What causes pneumonia in children. Symptoms and signs of pneumonia in children

One of the most common diseases of the respiratory tract is pneumonia. It often occurs in young children. Pneumonia can be very dangerous for babies, because it affects not only the lungs, but can also affect the entire body in the process of complications. Of course, all parents panic when their child is diagnosed with pneumonia and immediately rush to the hospital. But don't be so scared. Of course, pneumonia is a serious disease, but if it is detected in time and treated correctly and to the end, then everything will be fine and will do without consequences. The difficulty is that sometimes it is not easy to recognize the disease, and the symptoms are different for everyone. Also in children from small to adolescence viral and occult pneumonia.

Varieties of pneumonia in children

Pneumonia has several varieties, depending on the area of the lung lesion and the principle of the course of the disease. AT in general terms By structure, the lungs consist of lobes, which are divided into segments. Depending on the damaged parts, they distinguish the following types:

Focal pneumonia is a lesion of a small area of the lung mucosa. The lesion is approximately one centimeter in diameter.
Segmental and polysegmental pneumonia. Segmental - this is the result of a lesion of a lung segment inflammatory process. If several segments are inflamed, then it is polysegmental.
Croupous pneumonia - when the whole lung lobe. The larger part of the lung is inflamed, respectively, the more difficult the disease is, and the child's health becomes worse.

There are also right-sided and left-sided pneumonia, depending on which side the inflammatory process developed, right or left.

Causes of the disease

At each age, the causative agents of the disease are different. They also differ in children who are on inpatient treatment who have a weakened body, and in babies suffering from reduced immunity.

Most cases of pneumonia are the result of the activation of the own bacterial flora of the nasopharynx; there is also a possibility of exogenous infection. The bacterial flora is activated during acute respiratory diseases or other stress factors, and as a result, pneumonia develops.

Children from 6 months to 5 years of age often get pneumonia due to pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae. Schoolchildren and preschool children can get sick in epidemic periods from late summer to mid-autumn. It is during this time period that the importance of mycoplasma, which is the causative agent of pneumonia, increases. Among adolescents, pneumonia can serve as a factor in the disease.

Pneumonia kills approximately 1.4 million children under the age of five each year, far more than malaria, measles and AIDS combined.

Viral pneumonia mainly affects babies in the first year of life.. If the child is weak, spitting up, and has aspiration of gastric contents, most likely the cause is coli or Staphylococcus aureus, rarely Moraxella (Branchamella) catharalis. Pneumonia, which is caused by the microorganism Legionella, is extremely rare.

Do not forget about the forms of pneumonia caused by microbacteria and tuberculosis fungi. Children under one year of age are more likely to get viral pneumonia.

Oddly enough, pneumonia can be caught while being treated in a hospital.. There is a whole group of such types of disease. They are caused by hospital pathogens that are highly resistant to antibiotics: for example, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, or the autoflora of the patient himself. If a child is given antibiotic therapy, this can suppress the microflora of the lungs, thereby making the organs of the lower respiratory tract vulnerable to bacteria.

How does pneumonia manifest itself? (Video)

Symptoms of the disease can be different, it all depends primarily on the pathogen, the age of the child and his condition. Pneumonia often develops against the background of an acute respiratory disease, but also occurs independently.

For acute pneumonia a high temperature is characteristic - 38 - 39? C, because of which the whole body suffers, appetite disappears, general weakness, the child becomes inactive, he is not interested in games, there is no mood, his head hurts. If you do not start treatment, the high temperature can last for about a week or even longer.

The child soon develops a very unpleasant dry cough, which quickly turns into a productive one. moist cough wheezing. If the disease is advanced, then purulent mucous sputum can come out with a cough, sometimes even with blood. Often there are pains in the side, which become stronger when inhaling and coughing. There is a lack of oxygen, and therefore the child can breathe often and shallowly.

Bacterial pneumonia, if it is not severely neglected, is easily treated with properly selected antibiotics. But, unfortunately, only 30% of all sick children in the world receive the necessary medicines.

There is also chronic pneumonia, which has developed as a result of chronic sinusitis or bronchitis. Its result may be allergic diseases. The disease goes through remissions and exacerbations. Symptoms are similar to acute pneumonia, which gradually pass and full recovery as a result, it may never happen.

