What to do if chest infection is pneumonia

The Dhaka Times Desk When a chest infection is pneumonia, we often think of it as a very minor disease. But this infection can be life-threatening if pneumonia is not treated on time. What to do if a chest infection is pneumonia will be discussed through a few incidents.

Incident 1: Aishee has been suffering from a severe cold for several days. There is also fever. No sleep all night. Cough syrup doesn't do anything either. His parents are thinking, is it pneumonia?
Case 2 : Pheasant's friend at school has pneumonia, Pheasant also recovered from fever a few weeks ago, can Pheasant also have pneumonia?
Is it contagious?
We have thousands of questions about pneumonia. Pneumonia has a higher child mortality rate than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. Pneumonia is more likely to develop from viral infections and bacterial infections, as children have weaker defense mechanisms than adults. Secondly, open environment, different people all together increase the possibility of contracting pneumonia.

Risk factors for pneumonia

Children with lung diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis (where the mucosal secretions of the body become sticky in the stomach, pancreas, etc.) are prone to lung infections.
If there is a structural problem in the body i.e. if the child's trachea and esophagus are connected, the chances of pneumonia are high. In this case, eating food enters the trachea. This is called tracheoesophageal fistula.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is where the child regurgitates what they eat or food goes back up from the stomach into the lungs.
Neurological disease - due to muscle weakness, these children cannot expectorate well. When food enters the trachea, it cannot be expelled by the hair. Even spastic children have problems.
Immunodeficiency In many cases, there is a lack of immunity building material in the blood from the time of birth. Besides AIDS, thalassemia, the possibility of pneumonia increases due to low immunity.

Common cold cough and pneumonia

Children usually have cold, sneezing, fever. Some special symptoms should be understood that the child has pneumonia. First of all, if a child with a cold, fever starts breathing very quickly, if a child under 2 years of age breathes more than 50 times per minute, and if a child above 2 years of age breathes more than 40 times per minute, then it should be understood that it is a common cold. not Second, if the child has trouble breathing when he is calm, wheezing sounds when he breathes, then it is a sign of pneumonia.

Is pneumonia contagious?

Since children have low immunity, they can be said to be contagious. Children's nose and ears harbor the bacteria that cause pneumonia. If the immune system is weakened, the possibility of pneumonia increases.

When to see a doctor?

If the baby's stomach goes in during breathing.
Swelling of the nose while breathing.
If the face and lips are blue. Fever with chills.
Severe chest pain. In this condition, the child usually holds the side of the chest that hurts. Lie on the side where the pain is. Bend the knees, bring the knees to the chest and lean back.
Frequent dry cough. Coughing but not being able to expectorate.
Always having a feeling of discomfort, anxiety.

treatment

First of all routine tests and chest x-ray are needed. X-ray will tell if pneumonia has occurred and routine blood test will detect whether the child has viral or bacterial pneumonia. Then antibiotics should be started as soon as the doctor advises. If necessary, you can give steam vapor to the child with doctor's advice. It is necessary to pay attention from the very beginning to build up the child's immunity. Food and drink, cleanliness, environment need to be taken care of.

eating and drinking

Mother's milk is very important. There is no alternative. To save from malnutrition, you should practice eating vegetables, fresh fruits, fresh fish. Vitamin syrup can also be given. Recent research suggests that foods should contain sufficient amounts of zinc. For this, the child can eat chicken, cheese, lentils, beans, cornflakes, chira etc.

the environment

It is better not to take children to crowded or overcrowded places. Also keep children in a clean environment. Smoking in front of children in particular increases their chances of developing lung infections.

vaccine

Vaccines to prevent pneumonia have now increased. Studies have shown that vaccine use has reduced pneumonia in children. Measles vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine and influenza vaccine are recommended. Among them, Haemophilus and pneumococcal vaccines are given to babies at the age of 2 months. Measles and influenza vaccine at 9 months of age. Even if pneumonia is prevented in this way, it does not mean that pneumonia will not occur at all. If there is repeated pneumonia, the child is more likely to develop meningitis, osteomyelitis, arthritis.

# Author: Dr. Gautam Das Gupta Medical Officer, Chittagong City Corporation