Antibiotics For Bronchitis In Children: Names, How To Take

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Antibiotics for bronchitis in children: names, main groups, indications for use

The content of the article:

Do I need to take antibiotics for bronchitis in children
What antibiotics are given to children
The names of antibiotics for bronchitis in children
What is acute bronchitis, and what types it is
Why is bronchitis in children dangerous?
Symptoms of bronchitis in children
Video

Antibiotics for bronchitis in children are often prescribed by doctors. Such appointments, however, raise doubts among parents, because the most common causative agent of the disease is viruses, not bacteria. Let's talk in detail about whether bronchitis in children can be cured without antibiotics.

Only a doctor can determine whether there is a need to use antibiotics for the treatment of bronchitis in children.

Do I need to take antibiotics for bronchitis in children

Currently, pediatricians, including E. O. Komarovsky, call for the thoughtful prescription of antibiotics for bronchitis. In most cases, they are not indicated for this disease.

So how to cure acute bronchitis?

A sick child is given bed rest until the end of the febrile period. The room where he is located should be regularly ventilated and wet cleaning should be carried out in it at least 2-3 times a day.

The patient's food should be fractional, high-calorie and easily digestible. To dilute the phlegm and facilitate its expectoration, it is necessary to drink plenty of warm drink. For the same purpose, inhalation is prescribed.

According to the indications, medications are used:

antipyretic;
antiviral;
antitussive (only for dry cough!);
expectorant;
mucolytics (thinning phlegm).

The indications for the treatment of bronchitis in children with antibiotics are:

signs of respiratory failure;
malformations of the respiratory or cardiovascular system;
body temperature 38 ° C and above, lasting over 72 hours;
severe symptoms of intoxication;
the presence of well-visible impurities of pus in the sputum.

Acute bronchitis is especially dangerous for children in the first year of life - their disease develops rapidly and is often accompanied by the development of complications. According to medical statistics, out of 100,000 infants with acute bronchitis, 200 die, that is, the mortality rate is 0.2%. Therefore, pediatricians strongly recommend treating children in the first year of life in a hospital, where there is the possibility of careful round-the-clock monitoring of patients. In this case, the inclusion of antibacterial drugs in the treatment regimen will be justified.

What antibiotics are given to children

We have already found out that in some cases, children need antibiotics for bronchitis. Usually, the following groups of antibacterial drugs are used in pediatric practice:

Penicillins. They have sufficient therapeutic efficacy and at the same time have a minimum of side effects. Many drugs of this group are produced in the form of forms convenient for dosing and taking by small patients (suspensions, self-dissolving tablets, syrups). In severe cases of the disease, it is allowed to administer penicillins by injection (injections).
Macrolides. They are second line antibiotics. They are prescribed in cases where therapy with penicillins for 72 hours does not lead to a noticeable improvement in the child's health. They have a small list of side effects, allergic reactions to their use are rare, therefore macrolides can be prescribed to children and in outpatient treatment.
Cephalosporins. The indications for their appointment are the ineffectiveness of penicillins and macrolides, a prolonged course of bronchitis, the development of obstructive purulent bronchitis. Cephalosporins are administered by injection, have a fairly large list of contraindications and possible side effects, and can cause allergic reactions. Their use is possible only under the condition of careful medical supervision of the child's condition.
Fluoroquinolones. These drugs are quite toxic. That is why, according to the instructions, their use in children under 14 is prohibited. However, with an extremely severe course of purulent bronchitis, resistance of the causative agent to other antibacterial drugs, fluoroquinolone therapy is allowed for the shortest possible course after the parents sign an informed consent to treatment.

The names of antibiotics for bronchitis in children

Antibacterial drugs, like any others, should be prescribed to children only by a doctor. Each drug has its own indications, contraindications and side effects, which are quite serious for antibiotics. Therefore, it is impossible to list the best antibiotics - what is best in one situation may not be acceptable in another. We will not do this, but just briefly consider the antibiotics most often used in the treatment of bronchitis in children:

