorized change in drug dosages and to carry out treatment longer than the appointed time.
2. Use untested "folk remedies" especially for infants and children with a tendency to allergic manifestations. External agents are tested by applying with a cotton swab or disk on the skin behind the ear or in the elbow bend, internal agents - at the tip of a teaspoon. In case of any negative reactions in a child during the day, it is forbidden to use the remedy.
3. Bathe the baby in the bath . The respiratory muscles in children are immature, the process of coughing is difficult. When steaming, sputum clots in the bronchi “swell” even more and it becomes much harder to cough them up - the baby wheezes and chokes, choking on liquid.
4. At elevated body temperature is contraindicated wrapping, rubbing with ointments with a warming effect and baths. Such procedures increase the fever and can be harmful.
5. Perform physiotherapy procedures during the acute period of the disease.
6. Use rubbing any warming ointment or balm, inhalation with essential oil and other products with pungent odors, put mustard plasters. In children under 2 years of age, they can lead to allergic reactions and bronchospasm.
7. Giving a child up to a year of expectorants . These funds dilute sputum, but act only in the upper respiratory tract, not reaching the bronchi. The baby's larynx and nose are additionally clogged, it becomes even more difficult for him to breathe.
8. Give infants codeine-containing drugs.
9. Use medicines in the form of aerosols - this can lead to a spasm of the glottis, the baby will begin to choke.

Timely treatment will surely give a quick result, and the baby will delight you with good health and cute pranks.

Every mother strives to protect her child from all the troubles of this world, and first of all, this applies to those diseases that lie in wait for us at every step. Unfortunately, this is practically impossible, and when faced with the microorganisms surrounding him, from which it is impossible to fully protect himself, the child begins to get sick. Of course, ideally, his immune system and antibodies obtained from his mother should protect against infection, but this is far from always the case; bronchitis in infants, paradoxically as it sounds, is a fairly common disease.

What is a disease

The organ system by which a person breathes can be represented as a tree. Passing through the nose, the larynx (the roots of the tree), the air enters the trachea (which is the trunk), it then divides into two main bronchi. Medium and small bronchi depart from them. With some imagination, they can be mistaken for thinner branches, then there are bronchioles, which, if we follow the analogy, will be very small branches, but alveoli can be considered leaves. Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial mucosa without involvement of the lung tissue in the inflammatory process.

Among the pathomorphological changes in bronchitis, the following stand out: spasm of smooth muscle of varying severity, mucosal edema and exudation (sputum production). Bronchitis in children under one year old is a fairly common phenomenon, this is due to the peculiarities of the structure of the respiratory system of infants, namely, a rather short respiratory tract, abundant blood supply to the bronchial mucosa and sufficient "looseness" of the submucosal layers. All this contributes to the rapid spread of the pathological process deep into the respiratory tract and the severity of inflammation. The most dangerous age is from 5-6 months to a year.

Classification

Modern medicine classifies bronchitis according to several criteria. According to the etiology (cause that caused the disease), there are:

• viral - they develop as a consequence or as a symptom of ARVI: influenza, parainfluenza, adenovirus, rhinovirus infection. Also, PC viruses are of great importance;
• bacterial - pathogens most often become pneumococcus, chlamydia, mycoplasma, Haemophilus influenzae, moraxella;
• toxic - arise under the influence of chemicals, the concentration of which in the ambient air exceeds the maximum allowable;
• dust - develop under the influence of various dust (including professional);
• allergic, asthmatic - appear as a result of a reaction to aggressive factors (chemistry, animal hair, food allergies).

According to the nature of the course, bronchitis is divided into:

• acute - it lasts from 10 to 20 days;
• chronic - symptoms of the disease are detected for three consecutive months or more (for two years or more, WHO criteria);
• recurrent (exacerbation of the pathology about 1-3 times a year, the duration of the cough is less than in chronic);
• protracted (the duration of the disease increases to 6-8 weeks).

According to the presence of obstruction, they are divided into obstructive and non-obstructive. Separately, it is necessary to highlight bronchiolitis - an inflammatory process in the small terminal bronchi and bronchioles.

Before starting treatment, the doctor must determine the nature of bronchitis. As practice shows, bronchitis in an infant most often has a viral etiology. These can be parainfluenza, influenza, rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, RS viruses. In this case, against the background of the disease, it is often possible to observe the attachment of a bacterial infection.

Among bacteria, mycoplasmas, Haemophilus influenzae, pneumococcus, less often chlamydia and moraxella are of primary importance in infants.

How to recognize the signs of what pathogen was caused by bronchitis? If bronchitis in infants is caused by viruses, then it proceeds relatively easily. This is expressed in a rather small intoxication (although the baby is naughty, but does not refuse food, the condition is quite stable). Another characteristic sign of viral bronchitis is the color of sputum. It is transparent or has a yellowish tint.

In addition, bronchitis with a viral etiology is usually quite mild and treatable. In addition to the symptoms of bronchitis, there are often catarrhal phenomena of the upper respiratory tract: runny nose, redness and graininess of the posterior wall of the oropharynx, nasal congestion.

