Children's antibiotic for cough: features of selection and use

The problem of cough treatment is very relevant in our time. But this symptom has many problems that need to be dealt with. In this article we will look at the main causes of its occurrence and learn how to treat them correctly. It is also important to know which medications should be used for a particular type of disease.

Today there is a problem of uncontrolled use of antibiotics. They are bought without a prescription at will and given to a child, sometimes simply for preventive purposes. But you should know that antibiotics taken unnecessarily will not prevent the disease, but on the contrary, can weaken the child’s immunity. Therefore, it is important to know when and what medications to take.

Causes

Coughing is the body’s protective reaction to the formation of mucus in the respiratory tract. It appears as a result of inflammation that occurs when viruses, bacteria, fungi, allergens, etc. enter the upper respiratory tract.

The mucous membrane of the respiratory tract produces a special protective secretion - mucus or sputum. This secretion envelops the mucous membrane, preventing microbes from penetrating through it. Meanwhile, the muscles of the upper respiratory tract contract and cause a cough, which clears the respiratory system of unwanted excess mucus.

Along with mucus, microbes also come out, thus the body is cleansed and healed.

If the sputum is very thick or dry, a dry cough occurs, in which the child is unable to clear his throat. But a cough in itself cannot be called a disease ; it is only a symptom of a specific disease. Therefore, it is necessary to treat exactly the cause of its occurrence.

Viral infection

A cough can be a symptom of ARVI, which stands for acute viral respiratory disease. ARVI is caused by viruses. During illness, body temperature can rise from 37 degrees and above.

With ARVI, a runny nose is almost always observed. According to some experts, a runny nose is the hallmark symptom of the virus; it does not occur with bacterial infections.

The child's well-being varies depending on the severity of the infection.

In more severe forms, a high temperature may rise, chills or muscle aches may appear.

Bacterial infection

With a bacterial infection, the disease manifests itself more aggressively . The temperature rises quickly (sometimes more than 39 degrees), the child feels a headache, fatigue and weakness.

Sometimes, with a strong inflammatory process, the baby may not feel pain in the throat or respiratory tract. In this case, the disease is indicated only by temperature. Therefore, if you notice a sharp increase in body temperature in your child, without a runny nose, accompanied only by a cough, consult a doctor immediately so as not to trigger the disease.

Allergy

The symptom of an allergic cough occurs after contact with allergens. This could be animal hair, plant pollen, particles of detergent or powder, etc.

This symptom is not accompanied by fever, aches, or other signs of a cold. Its usual companions are sneezing, runny nose, tearfulness, soreness and itching.

In some cases, difficulty breathing occurs.

Cough treatment

Important! There is an opinion that the first step in case of any cold is to warm and wrap the child. This is wrong. Of course, the baby should be kept warm, but under no circumstances in a dry, stuffy room.

Dry air dries out the mucous membranes of the nose and respiratory tract, which can lead to complications. The ideal air temperature in the patient's room should be about 18-20 degrees, and the air itself should be sufficiently humid (about 50-60%).

Dress your child so that he is warm, but at the same time, so that he does not sweat or overheat.

The cough can be productive or, in everyday language, wet . In this case, you can clearly hear the mucus coming out.

also a non-productive, that is, dry cough. It is unpleasant and hysterical and causes discomfort to the baby.

• When you have a dry cough, you need to thin the mucus so that it can easily come out of the respiratory tract. For a mild form of dry cough caused by viruses, you need to use well-known preventive measures. That is, ventilate the room, do wet cleaning more often, use a humidifier and walk with your child in the fresh air. Drinking plenty of warm fluids is also a very important part of liquefying mucus. A study by scientists has proven that drinking plenty of fluids thins the blood, and with it the phlegm.

• Sometimes this symptom needs to be treated with medications, which, if necessary, are prescribed by the pediatrician. These drugs are not antibiotics; they thin mucus and help make coughing easier.
• A productive cough due to a viral infection does not require drug treatment. But it is necessary to follow the same preventive measures as for dry skin.

Is this disease treatable with antibiotics?

First you need to understand what antibiotics are. These are substances that kill or prevent the proliferation of microorganisms, in this case bacteria that cause diseases. The very name of these substances literally translates as “against life,” so antibiotics do not act on viruses, because they are not microorganisms.

