Pneumonia in children is a lung infection caused by bacteria or viruses that produce flu-like symptoms but worsen over time and can be difficult to identify.
Childhood pneumonia is curable and rarely contagious and should be treated at home with rest, fever medication, antibiotics and water intake, such as water and milk, for example.
- Symptoms of pneumonia in children may occur a few days after contact with the infectious agent responsible for the infection.
- Which may be observed:.
It is important that the child is taken to the pediatrician as soon as the signs and symptoms of pneumonia are monitored, as treatment may begin shortly after diagnosis and complications such as respiratory failure and cardiorespiratory arrest, such as respiratory failure, can be prevented.
Diagnosis of pneumonia in children is made by the pediatrician by assessing the signs and symptoms of the child and the breathing rate, as well as the chest x-ray to check the degree of lung damage. In addition, your doctor may recommend microbiological tests to identify the infectious agent associated with pneumonia.
Pneumonia in children is caused in most cases by viruses and appears as a complication of influenza, which may be associated with adenovirus, human syncytial virus, parainfluenza and influenza type A, B or C, in these cases being called viral pneumonia.
In addition to viral infection, the child may also develop bacterial pneumonia, which is caused by a bacteria, which in most cases is related to Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus.
Treatment of pneumonia in children may vary depending on the infectious agent responsible for pneumonia, the use of antivirals or antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or azithromycin, may be indicated, for example, depending on the microorganism and the weight of the child.
In addition, some precautions in childhood pneumonia, which help with treatment, include:
Hospitalization is reserved for the most severe cases where physiotherapy is needed for childhood pneumonia, receiving oxygen or making antibiotics in the vein. Understand what the treatment of pneumonia should look like in children.