Features of the course of the disease in infants

Even the youngest children can get pneumonia. Among possible causes early illness or complications after influenza or measles. The main thing is to know and be able to recognize the symptoms of pneumonia and always carefully monitor the child.

In infants, the symptoms of the disease may manifest as follows::

cough, long and not disappearing;
the child "grunts" during breathing;
high temperature, above 38;
refusal to eat and drink;
unstable chair;
the child is not gaining weight.

You should also pay attention to the fact that with pneumonia, infants often spit up, they may have bloating. Very rarely, of course, but there are intestinal spasms and cardiovascular insufficiency. Again, everything is individual and depends on the body. If the parents simply suspect that the child may have pneumonia, a doctor should be consulted and examined.

Pneumonia can be prevented if vaccination is carried out in time, the child is properly fed and the optimal temperature and humidity parameters are observed in the house.

If, nevertheless, the child falls ill and the doctors find pneumonia, it is necessary to immediately begin treatment, because pneumonia is serious disease, and the organism small child may not be able to handle it. Unfortunately, there are known cases of death caused by this disease. Pneumonia does not go away on its own, it does not, it only gets worse and can give complications.

Nowadays, in pediatrics, the question of how structurally and consistently should be taken is quite acute. medical measures if the child has pneumonia. It is very important to start treating childhood pneumonia on time, as well as to treat it quickly and effectively enough to prevent a complicated course of the disease. There are several groups of drugs that are appropriate in the treatment of sick children. Within each of these groups, there are drugs that are more preferable for the treatment of childhood pneumonia than others. When treating a disease, it is important to take into account not only a specific pathogen microorganism and use antibacterial drugs against it, but also alleviate the general condition of the baby by using other medicines.

Pneumonia or pneumonia in children is called acute infectious process, the target of which is the lung tissue of the child. The microorganism that causes childhood pneumonia is usually a bacterial cell, such as pneumococcus or Haemophilus influenzae. With inflammation of the lungs, the respiratory sections of the lungs are affected - alveolar sacs and passages in which exudation can develop. Exudation is sweating through the walls of the respiratory sacs in their cavity and surrounding tissue lung protein-rich fluid along with some blood cells.

All childhood pneumonia is usually divided into community-acquired and hospital-acquired. Infection of children by the latter occurs directly in medical institution 72 hours after the child was admitted to the hospital.

By the volume of the affected lung tissue and the corresponding picture on x-rays of a child, it is customary to distinguish the following types of pneumonia:

Focal;
Focal-confluent;
Shared or croupous;
Segmental;
Interstitial, which also seriously affects connective tissue between the alveolar sacs or interstitium.

Downstream, in turn, it is customary to single out a special group of prolonged pneumonia. Protracted is a disease in which the child has practically no positive dynamics within 1.5-6 months.

How is the disease progressing?

Typically, pneumonia in children is manifested by the following characteristic symptoms:

Frequency respiratory movements in children under the age of 3 months may exceed 60 per minute.
The frequency of respiratory movements in children under the age of 12 months may exceed 50 per minute.
The frequency of respiratory movements in children under the age of 5 years can exceed 40 per minute.

What are the possible complications?

If pneumonia in children takes severe form complications can develop, up to life-threatening ones. Most frequent complications childhood pneumonia should be considered the following:

To not have to treat severe complications childhood pneumonia, the child must be hospitalized on time - placed in specialized hospital, where, the next step, it will be necessary to choose the right treatment and effectively fight the disease.

Principles of the treatment process

From not medical methods treatment regimen matters. For children suffering from pneumonia, the regimen should be strictly bed.

The main direction of treatment of childhood pneumonia is drug therapy.

The latter is distributed in the following areas:

Etiotropic therapy. The word "etiotropic" means that the drugs used in this therapeutic section are directed directly to the causative microorganism. These drugs are called antibacterial. Antibacterial drugs can destroy the causative bacterium itself, and can also interfere with the process of reproduction of the latter. Since antibiotic therapy It is customary to start treating the baby.
Syndromic and symptomatic treatment. The drugs used in this therapeutic section are intended to alleviate the condition of the child at the time of their use. That is, each of the drugs used is aimed at reducing the manifestations of any pathological syndrome or a symptom, for example, a syndrome of microcirculation disorders or a symptom of pain.
Surgery. The latter includes pleural puncture, indications for which usually occur in a complicated course of the disease.
Consider the antibacterial and symptomatic treatment of childhood pneumonia in more detail.