Ampiox. Combined antibiotic (mixture of oxacillin and ampicillin) of the penicillin series. Available in forms for oral (capsules, tablets, suspensions) and injection (powder for injection) use. The drug must be taken every 4-8 hours. The dose is calculated by the doctor individually for each child.
Flemoxin Solutab. Antibiotic related to semi-synthetic penicillins. It is available in the form of dispersible tablets, which dissolve on contact with saliva. The tablet can be dissolved in a small amount of warm water immediately before taking it - it turns out a delicious syrup that children drink with great pleasure. The drug is usually applied twice a day at intervals of 12 hours at the dose prescribed by the attending physician.
Augmentin. Combined drug from the group of semi-synthetic penicillins. It contains amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. The drug is included in the list of essential medicines of the World Health Organization. Clavulanic acid prevents the destruction of amoxicillin by penicillinase, an enzyme synthesized by bacterial cells. This makes Augmentin a very effective agent in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system, including bronchitis. The drug is available in various dosage forms intended for both oral administration (tablets, powder for self-preparation of suspension, capsules) and for injection (intravenous, intramuscular) administration.
Chinkocil. Penicillin antibiotic intended for oral administration. Contraindicated in children of the first year of life and suffering from bronchial asthma.
Sumamed. An antibiotic belonging to the macrolide group. Children under 4-5 years of age are prescribed in the form of a suspension, at an older age it can be taken in the form of capsules or tablets. In severe cases of purulent obstructive bronchitis, the drug is administered by parenteral (injection) route. It is used once a day, at a dose determined by the attending physician.
Azitrox. Refers to macrolides. Most often it is prescribed for the treatment of bronchitis caused by chlamydia. It has many side effects, therefore it is contraindicated for babies in the first half of life. For children under 12 years of age, Azitrox should be administered only as a suspension.
Zitrolide. Suitable for the treatment of acute bronchitis of bacterial and mixed etiology. Available in capsule form. Contraindicated for use in children under three years of age.
Klacid (Binocular). Macrolide. It should only be given as a suspension to children under three years of age. Treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a physician, as Klacid can have various side effects.
Suprax. It belongs to the group of cephalosporin antibiotics. Intended for oral administration, available in the form of tablets and powder for suspension. The dose and frequency of administration is determined in each case by the doctor.
Cefazolin (Natsef). Cephalosporin, available as a powder for injection. The drug is usually used to treat bronchitis in children in a hospital setting. Injections are performed twice a day with an interval of 12 hours. In severe cases of the disease, the interval decreases to 8, and in some cases, up to 6 hours.

I would like to emphasize once again that the choice of drugs for the treatment of bronchitis in children is the prerogative of the pediatrician or pediatric pulmonologist, and not the parents. Self-medication with antibiotics is unacceptable, which is why in the Russian Federation, since 2017, antibacterial drugs in pharmacies are sold only by prescription.

What is acute bronchitis, and what types it is

Acute bronchitis is an acute inflammatory process that affects bronchi of various sizes. Depending on the cause underlying the pathological process, bronchitis are:

viral - caused by influenza viruses, parainfluenza, adeno-, rhinoviruses;
bacterial - their development is due to infection of the respiratory tract with pathogenic bacteria, for example, streptococci;
allergic - inflammation of the bronchi is provoked by the action of allergens that enter the child's body by aerogenic means or through the gastrointestinal tract.

Most often, children develop viral bronchitis. In second place is the bacterial form of the disease, which is most often a complication of viral bronchitis (which is associated with a weakening of the child's immunity by a viral infection) and much less often arises as an independent primary pathology. Allergic bronchitis is usually observed in children with a burdened allergic history and is often combined with other manifestations of allergies (allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, urticaria, atopic dermatitis).

Most antibiotics are given in suspension for children.

In young children (from birth to 3 years), inflammation often affects the small bronchi, which leads to the accumulation of mucus in them and causes acute obstructive bronchitis.

Why is bronchitis in children dangerous?

In most cases, with timely treatment started, acute bronchitis in children ends with recovery. But in babies in the first years of life, as well as in children with weakened immunity, the disease can lead to the development of complications, which include pneumonia, bronchiolitis, acute respiratory failure. Therefore, doctors recommend that they be treated in a hospital setting. So, it is advisable to hospitalize a child with bronchitis at 2 years old, and at 5 years old, treatment is carried out at home.

Symptoms of bronchitis in children

Acute bronchitis begins acutely, with the onset of symptoms of intoxication, which include:

headache;
increased body temperature, often with chills;
general weakness;
arthralgia, myalgia;
decreased appetite.

The main symptom of bronchitis is coughing. At first it is dry, and then gradually gives way to wet with the discharge of mucous or mucopurulent sputum.