Bacterial bronchitis is more complex. Intoxication here may be more pronounced. It manifests itself with a high temperature, which persists on the third or fourth day of illness, refusal of the breast or mixture. Sputum in this case is purulent, yellow-green in color.

Quite often, an infant can develop bronchiolitis. In this case, the small terminal bronchi and bronchioles are affected. Bronchiolitis most often develops against the background of acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, rhinovirus infection, followed by the addition of pneumococcal or hemophilic infection. However, it can also become an independent disease resulting from the inhalation of certain chemicals from the air. The danger of this pathology is severe obstruction, which can result in respiratory failure.

Symptoms of bronchiolitis

If a pediatrician diagnosed bronchitis in a one-year-old child, the mother should be alert if the following symptoms appear:

• after some improvement, the state of health suddenly worsened, bouts of dry, tense cough appeared;
• the child developed severe shortness of breath, in which the intercostal spaces are drawn in, the wings of the nose swell, breathing is superficial, wheezing;
• respiratory rate exceeds 60 per minute;
• the baby's skin turns pale, cyanosis (cyanosis) of the nasolabial triangle appears;
• the temperature rises, but slightly;
• voiced, widespread moist rales are clearly heard in the child's chest;
• despite difficulty breathing, the symptoms of intoxication in bronchiolitis are not pronounced.

Acute bronchitis is considered one of the most common diseases of the respiratory system. According to statistics, in 80% of cases it is caused by a viral infection and in 20% by bacteria. Often, a bacterial infection joins bronchitis of viral etiology, in which case they speak of a mixed genesis of the disease.

Symptoms

The first symptoms of the disease are a violation of the general well-being of the child - he becomes restless, naughty, appetite decreases, sleep is disturbed. The baby starts to cough. When listening to the chest, wheezing is clearly audible, which spreads to all parts of the chest. The first three days the temperature can rise to 38-39 degrees. After about a week, a dry cough is replaced by a wet one and sputum begins to separate. Usually at the beginning of the disease, sputum is light, separated in a small amount. This is a good sign, it means that the respiratory system can perform its function.

In the second week, sputum may change its color to light yellow or light green (fibrin threads), but its volume, quantity and consistency should not change. Cough can be moderate or debilitating paroxysmal, it will be right for the mother to calculate the number and duration of attacks before the doctor arrives, the tactics will depend on this when choosing medications and recommendations. If the coughing fit is strong enough, the child may have chest pains.

In infants, bronchitis often occurs with symptoms of bronchial obstruction, which is due to the initially smaller diameter of the bronchi, their collapse at the exit, due to a more elastic wall compared to adults. Symptoms that require the attention of parents and the immediate call for an ambulance include:

1. Shortness of breath in a child, that is, an increase in the frequency of breathing above the age norm, which is usually accompanied by difficulty in exhaling, crying;
2. The presence of wheezing wheezing on exhalation in a child, they are usually audible even without the use of a phonendoscope;
3. Blue around the nasolabial triangle (the triangle between the creases under the nose).

The average duration of uncomplicated bronchitis is from 14 to 20 days, but this will depend on individual characteristics (age, immunity, presence of other diseases).

Complications

With untimely or improper treatment of bronchitis, the following complications may develop:

• obstruction;
• process timing;
• pneumonia;
• bronchial asthma;
• acute respiratory failure;
• acute heart failure.

Diagnostics

Symptoms of acute bronchiolitis may develop in the first weeks of life, but it usually occurs between 6 and 7 months of age. Laboratory tests are characterized by elevated ESR, leukocytosis. On the radiograph, the horizontal standing of the ribs is determined, the increase in the transparency of the lung fields, the diversity of the lung pattern, but no infiltrative changes are observed. It is important to determine the gases of the blood composition, where even with an improvement in the condition, a decrease in the level of oxygen is observed.

In addition to the history and examination data of the child, leukocytosis, elevated ESR, lymphocytosis or neutrophilia are observed in the blood test, depending on the type of pathogen. In addition, you need to do a general sputum analysis, which will show whether the disease is bacterial in nature and help determine the sensitivity of the flora to antibiotics. On radiography, only an increase in the pulmonary pattern is noticeable.

Additional research methods

Blood tests are mandatory (KLA - ESR, leukocyte formula; biochemistry is assessed), general urinalysis, general sputum analysis, sputum culture for sensitivity to antibiotics, sputum examination for VC. From instrumental studies, if necessary, bronchoscopy, bronchography, radiography, computed tomography are used.

Differential Diagnosis Table

Emergency care for acute bronchitis

If the child's condition worsens, cyanosis of the skin and nasolabial triangle increases, and the respiratory rate has sharply increased or decreased, then urgent action is needed. Call an ambulance, but before the doctors arrive and begin treatment, you can alleviate the baby's condition. The main thing - do not panic, the child perfectly feels the state of the mother.