• In what case are antibiotics prescribed for a severe dry cough in children? If it is caused by bacteria, the use of antibiotics is mandatory, but if it is caused by viruses, then these medications can only do harm. They will not bring any benefit, but will suppress beneficial microorganisms in the digestive system. And thereby reduce the child’s immunity, which largely depends on the coordinated functioning of the intestines and stomach.
• For coughs and runny nose, antibiotics are not prescribed for children. As already mentioned, this is a sign of a viral infection, which these medications have no effect on. But sometimes it happens that a virus helps bacteria penetrate a weakened child’s body. Therefore, so-called bacterial complications occur. They must be diagnosed by a pediatrician.
• In children without fever when coughing, antibiotics are also not prescribed. Fever is one of the obligatory manifestations of a bacterial infection. If it is not present, then the disease is not bacterial in nature.
• For coughs and fever, an antibiotic for children is prescribed if the bacterial nature of the disease is identified.

Types of antibiotics

Penicillins

The most famous drugs in this group are amoxicillin and ampicillin . Children are often prescribed amoxil tablets. It has a fairly wide range of applications and is used in the treatment of respiratory tract infections.

Cephalosporins

These drugs have proven themselves to be good. They are also used to treat inflammation of the respiratory tract, as well as sore throat and many other diseases. The main cephalosporin-based drugs are ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, cefoperazone, ceftibuten.

Sometimes antibiotics in the form of a suspension are prescribed for children with coughs. This drug is called cefix, it comes in powder form and is diluted at home with cold boiled water. This drug is usually prescribed to young children.

Ceftriaxone is also produced in powder form, but it is used for intramuscular injection together with novocaine or lidocaine. These injections are quite painful, so many parents prefer another form of the drug.

Tetracyclines

The most famous drugs in this group are tetracycline and doxycycline. They are indicated for pneumonia, chronic bronchitis and many bacterial diseases. These medications should not be used in children under 8 years of age.

Macrolides

The drugs azithromycin and erythromycin are indicated for various respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, etc.

Recommendations

• Antibiotics should not be prescribed independently for a child.
• Only a pediatrician should advise which antibiotic is best to give a child for a cough.
• Do not interrupt the course of treatment if your child starts taking medication. Otherwise, bacteria will develop immunity to this type of drug, and next time they will not help.
• If the child has a high temperature and is not feeling well, refrain from walking. In this case, bed rest is needed.
• If you have a runny nose, rinse your child's nose with saline solution. Use drops only if your nose is very clogged and for no longer than three days in a row.

Rules for taking medications

When prescribing a particular drug, the pediatrician usually writes a prescription, which specifies in detail how and when to take the medicine. Sometimes the doctor may prescribe a third or a quarter of the tablet, depending on the age and weight of the child. Therefore, carefully divide the tablet into the required number of parts and give it to your child exactly as prescribed by the doctor.

There is also an important rule when taking antibiotics. Try to keep the interval between taking medications the same. This is also due to the possible adaptation of bacteria and their subsequent resistance to drugs.

Many antibiotics are taken regardless of food intake. But regarding drinking, there are certain rules. Do not take medications with tea, milk, soda or citrus juice. It is best to drink it with a glass of clean still water.

Video about the use of antibiotics for coughs in children

We recommend viewing. In this video, a famous pediatrician will talk about how to properly treat various types of this disease. You will also learn about the mechanism and the reasons for its occurrence.

We invite our readers to review several articles on similar topics. You will find out whether it is possible to use antibiotics for influenza in children. How to use antibiotics correctly for sore throat in children. How to use a drug such as -zinnat-, and what it is used for. And also how antibiotics for bronchitis in children will affect a growing body.

The advice of our readers is very important to us. Tell me, how old is your child? How do you fight the disease if you have a cough? What medications do you take and what do you do to avoid getting sick? Do you think it is necessary to use antibiotics to treat cough? If you have used such drugs, share your experience and impressions.

Source: https://okrohe.com/deti/meditsinskie-preparaty/antibiotiki-pri-kashle.html

Children's cough antibiotic, rules of administration, description of drugs

Children's cough antibiotic helps relieve inflammation in the bronchi, preventing further spread of infection.

The use of antibacterial agents in children should always be discussed with the attending physician. When parents independently choose medications to treat their child, they may make a mistake in choosing the remedy. This leads to chronic diseases that greatly weaken the body's protective functions.

Antibiotics have many side effects and contraindications. They cause severe allergic reactions, the rapid development of which can cause the death of the baby. There are certain requirements for taking antibacterial medications.

Important! If you ignore the rules for using antimicrobial drugs, you can get a complication, despite the fact that the chosen drug was a good children's cough antibiotic.

When are antimicrobials needed?