Antibacterial therapy

Antibacterial drugs are usually prescribed for pneumonia in children. a wide range actions penicillin series: ampicillin and amoxicillin in combination with clavulanic acid, which protects the chemical structure of the drug - the beta-lactam ring - from destruction by penicillin-resistant microorganisms.

The combination of clavulanate with amoxicillin is called amoxiclav.

Also commonly prescribed are second-generation cephalosporins: cefazolin and cefuroxime. Often, children with pneumonia are also prescribed antibacterial drugs from the macrolide group: roxithromycin and azithromycin.

If pneumonia in a child is severe enough or the disease is associated with severe comorbidities, then the baby is treated with such combinations antibacterial agents, such as amoxicillin with aminoglycosides, or III and IV generation cephalosporins such as cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, or cefepime are prescribed.

Alternative drugs prescribed in cases where a child has a destructive process in lung tissue, linezolid, vancomycin and carbapenems such as meropenem can serve.

After conducting a clinical analysis of sputum and isolating the microorganism that causes the disease in a particular patient from the latter, it is possible to make crops on a Petri dish and diagnose which antibacterial drugs this particular pathogen is sensitive to. To do this, special round plates are placed in the Petri dish along with the pathogen - discs containing various antibacterial drugs. When colonies of the microorganism grow after two or three days, the “blank” zones around the antibiotics to which the microorganism has been found to be susceptible can be clearly seen and measured.

The method allows prescribing a known effective antibacterial treatment. However, it takes time to use it, and the appointment of an antibiotic by a doctor must be done immediately. More often, the method with such antibacterial discs is used to confirm the correctness of the prescribed therapy, or helps to replace the drug with a more effective one in case of low efficiency of the already prescribed antibacterial drug.

A special approach to antibacterial treatment should be practiced if the child has nosocomial pneumonia or pneumonia occurs against the background of congenital immunodeficiency.

Symptomatic and syndromic therapy of childhood pneumonia

Of the drugs used to treat and eliminate pathological symptoms and syndromes in a child with pneumonia, the following drugs are often used:

It is important to understand that despite the ready-made treatment regimens for childhood pneumonia available in various sources of information, it is by no means possible to treat a child at home. It is important to contact a medical institution in a timely manner to confirm the diagnosis and choose adequate therapy for a particular patient. It is possible to treat a baby at home only with the permission of a doctor.

Video: How to diagnose pneumonia? — Doctor Komarovsky

The treatment of pneumonia in children, thanks to the efforts of scientists around the world, has made it possible to significantly reduce mortality from the disease over the past 5 years. In a short period of time, standards for diagnosing and classifying the disease (according to ICD 10) were introduced, which made it possible to more competently select antibacterial drugs in children.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung tissue under the influence of infectious agents, which is based on toxicosis, respiratory failure, water and electrolyte disorders with pathological changes in organs and systems.

In children, the pathology is acute due to reduced reserve capacity. immune system. Treatment of pathology should be carried out in the early stages in order to exclude terrible consequences and death.

Etiotropic therapy requires taking into account the causative agent of the disease. A huge list of microbes can provoke alveolar exudation in humans, among which should be distinguished:

Bacterial;
Viral;
fungal;
Protozoa.

If parents are interested in how to cure pneumonia in a child, we suggest that you read the article.

Treatment of pneumonia at home is carried out in the following categories of children:

With a mild form of the disease;
At the age of more than 3 years;
With absence respiratory failure and intoxication;
Sufficient quality of home sanitation;
With confidence that parents will follow the recommendations of doctors.

The medical protocol for managing such patients requires daily visits to the patient by a doctor, monitoring his health status and adjusting the dosage of antibiotics. Agree, supraks, sumamed, cefazolin or ceftriaxone parents can give or inject the child on their own.

The pediatrician monitors the quality of therapy and if he sees that the child's condition is not improving, he sends him to the clinic.

After the laboratory tests and radiography, the pediatrician decides on the further tactics of outpatient management of the patient or sending him to the hospital. This approach with a mild form lung inflammation in children is recommended by the Ministry of Health of the country.