Calm down and take the baby in your arms so that the head is as high as possible. If you have a humidifier, turn it on to the maximum, if not, then go to the bathroom with your child, open hot water so that the air is as humidified as possible. If this is not possible, then hang wet towels on the sides of the crib. Provide an influx of fresh air, it is from the lack of oxygen that the baby suffers with this disease. If the child has previously had acute respiratory viral infections with bronchial obstruction, there should be a nebulizer, Berotek and Ambroxol at home, and the mother should receive clear instructions from the doctor on their use during an attack.

As a rule, it is necessary to treat acute bronchiolitis in a hospital setting. Those children whose age has not reached three months, premature babies who have already been diagnosed with a congenital or chronic disease of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems are hospitalized in the intensive care unit. Also mandatory indications for hospitalization are increased breathing up to 70 breaths per minute, severe cyanosis, exhaustion of the child, significant nutritional problems (the baby refuses to eat).

It is possible to treat acute bronchitis at home, but, as a rule, doctors suggest hospitalizing all children under one year old. And rightly so, since broncho-obstructive syndrome in babies of this age can develop suddenly against the background of apparent well-being. The most important thing is not to miss the onset of the disease, when the signs of the disease are not yet so obvious, and to consult a doctor in time. It should be noted that only a pediatrician should prescribe treatment. Independent actions in this case are fraught with lost time and, as a result, generalization of the inflammatory process and an increased risk of complications.

Paradoxical as it sounds, with uncomplicated bronchitis in infants, bronchitis in a one-year-old child, drug therapy is secondary. In the first place you need to put the right care for the child and his nutrition. The room where it is located must be ventilated and wet cleaning must be carried out there. In general, with bronchitis it is undesirable that the room where the baby is located is hot, but the air must be sufficiently humidified. For this, modern air humidifiers are simply indispensable. The optimal air parameters in patients with bronchitis are as follows: humidity 50-70%, temperature 18-20 degrees.

It is also important to monitor the nutrition of the baby. If he often refuses to breastfeed or the "artist" does not take the mixture, then it is worth trying to give him at least boiled water to drink, as dehydration can increase the risk of complications. Nutrition in the acute period usually includes liquid and quickly digestible food in those volumes that the baby does not refuse. No need to insist.

Another important part of the treatment of acute bronchitis is massage. For an infant, a simple shifting from one side to another or a light tapping of the index and middle fingers on the back can give excellent results, while the child should be on the lap of the parent face down. All this stimulates sputum discharge and reflex cough.

Schemes for the use of drugs

Performance criteria

The main criterion that the treatment is effective will be an improvement in the child's condition - a decrease in shortness of breath, cough intensity, improvement in general condition, normalization of appetite. Please note that coughing and sputum discharge in children under one year old, with general well-being, can persist for a month.

Prevention

The basis of prevention is to limit the contact of the infant with other people. Hardening measures and breastfeeding are of great importance. It has already been proven that maternal antibodies received by a child with breast milk are sufficient protection against the disease for at least the first six months.

Another important component will be the creation of a hypoallergenic life around the baby, since very often bronchitis also has an allergic origin. In addition to hypoallergenic life, it is important to maintain humidity in the range of 40-60% and temperature in the apartment of 19-20 degrees, tempering activities, frequent walks. An additional protective factor can be considered vaccination against pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae. In this case, vaccination should be performed only for a healthy child, without signs of SARS.

Mothers are especially wary of diseases of a newborn. For example, bronchitis in children under one year is more severe than in adults and is accompanied by dangerous symptoms.

How to cure it in an infant as quickly and safely as possible, and how to understand that bronchitis is going away?

Bronchitis can be caused by:

1. Viruses.
2. bacteria.
3. Allergens or toxic substances.

Most often, bronchitis develops as a consequence of acute respiratory infections and is of a viral nature.

Bacterial bronchitis appears as a complication of viral as a result of the addition of bacterial flora.

It is very important to understand what type of bronchitis the baby has in order to start the correct and effective treatment.

Diagnostics

The doctor knows. Don't try to diagnose yourself little child. The doctor will determine the correct diagnosis based on:

1. Listening to the child with a phonendoscope.
2. Sputum analysis. Sowing and give an answer about the pathogen.
3. Clinical blood test data.

Classification

According to the clinical course, there are such types of bronchitis:

1. Spicy. Symptoms quickly increase, including general malaise and fever. The treatment is effective, the symptoms disappear in 2-3 weeks.
2. obstructive. Bronchitis, in which the lumen of the bronchi narrows and leads to respiratory failure. It is very important to diagnose this form in infants in time, because treatment is carried out mainly in a hospital.
3. Chronic. Can't be in babies.

Symptoms

Bronchitis symptoms:

1. May begin with common manifestations of a viral infection: elevated temperature, redness of the throat, weakness.
2. Appears first dry frequent cough, which causes anxiety to the child and can be episodic. The cough then turns into wet, however, sputum is usually separates badly.
3. Rattling and whistling may listen without a phonendoscope.

Dangerous symptoms are:

1. Blue nasolabial triangle.
2. Dyspnea.
3. Shortness of breath, difficult breathing.

In such cases, you need to call an ambulance and continue treatment in a hospital under the supervision of doctors. If a child has an asthma attack, humidified air will help to wait for the doctors. You can do it with a humidifier or an open hot water faucet in the bathroom.

