Bronchitis, known as bronchitis (bronchitis), is a local inflammation of the airways that supply air to the lungs. Most often, the acute attack of bronchitis is a complication of the subcutaneous, influenza or other inflammatory infection. The disease is accompanied by severe symptoms.
Infectious causes of bronchitis
Infectious inflammations are caused mainly by infection with viruses and bacteria and are usually acute. The most common cause of the disease is infection with colds or influenza viruses. In children, the cause is also other infectious inflammatory diseases - measles, chickenpox, rubella, etc. Bacteria rarely cause primary bronchitis - usually appear after the initial phase of the viral infection, as so-called. superinfection and are the cause of dangerous for healthy complications. Bacterial superinfection is associated with reduced resistance to viruses.
Resistance to colds viruses
Noninfectious causes of bronchitis
The causes of chronic bronchitis (as well as the entire upper respiratory tract) are more and more often: allergy and asthma and mucositis caused by volatile toxins such as: car exhaust fumes (smog), toxic dusts, fumes and industrial gases, ozone, etc.
Symptoms of bronchitis
Usually, for the primary symptoms of a viral infection of the inflammatory nose and throat (sore throat, runny nose, pain in the joints, muscles, subfebrile) - a coughing cough, fever, general weakness; sometimes shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain. Initially, the cough is dry, followed by the development of mucopurulent secretion. The rising temperature is evidence of bacterial superinfection of the bronchi.
Acute and chronic bronchitis
There are two forms of bronchitis:
- acute bronchitis with a sudden onset and short course
- chronic bronchitis - with prolonged period of inflammation and recurrence of acute inflammation and its symptoms. In the allergic cause of inflammation or nicotine addiction - it is a lifetime.
The course of inflammation
Bronchitis can occur with a fever, although not always. When the cause of the inflammation are only viruses or when the cause of inflammation are allergens, volatile toxins - inflammation can proceed without elevated temperature. However, a high fever occurs when the bacteria are infected - for example, a few days after the viral infection. Then, in young children and the elderly, the course of acute bronchitis can be severe. In small children, bronchiolitis and laryngitis are also highly dangerous to health.
CHEMICAL INFLAMMATION IN SMALL CHILDREN
At what age do children have the most common bronchitis?
Bronchitis is most common in children under 2 years of age. The research shows that for every 100 children, 5-7 small patients suffer from bronchitis every year. Less sick at the age of 9-15, when the immune system is fully mature, because for 100 children suffers an average of 4.
What microbes cause disease?
They mainly infect viruses: RSV, rhinoviruses, parainfluenzae viruses, influenzae, adenoviruses, paramyxovirus, rubella viruses, measles. Acute bronchitis can sometimes be caused by atypical bacterial superinfection (M. pneumoniae, C. pneumoniae) or a pseudocyst.
How does bronchitis start in children?
Acute bronchitis usually occurs after 3-4 days of cold and throat inflammation followed by fever. The harbinger is a dry cough that then changes into a moist, productive, with a profuse excretion of secretion.
How the disease goes
Children rarely strain the secretion, or rather swallow it, so you may get vomited during coughing attacks. At the culmination of the disease in young children, you can hear wheezing in the lungs, various sounds like a gentle flutter and rattle. (If we hear a wheal in the breath we talk about obstructive bronchitis, which is not always caused by infection of viruses and bacteria.) Acute bronchitis lasts about 7-10 days and tends to be self-limiting.
The course of bronchitis caused by influenza and measles.
Bronchitis caused by the flu virus is often accompanied by quite high fever and muscle pain. Symptoms occur throughout the year, but most often in winter. In the course of measles, children usually get acute bronchitis accompanied by characteristic conjunctivitis and photophobia.
Treatment of bronchitis in children
Antibiotics are not used in viral bronchitis, and mucolytic and antipyretic drugs, optionally fenspiride. The treatment of bronchitis depends on the microorganism that causes the infection.
With a viral infection, the child is given syrupwith bacteriostatic and mucolytic effects
At the symptoms of a viral infection, a dry cough is administered to a sick syrup with a bacteriostatic and mucolytic effect, i.e. a liquefying mucus. This makes it easier to expectorate and then release the mucous secretion, which should always be removed from the body. Because infants can not do it alone, you have to help them. Help your child can also be alone. Put the baby on the stomach with his head lower than the rest of the body, preferably on his own knees, and pat his back to mechanically tear the mucus and remove it. Repeat several times a day.
Bacterial infection, in addition to symptomatic treatment, requires antibiotic therapy
Bronchial infection caused by atypical bacteria or pertussis rod (pertussis) requires the use of macrolides.