Often, the treatment of the disease can be done without taking antibacterial drugs. When a symptom is caused by mechanical irritation of the upper respiratory tract, it goes away after proper comprehensive treatment.

In cases of damage to the respiratory system, an antibiotic of a narrow focus is often needed, which will be active against the group of pathogenic microflora that caused the disease.

There are cases when a child prone to allergic reactions needs a drug with an antibacterial agent suitable for his body.

Acute viral infections at the onset of the disease are rarely accompanied by a cough. It appears on days 3-5 and can go away after using mucolytic and expectorant drugs. The main task of parents is to give those cough medications recommended by the pediatrician. They must match the type of cough.

Children's antibiotics for ARVI and cough are prescribed after the acute process has passed and the temperature has subsided. A dry barking cough that appeared at this time, accompanied by a new rise in temperature, requires treatment only in a hospital setting.

If a child has an acute onset of illness, the symptoms of which cannot be alleviated at home, parents are offered hospitalization in the infectious diseases department of the hospital. There they immediately begin to give injections of broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs. This is done in order to suppress pathogenic processes in the child’s body, regardless of the cause of the disease.

If a child has taken prescribed cough medications for a week, but such treatment was ineffective, the doctor, after examination, may decide to start antibacterial therapy.

A weakened immune system in children during the cold season can cause sluggish infectious diseases.

In this case, children may have a slight sore throat, a runny nose, and then a cough that will last for a long time.

In this case, a children's antibiotic for cough and runny nose may be useful if the doctor prescribes a remedy that can suppress the pathogenic microflora that causes these symptoms.

Which form to choose

Children under 3 years of age are recommended to be given a children's cough antibiotic in the form of a suspension or syrup at home. This allows treatment to be carried out in a comfortable environment.

Manufacturers make syrups with a pleasant taste. When buying a medicine prescribed by a doctor to treat a small child, you need to keep in mind that suspensions come in several forms.

Different dosages are sold in packages with the same name, and choosing the right drug is very important for the outcome of the treatment.

The suspension is released in dry form, in hermetically sealed bottles. They have special lids that are difficult for children to open. The powder is diluted with water according to the instructions and taken for 3-5 days at regular intervals. The remains of the finished form after treatment are destroyed, because the drug after this period loses its beneficial properties.

"Sumamed" is a children's antibiotic for coughs and runny noses in the form of a suspension, active against staphylococci and streptococci. It belongs to the group of macrolides, which are safer for young patients. This is a frequently recommended medication for babies older than 6 months.

Its use allows you to suppress acute and chronic diseases in which there is a cough syndrome:

• sinusitis;
• pharyngitis;
• unspecified tonsillitis;
• various infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract;
• unspecified pneumonia;
• bronchitis.

The drug comes with instructions written for specialists, with a large number of formulations that are poorly understood by the average person. Before buying a medicine, you need to ask your doctor about all the details of treatment with this medicine.

"Macropen" is a children's cough syrup with an antibiotic. It also belongs to the macrolide group of antimicrobial drugs. Helps children who have diseases such as:

• whooping cough;
• upper respiratory tract infections;
• unspecified pneumonia;
• chronic sinusitis;
• inflammatory processes in the tonsils and adenoids;
• Chronical bronchitis.

Doses are described in detail in the instructions for use. They depend on body weight. The medicine has a pleasant taste and color and is well tolerated by children.

"Augmentin" in the form of a suspension for children is available in 3 types. The required form is purchased on the recommendation of a doctor. This drug contains the active substances amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, which enhances the effect of a semisynthetic drug belonging to the penicillin group.

It is recommended for streptococcal and some other infections that affect the baby’s respiratory system. The drug can be effective for acute and chronic diseases affecting the upper or lower parts of the respiratory system.

"Suprax" is an antibiotic from the cephalosporin group. It is recommended by a pediatrician only when the macrolide is powerless against infection.

It should not be purchased for self-medication, so as not to cause the emergence of microflora resistant to it. The manufacturer makes several forms of this drug.

To treat babies after 6 months, a suspension is used; school-age children can be given tablets of the same name.

What tablets are used for treatment

Children's antibiotics for coughs may have names that match the active substance or have an original name. They help remove the inflammatory process in the respiratory organs. To cure a cough, you will need to combine treatment with other medications that help mucus clear from the bronchopulmonary system, clearing the airways.

Important! Tablets containing an antibacterial active substance can be given to a child only on the recommendation of a doctor. This can often be done if he has reached 10 years of age and has a body weight above 40 kg.

