Update Post: November 28, 2023 10:48 pm
Banal hypothermia can lead to the development of an acute respiratory infection.
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Currently there is an increase in various viral infections. Parents are understandably concerned. The head of the department of otorhinolaryngology of the Federal Scientific Center for Chemical Medicine named after him. Yu. M. Lopukhina FMBA of Russia, Associate Professor of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Pediatrics, Russian National Research Medical University named after NI Pirogov, Candidate of Medical Sciences Konstantin Baranov.
IS THIS THE FLU OR A COMMON COLD?
– Konstantin Konstantinovich, the children are sick now, it’s autumn, that time. Tell me, is it possible to immediately determine whether a child has contracted an acute respiratory viral infection, flu, or is this just normal hypothermia?
– In fact, currently we are faced with a high incidence of respiratory pathologies, of course, there is also a seasonality: traditionally, the autumn-winter period is rich in this type of problems. Answering the question, it is difficult to speak unambiguously, since, on the one hand, manifestations in the form of difficulty breathing through the nose, runny nose, sore throat and cough can correspond to a variety of pathologies, but, on the other hand, The capabilities of modern medicine make it possible to quickly identify the course of influenza or other infectious process, which provides a certain objectivity. In turn, even banal hypothermia in a child can trigger the subsequent development of an acute respiratory infection.
– Everyone is afraid not so much of respiratory infections themselves, but of complications…
– It is very important to rationally approach the treatment of acute respiratory diseases. If there is discharge from the nasal cavity, nasal congestion or sore throat, it makes sense to use topical, that is, local, agents to locally influence the inflamed mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and relieve the pathological process specifically in the area. of the gateway of infection.
Symptomatic medications are often required to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and improve the patient’s condition. But systemic antiviral therapy plays a key role in the treatment of these diseases as a way to influence the underlying cause of the disease. When choosing a drug to combat acute respiratory infection, we strive to use drugs with a broad spectrum of antiviral activity, reliable efficacy (regardless of the time of initiation of therapy), a favorable safety profile and a high level of evidence. For example, the antiviral drug Ergoferon.
ATTENTION TO THE THERMOGIST AND THE WELL-BEING OF THE CHILD
– And parents are very afraid of high temperatures in children and sometimes lower them even relatively low (below 38.5), contrary to the advice of doctors. What could this turn out to be?
-High body temperature can cause dangerous problems. The most common complication of this situation is febrile seizures, especially in the context of bacterial or viral infections.
An increase in temperature to febrile levels, above 38 ° C, which is accompanied by symptoms of intoxication, serious deterioration in the child’s well-being and pain, requires relief, including to prevent complications.
But! First of all, an increase in body temperature is a protective reaction of the child’s body to various environmental challenges, including an infectious attack. This property of the body allows it to combat pathological processes associated with viral-bacterial factors. Incorrect use of antipyretic therapy can disrupt the normal defense reactions of the child’s body to infections; Overdose cases of these medications are not uncommon.