In addition to the use of antibacterial agents, a child's visit to the clinic may be important for other medical procedures: physiotherapy, massage, electrophoresis, heating.

Electrophoresis of anti-inflammatory drugs (dexamethasone, dimexide) allows you to remove inflammation of the respiratory tract and reduce the duration of the disease. The procedure is the penetration of the ionic form of the drug through skin under the influence of low-pulse current. Electrophoresis is used in the stage of incomplete resolution of the inflammatory process.

With the active development of the disease in children, pediatricians recommend the following tactics for managing the patient at home:

Bed rest;
Ventilation of the room;
Consumption of large amounts of liquid in the form of natural juices and fruit drinks;
Easily digestible food enriched with vitamins.

Do not forget to visit the clinic where electrophoresis and physiotherapy are performed. These methods allow you to speed up recovery.

Reasons for hospitalization of a child

Hospitalization for pneumonia is carried out according to the following indications:

Children under 3 years old;
Complicated course of the disease;
respiratory failure;
Violation of the blood supply;
Intrauterine underdevelopment of the child and low weight;
Congenital malformations;
Unfavorable social status of the family;
The presence of chronic diseases.

On a stationary basis, a child is prescribed broad-spectrum antibacterial agents (ceftriaxone, augmentin, sumamed, cefazolin, suprax) at the initial stages, symptomatic remedies(berodual, ambroxol). At the same time, a general strengthening of the body is carried out.

In the conditions of a specialized department, it is easier to carry out electrophoresis with dimexide, inhalations of anti-inflammatory substances, injections of vitamins.

To prevent infection of surrounding children, the child is placed in a separate box to prevent cross-infection. With a moderate or severe degree of illness, the mother should be with the baby.

In some countries, parents are not screened if the child is 3 years old. This approach cannot be considered rational, but given the low economic equipment of hospitals, it is justified.

It is important to sanitize the patient's place of residence with a mercury-quartz lamp, regularly ventilate the premises and perform sanitary and hygienic procedures.

Standard for Management of Pneumonia in stationary conditions requires placement of children in the presence of complications in surgery department(in the presence of foci of tissue destruction). These patients may require urgent surgery.

Take sumamed, augmentin or inject ceftriaxone (cefazolin), they can also suprax in surgical wards, but the protocol clinical treatment requires that the patient is always ready for surgery if he has abscesses, purulent pleurisy.

The terms of stay in surgery are determined by the dynamics of the patient's condition. If the destructive lung lesion quickly scars, it is transferred back to the pediatric department for further observation and treatment.

Bacterial pneumonia requires antibiotics. At the initial stages of pneumonia, before obtaining tests for the causative agent of the disease, therapy with strong broad-spectrum antibiotics (augmentin, sumamed, ceftriaxone, cefazolin) is carried out. Clinical protocol also requires symptomatic therapy: bronchodilators (berodual), immunomodulators (immunal), correction of concomitant diseases.

Before prescribing a medicine, the doctor makes sure that the patient is not allergic to the drugs used.

The efficacy of antibiotic therapy is highly dependent on correct selection antibacterial drugs and dynamic monitoring of the patient's condition during therapy.

The standard of care for pneumonia in children includes:

At severe course- antibiotic therapy for at least 10 days;
When they disappear clinical symptoms, the tactics of maintaining a child is carried out on the basis of auscultatory listening to the lungs, radiography;
Even after the disappearance of wheezing and stabilization of the temperature, the use of antibiotics continues for another 2-3 days;
The terms of treatment are determined by the patient's condition even with the normalization of the results of laboratory and instrumental methods;
A severe course requires the appointment of an antibiotic parenterally (ceftriaxone, cefazolin, suprax). Oral drugs (augmentin, sumamed) can only be used with the progression of inflammatory changes in the lung parenchyma.

Electrophoresis, physiotherapy - additional methods appointed to eliminate additional symptoms diseases.

Of the physiotherapeutic procedures, UHF heating of the upper respiratory tract should be noted. It helps to strengthen protective functions oropharynx and enhances the delivery of the drug to the foci of damage to the lung tissue.

Electrophoresis forms a focus of drug accumulation in the lung tissue, which ensures a long-term effect of the drug.