INFLAMMATORY INFLAMMATION IN SMALL CHILDREN
Inflammation of the bronchioles
Bronchiolitis is a frequent, acute disease of small bronchi and bronchioles of the youngest infants and young children. The virus usually causes the bronchiolar infection in a small child. The disease is spreading like other viral cold-catarrhal infections and flu - by droplet. The incubation period lasts 2-7 days. About 80% of cases occur among infants, usually between 2 and 6 months of age.
Does the disease threaten the life of an infant?
The disease may be a mild respiratory infection, but it may occur in the form of inflammation of the bronchioles and lungs directly life-threatening. It is estimated that in highly developed countries about 3 in 100 infants suffer from bronchiolitis requiring hospitalization. Increased risk of ill health concerns premature babies, children of smokers and those suffering from respiratory system defects.
What microbes cause bronchiolitis?
Inflammation of the bronchioles is mainly caused by the RS virus - the so-called respiratory epithelial virus that infects the entire population of infants and young children. Paralysis viruses are less likely to infect bronchioles with the bronchioles. In older children, they infect adenoviruses and, secondarily, bacterial overweight (M. pneumonice, etc.) may appear.
Typical symptoms of inflammation
The symptoms are typical for rhinitis and rhinitis - runny nose, sneezing, inflammation and redness of the nasal and pharyngeal mucosa. Then there is a fever, persistent cough, wheezing, exhaustive dyspnoea.
RSV infections prevail in infants.
Infection with RS virus among the youngest children is very common - nearly all children undergo infection until the age of 2. The RS virus is transmitted by droplets and by direct contact with infected surfaces. The germ is home to the path of "older siblings", which infection brings him from school or kindergarten. The peak of sickness dates in winter and early spring. Cessation of RSV infection does not provide permanent immunity. In 3-year-old children, more than 70% may have a second infection, but at this age the course of the disease is definitely milder.
Dangerous for babies RS virus
Severe symptoms of bronchiolitis in an infant
Sometimes, but quite rarely in infants develop symptoms of severe bronchiolitis.It is assumed that the age of the child and the unstimulated immune system may play a significant role; as well as prematurity and its consequences - bronchopulmonary dysplasia (chronic lung disease). In addition, congenital heart defects, cystic fibrosis. In the course of the disease, respiratory failure may develop, there may be periods of apnea and respiratory acidosis. Despite such severe symptoms, after a few days there is an improvement, although coughing and "elongated" exhalation may last longer.
The severe course of bronchiolitis in preterm infants
Infants with prematurity (born before 32 weeks of gestation) are 10 times more likely to have lower respiratory tract infections compared to those born at time. The course of infection in this group is severe, and these children usually require hospitalization and treatment under intensive care. Especially when there is cyanosis, signs of dehydration, increased number of breaths, etc.
Acute bronchiolitis and asthma
Acute bronchiolitis mimics the symptoms of asthma and predisposes to asthma in the future. Occurs, as we have already mentioned in younger children.
Treatment of bronchiolitis - general principles
The basis of treatment in acute bronchiolitis is proper care: moisturizing the airways, hydration of the child, ensuring the supply of cool clean air, monitoring the pulse rate, breathing, as well as oxygen therapy. To a lesser extent, antiviral drugs are used. The use of these drugs that kill RSV viruses is controversial. The use of corticosteroids also raises a lot of controversy, as there is not enough evidence of the effectiveness of such treatment. The viral cause of the symptoms of the disease does not justify the administration of antibiotics - as long as there are no signs of secondary bacterial infection (fever, rales in the lungs, purulent cough). Then the doctor will probably recommend their use. Recently, special attention is paid to the prevention of infection. The results of using RSV vaccines are promising.
Ed. mgr. Edward Ozga Michalski
Literature
1. Infections of the lower respiratory tract in children; Professor dr hab. med. Danuta Chmielewska-Szewczyk, Therapy; Eskulap.pl -2001
2. Infections of the lower respiratory tract in infants and young children; Professor dr hab. med. Marek Kulus, prof. dr hab. med. Jerzy Ziołkowski: med. Therapy No. 2 (147), FEBRUARY 2004; Eskulap.pl
3. Infections of the lower respiratory tract; dr n. med. Katarzyna Szmygin-Milanowska, prof. dr hab. n. med. Janusz Limanowski; Family Medicine - notebook 17 (1/2002)
4. WIRUS RS-Prophylaxis of RS virus infections; Dr n. Med. Marek Migdal; INSTITUTE "Monument - Children's Health Center" 04-730 Warszawa-Międzylesie,
5. My Health; Bronchitis; Chronic oxerative lung disease; 1999