The danger of obstructive bronchitis

and infectious bronchitis in children younger than a year is recommended to be carried out in a hospital. The fact is that coughing and sputum secretion often lead to life-threatening attacks. The respiratory tract of infants is much narrower, than adults, so any inflammatory edema or accumulation of sputum causes narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi and respiratory failure.

How to recognize bronchitis

Possible for an infant, taking into account the age of one month, are described below. However, this is only a guideline, an accurate diagnosis is made based on the results of the blood and listening to the child.

At the age of 1-3 months the baby receives immune protection with mother's milk, so viral infections rarely provoke any disease. The cough of a child at this age may be associated with an allergic component or insufficient humidity in the room.

Parents should pay more attention to ventilation, wet cleaning and maintaining the right climatic conditions.

At the age of 4-6 months babies begin to cut their first teeth. This is often accompanied by increased salivation, which the child tries to cough up. Such a cough, as a rule, is wet, the sputum comes out well and is accompanied by rhinorrhea. An accurate diagnosis should be made by a doctor after listening to the bronchi and examining the baby.

6 to 12 months children meet with the first infections and begin to get sick. At this age, infectious bronchitis is most likely. You can recognize it by typical symptoms: fever, decreased activity of the baby, wheezing.

Treatment

Many medicines are prohibited for use in children under one year old. Come to the fore alternative treatments:

1. Mode. It is necessary to provide the child with peace, reduce active games, do not force him to eat. In the child's room, a humidity parameter of 60% and a temperature of 20 degrees should be maintained.
2. Diet. Children who are already on solid foods should not be forced to eat. During bronchitis, it is better to give them more fluids so that the sputum leaves easier and faster.
3. Massage. Drainage massage will help remove stubborn sputum. For this, the child is placed on the stomach and lightly tapped with fingers on the back in the area of ​​the bronchi.
4. Folk remedies. Treatment of bronchitis in children under one year old is often carried out with folk remedies. The most popular are steaming, inhalation, herbal decoctions. Mustard plasters are not recommended for small children. allowed only from the age of three.
5. Medical treatment. Viral bronchitis is preferably treated symptomatically. For this, antipyretics (paracetamol, ibuprofen), physiological saline to moisturize the respiratory tract (or mineral water), mucolytics (ACC. Fluimucil) are used. For a bacterial infection, the doctor prescribes antibiotics, taking into account the age and weight of the child. Antibiotics (macrolides, cefasloporins, aminopenicillins) can be used even in the smallest children, but strictly according to the doctor's indications and in the age dosage.

In case of obstructive form of bronchitis, the following procedures are added to the treatment:

1. Inhalation with bronchodilators.
2. Electrophoresis, UHF.
3. Therapeutic gymnastics.

The weakening of symptoms will help the mother understand that the bronchitis in the child is passing. First, the temperature returns to normal, then breathing. Sputum will begin to be more easily expectorated, and coughing will occur less frequently and bring relief.

Complications

Treatment of bronchitis should be carried out to the end, without interrupting treatment. Otherwise, you can get the following complications:

1. Pneumonia.
2. The transition of inflammation to a chronic form.
3. Bronchial asthma.
4. Respiratory failure.

bronchiolitis

This is a disease in which the smallest sections of the bronchial tree are affected - bronchioles. Such a diagnosis is very dangerous., irreversible tissue changes can take place in the bronchioles, which will lead to impaired blood circulation and respiration. Symptoms:

1. Dyspnea.
2. Weakness.
3. Lack of air.
4. Cyanosis.

Prevention

Considering the importance of the respiratory system for the human body, it is better to take care of its health constantly. Preventive measures will keep the child healthy and prevent many diseases:

1. Eliminate any potential allergens from the home.
2. Daily wet cleaning and airing.
3. Maintaining the optimal temperature (20 degrees) and humidity (60%) in the room.
4. Your baby is drinking enough fluids.
5. Hardening, walks in the fresh air.
6. Rest on the sea.

When planning, mom must first cure her disease. Why is bronchitis dangerous during pregnancy? The infection can be transmitted to the baby and provoke a miscarriage or malformations.

How to recognize the signs of bronchitis, we discussed above. The earlier treatment is started, the more likely it is to be carried out at home.

Treatment of bronchitis in children

Dr. Komarovsky will tell you how to properly treat bronchitis in children.

Bronchitis is a pathological inflammatory process that develops in the bronchial wall under the action of provoking factors - viral or bacterial agents. Due to the total action of provoking factors and the emergence of favorable conditions for the further growth, reproduction and spread of microbes in the bronchial tree, bronchitis appears.

The main symptoms of the disease are the presence of intoxication of the child's body (fever, headache, nausea, lack of appetite, weakness, lethargy, apathy, drowsiness), the appearance of a dry cough, unproductive or wet with sputum discharge and shortness of breath.

Favorable conditions for the development of the inflammatory process in the bronchi are:

• hypothermia of the body;
• malnutrition;
• lack of vitamins (hypovitaminosis, beriberi);
• decreased immunity;
• frequent acute inflammatory diseases in other organs of the child;
• exacerbation of chronic processes.

