Key points of prevention and nursing of mycoplasma infection in children
What is Mycoplasma Infection?
Mycoplasma is a special microorganism that is different from bacteria or viruses and is susceptible to school-age children or adolescents. This pathogen can tolerate low temperatures, is mainly transmitted by respiratory droplets, and has reduced indoor ventilation in winter, so it is easy for small epidemics to occur in places where children gather, such as schools and classes, when the weather is cold.
What are the manifestations of mycoplasma infection?
The symptoms of mycoplasma infection are varied, ranging from typical symptoms such as high fever and severe cough to sore throat, runny nose, wheezing, low-grade fever and other manifestations similar to "colds". Parents should not blindly judge whether their children are infected or not, and should take their children to seek professional advice from doctors without authorization.
How is mycoplasma pneumonia treated?
Well-known cephalosporin antibiotics are not effective in treating mycoplasma infection.
The main effective drugs are erythromycin, azithromycin, tetracycline, streptomycin and chloramphenicol, etc., but children are in the stage of growth and development, and it is necessary to avoid the irreversible side effects of some drugs, azithromycin is the best choice, followed by erythromycin. In recent years, the proportion of mycoplasma resistance has been increasing, and some severely ill children are treated with memanmycin or rifampicin. Some children even take short-term hormones. The use of intravenous or oral medications, the length of treatment, the choice of specific medications, hospitalization or community treatment, etc., need to be selected according to the child's condition, and the response to treatment should be monitored for real-time correction. During the course of azithromycin treatment for parents, there will be a certain number of days between "stopping the drug", and the accumulated drugs in the body are still working at this time, which is not more stressful than being too nervous. Some parents think that "if the child does not have a fever and cough, the medicine can be stopped", this understanding is wrong, and the application of antibiotics must be in accordance with the norms and complete the course of treatment, otherwise it is likely to lead to a recurrence of the disease, and the pathogen of infection is likely to be resistant to drugs.
How to care for a child with mycoplasma pneumonia?
Children with mycoplasma pneumonia generally have more prominent cough symptoms, should not blindly take cough medicines, should actively turn over and pat the back to discharge phlegm, conditional families can carry out nebulization treatment, no conditional families can properly humidify the air, but pay attention to open windows for ventilation, keep the air clean, and prevent pathogens from multiplying in large numbers under humid conditions.
Prevention of mycoplasma pneumonia
Most children will be infected with mycoplasma multiple times during their adolescence, but depending on the constitution and pathogen toxicity, they may not all develop pneumonia, and most of them can be cured with home treatment. As you grow older and approach adulthood, you are rich in antibodies and will not be infected again. However, unlike streptococcal pneumonia or influenza, there is still no effective vaccine for diagnosing mycoplasma. In winter, paying attention to household hygiene, intermittently opening windows for ventilation, exercising to enhance physical fitness, and avoiding contact with sick people are effective preventive measures.