Amoxicillin is an active substance belonging to the group of semisynthetic broad-spectrum antibiotics from the penicillin group. It is well absorbed in the intestines, suppressing the proliferation of pathogenic microflora.

It is often recommended for home use. The drug has been well studied. The instructions for use attached to it detail all possible cases of side effects, if they occur, the drug should be discontinued.

“Flemoxin Solutab” is an antibiotic with amoxicillin, active when the body is affected by streptococcal infection. It is prescribed after identifying the pathogen, because some pathogenic microorganisms do not respond to its presence in the body. If the medicine is used correctly, children will quickly recover after using it.

The drug "Panklav" belongs to this group. It contains amoxicillin and clavulanic acid and acts in the same way as Augmentin suspension.

Modern pediatricians, in difficult cases where antibacterial therapy has not given a positive result, recommend the use of drugs based on cefuroxime. Of these, children are suitable:

• "Zinnat";
• "Kefstar";
• "Axoseph";
• "Cetyl lupine";
• "Zinoximor".

These tablets are recommended to be given from 3 years of age. The dosage is determined by the doctor, who takes into account the general condition of the patient. In the hospital, the drug is administered by injection.

"Biseptol" is now rarely prescribed for the treatment of cough, replacing it with amoxicillin with clavulanic acid. This drug contains sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, a combination known as co-trimoxazole.

The active substance has a broad spectrum antimicrobial effect. The instructions provide a large list of diseases that cause coughing for which the drug may be useful. It can be given to infants after 6 weeks of age for respiratory infections.

The medicine is often recommended for children who have a weakened immune system.

 Why is antibacterial therapy harmful?

Thanks to antimicrobial drugs, human life has become longer and infant mortality has decreased significantly. The abuse of antibiotics and violation of the rules for their use leads to the emergence of resistant strains.

Now there are people suffering from chronic infections, the pathogens of which are not affected by any group of antibacterial drugs. Therefore, doctors insist that they prescribe drugs from this group themselves.

Patients must enable doctors to provide effective treatment.

The use of antimicrobial drugs leads to the destruction of beneficial microflora in the intestines, which is fraught with the appearance of candidiasis, which affects adults and children. This disease can affect any body system and cause coughing. But antibacterial therapy for this pathology only causes complications in the course of the disease.

Advice! Parents whose child has been coughing severely for 2 weeks, despite satisfactory condition and treatment, should contact an otolaryngologist. He will examine the patient, determine the causes of the cough and prescribe the correct treatment.

Source: https://antirodinka.ru/kakoy-vibrat-detskiy-antibiotik-ot-kashlya

Antibiotic for children with dry cough, which is better for a 2 year old child, does not go away after, barking, list

Cough is a fairly common guest that visits the body of children. Should children be given antibiotics for coughs? Many parents ask this question when their child experiences this phenomenon.

Pediatricians believe that antibacterial drugs can be prescribed only after examining the child in a clinic. In some cases, the use of antibiotics is simply not advisable. The unsystematic use of these drugs contributes to disruption of the intestinal microflora and decreased immunity. The peculiarities of using antibiotics for children's cough will be discussed in this article.

Symptom Definition

Cough is not an independent illness, but only a symptom of a number of diseases. Whatever happens in the respiratory tract, our body tries to get rid of it with a sharp exhalation, which is called a cough. This reflex ensures the cleansing of the respiratory tract from dust, viruses and bacteria, foreign objects, and during illness, also from phlegm.

The main task when coughing is to understand what the baby’s body wants to get rid of. How to determine the cause of a cough? The first step is to consult a doctor, who can identify the cause of the cough by sound. In some cases, this will require the help of a diagnostician.

Causes

Cough can be a symptom of many diseases, such as:

Cough can also occur against the background of inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. Mucus drains from there into the throat, irritating the respiratory tract.

All these diseases that provoke cough require different treatment, so determining the exact cause of its occurrence is the most important task.

Symptoms

By nature, cough can be divided into dry and wet.

A dry cough is usually observed at the very beginning of ARVI, acute laryngitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, and tracheitis. It is painful, annoying, practically without sputum, that is, complete cleansing of the respiratory tract does not occur. Such a cough can cause muscle pain in the abdominal area and insomnia.

A wet cough usually appears 2-3 days after the onset of a cold. It is less painful and is accompanied by copious sputum production.

With asthma, the cough is usually dry. In this case, antibiotics will not be effective: agents that act on the underlying cause of the disease are needed.

Antibacterial therapy

Children's cough can be different, and not every case requires emergency prescription of antibacterial drugs.