The treatment of bronchitis is reduced to the appointment of several groups of drugs, which are selected based on the action of the provoking factor (virus or bacterium) and the presence of relevant symptoms (fever, dry or wet cough and shortness of breath). Conservative treatment in conditions of improving well-being should be supplemented by physiotherapy, courses of which are carried out for another 1-2 weeks after the cessation of the main symptoms.

Also, to alleviate the condition of the child, alternative treatment is prescribed with the use of decoctions and infusions of herbs, applications on the chest area and rubbing using badger, goose or pork fat.

Conservative therapy

It is worth treating bronchitis with drugs on the first day of the onset of the disease. The choice of drugs depends on the manifestations of the disease themselves.

In the presence of high body temperature (up to 40 0 ​​C), severe symptoms of intoxication and meager manifestations of damage to the bronchial tree - a slight dry or unproductive cough with clear or whitish sputum discharge, antiviral drugs are prescribed, since presumably, according to the child's symptoms, this bronchitis was provoked viral infection.

The most effective antiviral drug in children with bronchitis is human recombinant interferon - Laferobion, which has an immunostimulating and immunomodulatory effect by stimulating an increase in the level of immunocompetent cells (mast cells, leukocytes, lymphocytes, plasma cells, basophils, antibodies) in the blood. It is prescribed for children up to a year at 150,000 IU 3 times a day in the form of rectal suppositories, for children from 1-2 years old, 500,000 IU 3-4 times a day. It is best to treat with this drug for 3 to 5 days.

If there is a slight body temperature, a relatively good and active condition of the child, along with severe symptoms of bronchial tree damage, which are characterized by an intense cough with yellow or greenish viscous sputum with an unpleasant odor and shortness of breath, they indicate the presence of bronchitis of a bacterial nature and in this case antibiotics are prescribed wide spectrum of activity.

Azithromycin (Sumamed) is the drug of choice for bacterial bronchitis, as it is a broad-spectrum antibiotic and additionally affects protozoal and intracellular infection. The drug is available in tablets and syrup, which allows it to be prescribed even to infants. It is necessary to take the medicine 1 time per day. Treat with the drug for no more than 3 days.

Bronchitis in a child is often accompanied by severe manifestations of intoxication, which can be stopped and help to improve well-being such drugs as:

Ibuprofen (Nurofen), which has antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. It is prescribed for children under 2 years old in rectal suppositories, 1 suppository 2 times a day, for children from birth and up to 12 years old in syrup:

For children over 12 years of age, chewable tablets or capsules. It is allowed to treat with this drug for no more than 7 days.

Children's paracetamol (Panadol) has an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effect, improves the well-being of a child with bronchitis. It is prescribed in drops, rectal suppositories and syrup for children under 12 years old, over 12 years old in capsules. This remedy must be taken 3-6 times a day. You can treat the drug for no more than a week.

Citrulline malate (Stimol) is a general tonic that has detoxifying activity and normalizes metabolic processes in the child's body. It is prescribed 1 sachet, which must first be dissolved in ½ cup of boiled water, taken 2 times a day for 10 days.

In order to relieve cough and improve sputum discharge, mucolytic drugs are prescribed.

Mucolytic drugs are prescribed when a child has a dry or wet cough. Cough is a reflex to foreign bodies (dust, pollen, food, water) entering the bronchi or excessive accumulation of mucus (sputum) in them. The drugs eliminate cough by acting on the cough center in the brain, as well as by thinning sputum and stimulating the motor activity of cilia on the surface of the bronchial epithelium, which additionally helps to clear the lumen. The cough first becomes unproductive, then productive, and after 5-7 days of taking the drugs completely disappears.

Ambroxol (Ambrobene, Flavamed, Lazolvan) in drops and syrup are prescribed from 1 year old, in tablets from 12 years old 3 times a day. Treat for at least 10 days. There is also a children's Lazolvan, adapted only for inhalation using a nebulizer. It can be used by children from birth.

Acetylcysteine ​​(ACC) is used to thin sputum in children over 4 years of age who have a cough. The drug is available in tablets and sticks with a dosed powder, which must be dissolved in ½ cup of boiled water. Acetylcysteine ​​200 mg is taken 4 times a day, 400 mg - 2 times a day and 800 mg - 1 time per day for 10 days. One of the pronounced and common side effects of this drug are stomach pain and heartburn, since the drug contains acid in its composition.

If a child develops dyspnoea (shortness of breath at rest) or shortness of breath, which is associated with minor and moderate physical exertion, bronchodilator drugs are prescribed.

Salbutamol - has a relaxing effect, which is directed to the smooth muscles of the bronchi. It is used in children from one year old in the form of aerosols, in children under one year old in the form of nebulizer inhalations only on demand, that is, at the time of suffocation. The medicinal effect of the drug lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours, and begins its action immediately after the erosol has hit the walls of the bronchial tree.