Principles for choosing drugs

Pediatric pneumonia requires enhanced conservative therapies. An important task of the doctor in this case is the optimal selection of the drug.

Standard for clinical treatment of antibiotic therapy for pneumonia:

Semi-synthetic penicillins - with pneumococcal and gram-negative flora of the upper respiratory tract. It is better to use protected drugs (with clavulanic acid);
3-4 generation cephalosporins - in the initial stages of the disease (ceftriaxone, cefixime, cefazolin);
Macrolides - as part of a combined treatment (sumamed, azithromycin);
Aminoglycosides 1-3 generations - in the absence of pneumococcal sensitivity to ampicillins (gentamycin sulfate);
Derivatives of metronidazole - in severe forms of the disease (metrogil);
Fluoroquinolones - with the development of complications (only for children over 12 years of age).

Starter scheme empirical treatment inflammation in the absence of information about the pathogen:

Beta-lactams with clavulanic acid and macrolides (Sumamed). Augmentin has a good effect in the treatment of mild and moderate forms of the disease;
When prescribing antibiotics different groups, it is necessary to take into account the effects arising from their interaction with each other.

Children's pneumonia medium degree severity in pediatric hospitals is often treated with Augmentin.

The drug has recently appeared on pharmaceutical market and proved to be effective in inflammation of the lung tissue in a child.

Now augmentin is used less, as some types of cocci are insensitive to it. In such a situation, it is better to use parenteral ceftriaxone or suprax (cefixime).

Advice to parents: if the pharmacy does not have effective oral antibiotics, we recommend using parenteral agents.

Ceftriaxone has a wide spectrum of activity and is able to cope with alveolar exudation in children. Augmentin is inferior to him in terms of spectrum.

Pneumonia - dangerous state and experiment with selection. medicinal substances it does not follow. Can be done at home symptomatic therapy, electrophoresis, physiotherapy, but the appointment of an antibiotic should be taken by a doctor.

When treating a disease, it is important to involve all existing ways but antibiotic therapy is indispensable. Electrophoresis with anti-inflammatory drugs (Dimexide) and inhalations of plant extracts are not able to prevent the growth of bacteria. Rational scheme: antibiotics + electrophoresis + symptomatic agents.

Gymnastics for inflammation lung alveoli will not bring relief. In the initial stages of pneumonia in children, it is contraindicated due to the need to strictly observe bed rest. Therapeutic exercise is used only at the stage of rehabilitation.

Treatment of alveolar exudation in a child should be symptomatic means:

Secretory preparations to stimulate coughing - marshmallow root, coltsfoot leaves, wild rosemary herb;
Resorptive drugs - essential oils, sodium bicarbonate, potassium iodide;
Proteolytic enzymes for thinning sputum (chymotrypsin, trypsin);
Bronchodilators - to expand the bronchi during spasms (berodual);
Antitussives - Tussin, Paxeladin.

Antihistamines dry out the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and increase non-productive cough. They are assigned only when necessary.

Berodual deserves special attention. The drug is used not only for the treatment of bronchial obstruction (narrowing), but also for prevention. If it is added to the inhaler, a significant improvement can be achieved respiratory function. Berodual is also used in combination with antibiotics (augmentin, suprax, cefazolin, ceftriaxone, sumamed). It is not contraindicated in its use and electrophoresis of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Duration of therapy

Inflammation of the lung parenchyma in a child is treated for an average of about 7-10 days. The terms are lengthened in the presence of complications and adverse reactions (allergies, severe cough).

Severe forms of the disease should be treated for as long as they persist pathological changes alveolar tissue.

In the practice of pediatricians, there are cases when cefazolin, suprax or ceftriaxone show a good effect for 7 days of use, but on the 8th day the volume of infiltration on the radiograph increases in the child. In such a situation, the therapy regimen is supplemented with antibiotics of other groups (augmentin, supraks, sumamed).

The use of drugs continues up to 14 days. If there is no resolution after that pathological process, needed full change groups of antibacterial agents (as required by the standard for managing children with pneumonia).

The replacement of the antibiotic is carried out when new foci of infiltration appear on the x-ray at any time during the course of the disease.

With inflammation of the lungs, as readers understood from the article, the following groups of antibiotics are used:

Suprax (cefixime);
Ceftriaxone;
Cefazolin;
Augmentin;
Sumamed.