Plentiful drinking helps to reduce the manifestations of intoxication. For children, it can be teas, warmed fruit drinks, milk, compotes and herbal decoctions. Some herbs, along with detoxifying activity, help eliminate the cough reflex and improve sputum production.

St. John's wort, succession, chamomile, sage and plantain are taken in equal proportions. Herbs are ground with a coffee grinder or blender to a powder. 2 tablespoons of herbs are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for 10 minutes. Children should be given this remedy warm 1/3 cup 3 times a day. One dose of tea leaves is enough for a day. You can treat with these herbs for 1 - 2 weeks. Cough in children on average goes away after 4 to 5 days.

Licorice root, marshmallow root, cranberries, viburnum and wild rose are crushed in a meat grinder. 4 tablespoons of the resulting mixture is poured with a liter of boiled water and brought to a boil over a fire. The broth is allowed to boil over low heat for 15 minutes and then covered with a lid and allowed to brew. It is recommended to take this remedy 2 times a day for ½ cup. For a child, add 1 tablespoon of honey to the decoction before drinking. Honey is used to improve taste and is a natural antioxidant, the purpose of which is to strengthen the protective properties of the body (immunity) of the child. Cough becomes much less after 3 to 5 days of taking the decoction.

Milk, especially cow's milk, is used in children when a severe, debilitating cough occurs. Milk can calm the cough reflex, which in patients with bronchitis is exacerbated in the evening and at night, making it difficult to rest and disturb sleep. Milk also contains a large amount of protein, fats and vitamins that nourish the child in conditions of poor appetite during intoxication and thereby strengthen the body and help fight pathological microbes.

Boiled cow's milk is well heated, but not brought to a boil, ½ teaspoon of baking soda and the same amount of butter are added to 1 glass of milk. To improve the taste of the resulting mixture, use honey, 1 teaspoon per 1 cup. In the absence of cow's milk, goat's milk can be substituted.

Give this remedy to a child with bronchitis should be at night, already in bed. It is necessary to drink in small sips for 5 to 10 minutes. After taking the remedy inside, the cough completely calms down after 5 minutes.

One of the methods of alternative treatment is rubbing the chest. Rubbing stimulates blood flow in the lung tissue and, as a result, cleanses the bronchial tree from microbial agents, which significantly speeds up the healing process of children. Rubbing also has a warming effect, which gives them the opportunity, albeit for a short time, to save children from coughing.

The most effective among rubbing in children with bronchitis is such a remedy as badger fat.

Badger fat is a subcutaneous fat that is rich in organic and inorganic amino acids, unsaturated fats and vitamins.

Badger fat has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunostimulatory effects.

The versatility of this tool lies in the fact that it can be used both externally and taken internally.

Outwardly, badger fat is used in children who are tormented by a dry or unproductive cough with a warming function. Badger fat also stimulates blood circulation in the lung tissue and eliminates congestion in the bronchi of medium and small caliber.

Badger fat for external use is applied at night, on the skin of the chest and back with light massaging movements in a thin layer and rubbed into the skin until a film forms on it. After that, the body of the child is wrapped in a blanket.

Inside, badger fat is used to increase immunity, which is also important for children with bronchitis.

The remedy should be given 1 dessert spoon (10 ml) 2 times a day. Badger fat is best taken with food, as the predominance of the substances contained in it are fat-soluble, and the therapeutic effect is thus more pronounced.

Badger fat can be used externally in children over 1 year of age and internally over 6 years of age. Badger fat, according to the observations of doctors, did not give pronounced side effects when taken orally or externally.

Applications on the chest

Applications or lozenges on the chest and back are used to calm coughs and improve blood circulation in the bronchi of children.

A cake with honey is used for children over 1 year old. Honey, sunflower oil and flour are mixed in equal quantities. The mixture is applied to the skin of the chest and back, then wrapped in polyethylene or tracing paper, covered with a terry towel on top.

Mustard tortilla is used for children over 6 years old. Mustard powder is mixed with warm boiled potatoes and laid out on the skin of the back, covered with tracing paper and a terry towel.

Applications are performed at night. The child is treated like this for no more than 3-4 days.

Physiotherapy

• inhalations with aromatic oils;
• chest massage;
• electrophoresis - the introduction through the skin of the chest using an electric current
• medicines;
• heating with the use of low-frequency electric currents and magnetic fields.

Video: Bronchitis, bronchitis in children, acute bronchitis in children

What is winter? These are holidays, a Christmas tree, tangerines, gifts, sleds, skis and skates. True, for the most "lucky" kids it is also snot, cough, fever, doctors and medicines. Bronchitis, you know, does not have holidays, they have earned it - get sick! But nothing - the main thing is to know how to recover quickly.

Bronchitis worries parents much more than a runny nose or, say, SARS, - and this is absolutely fair. According to statistics, respiratory diseases, in particular, pneumonia (the most common complication of bronchitis), are the main cause of death for babies under 4 years old, and no advances in modern medicine have been able to influence this sad fact so far. Scared?

We understand, but there is also comforting information: bronchitis is a common childhood illness, and often it does not require special treatment at all. Paradox?