This choice is not accidental. The drugs are "strong" and cover a wide range of pathogens.

Suprax, cefazolin, ceftriaxone are cephalosporin drugs. To them in bacteria at adequate treatment habituation does not develop. They are used parenterally in the form of injections, which allows for rapid delivery of the drug to the site of damage to the lung parenchyma.

Suprax - new drug. In practice, it shows high efficiency. Ceftriaxone and cefazolin have proven themselves in pediatric practice.

The augment is used in children because of the wide antibacterial action. It is taken orally (as syrups or tablets). It belongs to the group of protected penicillins, so many pathogens of childhood pneumonia do not develop addiction to it.

Pneumonia is characterized by the development of an infectious and inflammatory process in the respiratory organs. The most common form is right-handed. According to the results of medical research this pathology is established in 60% of cases of pneumonia in children. The severity of the pathology and further prognosis largely depend on timely access to a specialist and treatment. In many cases, hospitalization to a medical facility is required.

Right sided pneumonia in a child infectious inflammation, occurring more often in acute stage. The pathological process is localized in the upper, lower or middle lobe of the right lung. In children, the trachea and large bronchi are much shorter than in adults, and the small bronchi are narrow. FROM right side main bronchus shorter and wider than the left, resulting in inflammation spreading into the structures faster. For this reason, the disease is more often diagnosed in childhood. Adults are less likely to get pneumonia.

Pneumonia, depending on the nature of the course, is divided into four categories, according to which the tactics of treating patients are determined:

First category.
The therapy is carried out in outpatient settings hospitalization is not required. Characterized easy flow, lack of respiratory failure. Inflammation is localized in only one lobe of the lung.
Second category.
Differs in average severity. Patients have a slight fever, but there is also no respiratory failure. The course of treatment takes place on an outpatient basis. Expectorant, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed.
Third category.
This category is characterized by a severe course, the occurrence of fever. In cases of concomitant neurological pathologies, seizures may occur. Children have respiratory failure. When diagnosing the third group of pneumonia, urgent hospitalization in the infectious somatic department is required.
Fourth category.
It is manifested by a severe course, in which severe fever, loss of consciousness, delirium, febrile convulsions and respiratory failure. Children with the fourth clinical group of pneumonia are delivered to intensive care unit and intensive care.

The course and duration of treatment directly depend on clinical group. If detected early, the risk of developing serious consequences decreases. Therefore, if your child gets sick, it is important to immediately contact a pediatrician https://www.zdravitsa.ru/services/detyam/pediatr.

In most cases of establishing right-sided pneumonia, viruses and bacteria of a pathogenic species become the cause of development. They enter the body of the child as a result of contact with the carrier of the infection. Most often sick children attending preschool institutions.

Pneumonia of the right lung develops as a result of the multiplication of streptococcus. Pneumococci can also provoke the occurrence of diseases of the upper respiratory tract. These are specific bacteria of coccal genesis, which cause laryngitis, tonsillitis and sinusitis.

Scientists have identified a number of factors that contribute to the occurrence of pneumonia in a child. These include:

Prematurity.
Underweight.
Chronic respiratory diseases
Congenital and acquired immunodeficiency states.
Lack of vitamins and minerals in the child's body.
Malformations of the heart ingress of amniotic fluid vomit into the lungs.
Presence of chronic infections.

Pneumonia in children of any age can also occur due to respiratory infections. This is due to the fact that viruses adversely affect the child's immunity. As a result of a decrease in the body's defenses, the speed of the immune response to the penetration of infection slows down. This allows viruses to actively multiply in the lungs and other respiratory organs.

With right-sided pneumonia, the pathological process extends to all lobes of the lung and the adjacent pleura. The disease proceeds in 3 stages:

Tidal stage. This is the initial stage in the development of pathology.
The stage of compaction, in which the symptoms become more pronounced.
Resolution stage. In exceptional cases, it occurs on its own without the use of drugs.

The duration of medication depends on the stage and severity of the pathology treatment.

The flushing phase always begins acutely and is manifested by the following symptoms:

Increasing body temperature point Most often it rises to 40 degrees.
Attacks of coughing. Occurs in the evening and at night.
Difficulty in breathing. Provoked by swelling of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract.
Dyspnea. Breathing becomes heavy and rapid.
General malaise. It develops against the background of intoxication with the products of vital activity of viruses.

When listening to sounds in the lungs with a phonendoscope, weakened breathing is established at the initial stage of the development of the disease. In rare cases, crepitus and fine bubbling rales occur. This stage does not require hospitalization of the child in a medical facility. Treatment takes place on an outpatient basis with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and antiviral agents.

In children, the compaction stage is characterized by the following symptoms:

Increased cough. Seizures also occur during the daytime.
Excretion of sputum, in which pus and mucus are present.
Pain in the right side chest that increase with inhalation.
Dyspnea.
A rapid heartbeat is a point of intoxication, in which headaches, nausea, vomiting, chills occur.

While listening to the lungs, fine bubbling rales are noted, as well as pleural friction noise in cases where the pathological process spreads to neighboring tissues.

At the stage of resolution of right-sided pneumonia Clinical signs decrease, which is characterized by a decrease in temperature and improvement general well-being child. While listening to the lungs, wheezing and crepitus are observed, which is evidence of sputum discharge from the lungs. These stages in rare cases occur independently and only with a mild form of pathology.

In children under one year old, it is especially important to establish the pathology at home. This makes it possible to avoid the occurrence of serious consequences and death.

The body of infants most often is not able to independently cope with infections that provoke the occurrence of pneumonia and other respiratory diseases. The disease occurs due to the underdevelopment of organs. Bacteria thrive in right lobe and move to the left lymphatic vessels and with blood flow. Signs of right-sided pneumonia in children under one year old include:

The temperature is over 38 degrees. These indicators can persist for more than 3 days. In this case, drugs do not bring the desired result.
Increased sweating. Most often observed at night.
General weakness fatigue.
Breathing without visible reasons dot

A cause for concern for parents should be the high frequency of breathing, which is more than 60 beats per minute. Often this indicates the development of pneumonia or a community-acquired form of pneumonia, which is accompanied by tachypnea. In this case, an immediate appeal to specialists is necessary.

With the development of right-sided pneumonia, the child sleeps exclusively in one position, since at the same time he does not experience pain in the chest.

The spaces between the ribs in children become sunken and soft. In addition, the muscle tissue of the chest is in good shape.

Children under 1 year of age are most susceptible to developing pneumonia. This is due to their low mobility. As a result, sputum does not come out of the lungs during coughing, stagnant processes are formed. Over time, pus appears, inflammation spreads to left side. It is for this reason that parents need to consult a doctor in a timely manner in case of colds or infectious diseases.

To make a diagnosis, a pediatric pulmonologist conducts an external examination, studies the anamnesis. The following diagnostic methods are also assigned:

Chest X-ray. It is prescribed to establish the localization of the focus of inflammation.
General blood analysis.
Sputum microscopy. The purpose of a laboratory study is to detect microorganisms and determine their type.
bacteriological analysis. To determine drug resistance.

If necessary, the doctor may prescribe ultrasound procedure, computed tomography or bronchoscopy. The treatment regimen for right-sided pneumonia and the need for hospitalization are determined by the results laboratory research and other diagnostic methods. Depending on the data of the bacteriological analysis of sputum, an antibiotic is prescribed.

Treatment

The structure of the bronchial tree in children of different ages causes a high frequency of relapses. In order for the treatment of pneumonia to be successful, when prescribing medications and physiotherapy procedures, the doctor relies on the following criteria:

the ratio of leukocytes in the blood;
the type of bacteria that caused the disease;
the presence of complications;
breathing rate;
the possibility of ventilation of the parenchyma.

The goal of therapy is not only to relieve symptoms, but also to stop the inflammatory process, as well as to prevent relapse. In cases where a high heart rate is established, the child is sent to a hospital. In some cases, ventilation is required to restore breathing. In this case, the child is urgently sent to the intensive care unit.

Medical therapy

Often at the time of prescribing medication results bacteriological research no. Therefore, broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed:

Preparations of the penicillin group, for example, Amoxiclav.
Macrolides. These include Rovamycin and Azithromycin.
Cephalosporins such as "Cefepim", "Ceftriaxogen".
Fluoroquinolones such as Levofloxacin.