The fact is that this disease needs, first of all, a reasonable and competent approach - without “healing to death”, but also without “it will pass by itself”. Therefore, the best thing you can do for your sick child is to find a good pediatrician. Everything else is up to the circumstances. And now, emphasizing the primacy of a medical examination and prescriptions in the treatment of bronchitis, let's move on to a theory that will help to better understand the logic of the doctor's actions.

What is bronchitis

The human respiratory system can be schematically depicted as an inverted tree. From the nose and larynx (these are the roots of our tree), the inhaled air goes into the trachea (trunk), from there - into the two main bronchi, left and right (thick branches), from them - into the middle and small bronchi (thinner branches), then - into bronchioles (quite flimsy twigs) and into the alveoli (let them be leaves of an imaginary plant). Actually, bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi, accompanied by the formation of mucus (phlegm). The child blows or swallows mucus from the nose, and coughs up sputum. Cough stops - here and inflammation, most likely, the end.

Bronchitis may be infectious(viral, bacterial or viral-bacterial) or allergic. It can also be provoked by harmful substances that irritate the delicate tissue of the lungs (tobacco smoke, coal dust, exhaust gases, etc.). Not every bronchitis is treated with antibiotics - some of its types require changes in the conditions in which the child lives, or, for example, the use of antiallergic drugs.

Allocate according to duration spicy bronchitis (it lasts about 10-21 days), recurrent(the baby suffers from acute bronchitis three times a year, or even more often), chronic(Three-month or more bronchitis occurs at least once a year for 2 years). Special mention deserves bronchiolitis (inflammation of the smallest bronchi) - this disease affects mainly children of the first year of life.

Obstructive bronchitis

Often in preschool children there is bronchitis with broncho-obstructive syndrome, which is usually called obstructive bronchitis. An obstruction is a blockage in the bronchus. For example, with a runny nose, one or both nostrils can be blocked - and in this case, the child breathes through his mouth. And if the bronchi are completely or partially blocked? Air in this case is almost impossible to get into the body!

Obstruction is caused by a combination of several factors, including: an initially narrow bronchial lumen, massive mucosal edema, which further narrows this lumen, copious secretion of viscous and poorly discharged sputum, and (in older children) bronchospasm (additional narrowing of the bronchial lumen). As a result, instead of moving freely along the "broad highway", the air has to "squeeze" through narrow openings. All this is accompanied by wheezing wheezing, which can be heard by putting your ear to the baby's chest or simply squatting next to him.

If obstructive bronchitis recurs, it is necessary to consult a pulmonologist or an allergist - this will make sure that the baby does not have bronchial asthma.

Bronchitis in children: symptoms

Keep in mind: wheezing is a hallmark of obstructive bronchitis. Most often, the picture of the disease is as follows: a perfectly healthy child the day before suddenly begins to snot and cough, his temperature jumps (up to 38.5-39⁰С), each inhalation and exhalation is accompanied by gurgling moist rales (old-fashioned doctors said: he breathes like a barrel organ), the baby becomes lethargic and weak. The called doctor auscultates (listens) and necessarily percusses (tapping with his fingers) the child's chest. These manipulations make it possible to assess the condition of the lung tissue by characteristic sounds and, possibly, to suspect pneumonia or other lung diseases. And then the Aesculapius says something like this:
“The child has wet rales in the lungs. It's bronchitis."
“There are no wheezing in the lungs, there is hard breathing (medics can easily distinguish this special way of breathing from others). It's bronchitis."
“The child’s lungs are clean, and wheezing is from the nasopharynx, it’s snot gurgling. There is no bronchitis here, ordinary nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the nasal and pharyngeal mucosa).
Many parents are afraid that "the cough will go down." And absolutely in vain. The fact is that the cough does not “fall down”! The amount of snot drawn in and then swallowed does not increase the risk of bronchitis. It all depends solely on which virus caused rhinopharyngitis. If this villain lives easily and freely in the cells of the bronchi, then there will be bronchitis (doctors say: the virus is tropic to the lung tissue). If not, then the case will be limited to a runny nose.

Bronchitis can proceed in a completely different way. Instead of a “bright” start, there is a smooth, almost imperceptible, increase in temperature to 37.5-37.7 ° C (sometimes it can do without it), instead of a deafening wet cough, there is an indistinct choking without sputum. These manifestations are characteristic of atypical bronchitis, usually caused by chlamydia or mycoplasmas. However, such ailments are relatively rare.

Bronchitis in children: causes

Faced with another case of bronchitis, the doctor each time is forced to determine the nature of the disease - because the treatment depends on it. Most often, the causative agents of bronchitis are viruses - parainfluenza, adenoviruses, rhinosynthetic viruses, measles virus, etc. The trouble is that viruses literally “open the way” for bacteria, and in this case, bronchitis, which began as a viral one, can quickly become viral-bacterial. With viral bronchitis, antibiotics are not required, but with bacterial bronchitis, these drugs are the basis of therapy.

Distinctive features viral bronchitis - transparent or yellowish sputum, unexpressed intoxication (the child, of course, looks sick, but does not lie exhausted and does not refuse his favorite food) and a fairly quick "self-healing".