Treatment of pneumonia in baby light and moderately carried out with the help of antibiotics in the form of tablets. In case of establishing a severe course of the development of the disease, an intramuscular or intravenous administration. This method helps to deliver faster active substances in the focus of the inflammatory process. Thanks to this, doctors manage to stop brightly severe symptoms, such as fever as soon as possible.

The effectiveness of drugs is assessed 2 days after the start of their administration. The antibiotic is changed if the child's temperature does not decrease and other symptoms do not subside.

In order to reduce the manifestation of intoxication, drinking plenty of water is indicated. Doctors recommend alkaline mineral water no gas content. In severe pathology, saline solutions are prescribed.

In cases of establishing a pronounced shortness of breath, the child is sent to the intensive care unit for a course of intensive care.

Right-sided pneumonia of the lungs accompanies not only difficulty breathing, but also coughing fits. To improve the discharge of accumulated sputum, the doctor prescribes the following drugs:

Bronchodilators. "Mukaltin", "Bromhexin".
Bronchodilators. "Atrovent", "Eufillin".
Antihistamines. "Tavegil", "Tsetrin" or "Suprastin".

Bronchoscopy for the purpose of artificial suction of mucus from the lung and bronchi is indicated severe cases when the clinical signs are pronounced and there is a deterioration in the condition of the baby.

In order to increase the body's defenses, it is necessary to take immunomodulators and vitamin complexes.

In some cases, adhesions may form in the pleural region. To improve their resorption and prevent their formation, enzyme therapy is prescribed.

Duration drug therapy determined by the severity of the disease and the presence of comorbidities. Most often, the course of treatment is from 14 to 21 days. With mild and moderate pneumonia, the treatment takes place on an outpatient basis under the supervision of the attending physician. In cases serious condition child therapy is carried out in stationary conditions.

Physiotherapy procedures

In cases where right-sided pneumonia is established, treatment should be carried out in a complex manner. Along with taking medications, a complex of physiotherapeutic procedures is prescribed. The main methods of therapeutic influence are:

Ultraviolet irradiation in the chest area. Small doses of radiation do not cause reddening of the skin and improve the regeneration of tissue cells.
Breathing exercises. A set of exercises helps to improve ventilation of the lower sections of the right lung.
Massage. It is used to improve sputum discharge.
Physiotherapy. All exercises aimed at improving the process of discharge of accumulated mucus in the bronchi and lungs, as well as the well-being of the child.

At strong cough experts recommend nebulizer therapy. The procedure is carried out using a special apparatus, the principle of which is to spray medicinal product upper respiratory tract. Most often used antiseptic and mucolytic solutions. This method therapeutic effect significantly accelerates the process of recovery of the child.

All physiotherapy procedures should be carried out under the supervision of the attending physician. It is worth remembering that the presence high temperature it is strictly forbidden to use physiotherapy methods in a child, as this causes the development of serious consequences.

Prevention

Pneumonia, like any other disease, is easier to prevent than to cure. In order to avoid the development of pathology, it is necessary to follow a number of recommendations:

provide for the child balanced diet. The diet must include vegetables and fruits.
Timely vaccinate.
Treat chronic infections such as tonsillitis or sinusitis.
Avoid contact with sick people.
Take vitamins regularly mineral complexes. They significantly increase the immunity of the child, which helps to prevent a severe form of the disease.

Right-sided pneumonia most often develops in children. Breasts are more susceptible. Parents need to be especially careful and in cases where the first symptoms of pathology appear, contact your doctor. In children under one year old, pneumonia can cause the development of serious diseases and disorders of the organs and systems of the body, as well as death. initial stage easier to treat, passes completely without causing complications.

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

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. Helps distinguish pneumonia from bronchitis X-ray, which clearly shows the obscurations 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 children school age and among 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 detect signs of pneumonia in a child 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 case of pneumonia does not decrease by 2-3 days, but stays 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. Pain syndrome concentrated on the right or left, and also gives under the shoulder blade.
Change 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 point of view laboratory diagnostics, valuable information can be obtained from the results clinical analysis blood. It reflects total inflammatory metabolic products in its liquid fraction.

May indicate pneumonia increased content stab and segmented leukocytes (more than 15 thousand in 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 general symptoms 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 u 3 summer child pneumonia, then the frequency of his breathing 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, increased heartbeat, confusion, indigestion, skin rashes.