At bacterial bronchitis, sputum can be purulent, intoxication is very pronounced (a weak, pale and lethargic baby lies in a layer and refuses to eat). Without treatment, this condition lasts for a long time. If on the 3rd-4th day of illness, fever and poor health persist, and the cough remains heavy and hacking, most doctors recommend starting antibiotics.

Attention! If clots of pus or bloody “streaks” are noticeable in the sputum, it is urgent to consult a doctor. Thus, diseases of the nasopharynx or serious lung diseases can make themselves felt.

Tests for bronchitis

To diagnose the disease, there are various examinations. Data from a general blood test (from a finger) allow you to suspect a viral or bacterial infection. A chest x-ray helps distinguish bronchitis from pneumonia. Analysis and culture of sputum in chronic or recurrent bronchitis makes it possible to accurately identify the causative agent of the disease and exclude its allergic nature.

Bronchitis in children: treatment

For a speedy recovery, you need:
Sufficient air humidity. You can, of course, hang wet sheets over the batteries in the old fashioned way, but it is better to buy a modern humidifier - preferably with the function of additional air purification.
Plentiful drink. It is not necessary to force feed the baby, but he should drink as much as possible - the body needs moisture to thin the sputum. Suitable tea, compote, fruit drink, juice, as well as plain water.
Reasonable attitude to temperature. If it does not rise above 38-38.5⁰С, nothing needs to be done. Remember: temperature stimulates the immune system and prevents viruses from multiplying.

Antibiotics, in turn, are not always a prerequisite for recovery. Doctors recommend taking them only for children under 4-6 months old (crumbs often suffer from bronchiolitis, and their bronchitis is often complicated by pneumonia) and children of any age with suspected bacterial bronchitis. All drugs are usually administered orally (through the mouth) or inhaled, and intramuscular injections are usually not required. A short course of antibiotic therapy (5-7 days in doses appropriate to the patient's age) does not cause dysbacteriosis syndrome. Therefore, when prescribing a modern drug, no additional intake of funds for the liver, intestines or antifungal drugs is required.

Cough medicines for children

Parents are ready to accept the absence of antibiotics, but the “shortage” of cough medicines causes a storm of indignation: “How is it ?! My baby is coughing like that, but the doctor hasn’t prescribed anything?!” However, the pediatrician can be understood: most children with acute viral or even bacterial bronchitis do fine without special cough medicines. Moreover, mucolytics are generally not recommended for children under 2 years of age: weak chest muscles often cannot “cough out” a large amount of mucus, and the lungs turn into a “swamp”.

Do you really need cough medicine?
with obstructive bronchitis. In this case, the doctor recommends bronchodilator drugs that expand the lumen of the bronchi;
children with serious lung diseases (developmental anomalies, lack of enzymes that thin mucus, etc.);
in severe illness. Mucolytics are prescribed in a short course; in addition, percussion massage is performed (tapping in the chest area) and means are prescribed to facilitate coughing.

With bronchitis, inhalations are widely used - with saline, with mineral water, with essential oils or with special means. The type of inhaler (steam, oil, nebulizer) and the drug will be chosen by the doctor, and for mothers - and especially for grandmothers! - it should be firmly remembered: inhalations using boiling water and kitchen utensils (pots, kettles, etc.) are unacceptable! There is little benefit from them, and the risk of a serious burn is very high.

Bronchitis in a child: treatment with folk remedies

Treatment of bronchitis rarely does without folk "distracting" procedures. Rubbing and mustard plasters require great care. The fact is that due to bronchitis, the allergic readiness of the lung tissue increases - and the baby can give out a severe reaction to a completely ordinary coniferous extract or dry mustard. In summary: a baked onion and bear/badger fat can be safely used for rubbing, honey “cakes” with a cabbage leaf can be used with caution, and odorous ointments or oils can be used with extreme caution! For foot baths with mustard, water with a temperature of 36-40⁰С is used: excessively hot water destroys all useful substances.
Attention! Homemade mustard plasters can cause severe skin burns. Banks are not given to preschoolers at all.

Every mom should know this

The basis of the treatment of bronchitis is the correct regimen and plenty of fluids. Medicines (antibiotics, cough medicines) are prescribed strictly individually. Do not stuff your baby with “chemistry” just because “It helped the car, and it will come in handy for mine”! "Distracting and soothing" procedures are used only if they do not cause discomfort to a small patient.

Prevention of bronchitis is primarily:
exclusion of passive smoking. In no case do not smoke in the same room with the child or on the street next to him. Do not go to "smoking" cafes and other "harmful" places;
reduction in the frequency of SARS. This will help, first of all, hardening. In addition, learn how to wrap your baby - dress him according to the weather. If it’s winter on the calendar, but the temperature is above zero and there is a warm breeze (it happens!), Limit yourself to one hat, and leave two extra ones at home. Any local doctor will confirm: most of all bronchitis is noted not in severe frosts, when most viruses die safely, but just during a thaw;
from the main bacteria - causative agents of bronchitis (pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae).

Shulamith Wolfson