Only a doctor can choose an antibiotic and its dosage, who will prescribe treatment for the child only after identifying the cause of this phenomenon.

Antibacterial agents are prescribed to a child in the following cases:

• The cough lasts more than 2 weeks.
• The cause of the cough was an inflammatory and infectious process of the respiratory tract identified by the doctor: pneumonia, whooping cough, bacterial bronchitis, etc.
• For 3 days, the baby has a high body temperature, fever and other symptoms of intoxication of the body.
• Sputum culture confirmed the presence of a bacterial infection and revealed its sensitivity to specific antibacterial drugs.

Not every cough should be accompanied by taking antibacterial agents. In some cases, their use will not only not have the desired effect, but may also cause serious side effects. Taking antibiotics is not recommended:

• In case of a viral infection, since antibiotics do not act on viruses.
• To reduce fever in children (the temperature is brought down with the help of antipyretic drugs).
• For the purpose of preventing colds or ARVI. Uncontrolled use of antibiotics in a baby will not protect him from illness, but will only develop bacterial resistance.
• To eliminate cough (there are other medicines for this purpose).
• In case of allergies.

Criterias of choice

It should be noted right away: only a doctor can prescribe antibiotics for children who cough. When choosing a drug, he takes into account the cause, severity of the disease and the age of the patient. He can prescribe antibiotics in the form of a suspension, tablets or injections.

A positive effect after taking an antibiotic in a baby can be expected within two days. Otherwise, the drug should be replaced with another one. The duration of therapy should not exceed 7 days.

When treating children's cough with antibiotics, it is important to choose the right additional drugs, taking into account their compatibility with antibacterial agents. For example, you cannot combine drugs from the macrolites group with antihistamines. In addition, phlegm thinners should not be taken at the same time as cough suppressants.

The effect of taking antibiotics can only be observed when they damage the form of microflora that causes damage to the respiratory tract.

In order to understand which drug will help the baby cope with a cough, a thorough diagnosis should be carried out, which includes sputum analysis with further culture for sensitivity to antibiotics.

When self-treating a cough and taking antibiotics, dysbiosis and addiction can be provoked, which will lead to difficulties in treating children's cough using antibacterial therapy.

An antibiotic cannot be purchased by consulting a pharmacist at a pharmacy or reading several resources on the Internet. An antibacterial drug for coughs in children should only be selected by a doctor.

Drugs

There are many drugs belonging to different groups of antibiotics. We list those that are most often used for coughs caused by bacterial causes:

• Penicillins. (Augmentin, Amoxiclav, Amoxicillin, etc.). These drugs are most often prescribed for coughs because they are effective against most bacteria and lead to the destruction of the bacterial wall. Advantages: effectiveness, wide spectrum of action and relative safety. Among the disadvantages, one can note a high percentage of adverse reactions associated with disruption of the digestive tract. For children, they are available in the form of a suspension with fruit flavors or in the form of tablets.
• Cephalosporins. They are similar in chemical structure to penicillins, so if you are allergic to penicillins, they are not chosen for the treatment of cough. Drugs of the series: Cefazolin, Ceftriaxone, etc. Prescribed in the form of tablets or injections.
• Macrolides (Azithromycin, etc.). These are broad-spectrum antibiotics that are active against many bacteria, including chlamydia and mycoplasma. They are chosen for allergies to the first two groups or established sensitivity of bacteria to this medicine.
• Tetracyclines (Doxycycline, Unidox). In the treatment of cough, they are used only in cases where it is caused by chlamydial, mycoplasma or other infections.
• Fluoroquinolones (Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin). Used to treat diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract.

In addition to antibiotics, the treatment regimen for diseases accompanied by cough always includes additional medications.

These can be antipyretics - to eliminate fever and pain, antitussives - for a dry barking cough, mucolytics - to thin sputum and transform a dry cough into a productive one. For children, as a rule, drugs in the form of syrups are chosen, because

This is the most accessible form for children to take medicine. Tablet drugs are quite difficult to give to a small child due to the physiology of the digestive tract.

Dosages

Medicines should always be given to the child in the dose recommended by the doctor. It is forbidden to reduce or increase the dose at your own discretion. You should not use utensils to measure a single dose, since teaspoons and tablespoons do not always hold 5 or 10 ml.

Also observe the frequency of administration: give the medicine as many times as prescribed by the doctor. For penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, the daily dose, when administered twice, creates a concentration in the tissues sufficient to obtain a clinical and bacteriological effect.

Antibiotics such as Azithromycin are taken only once a day.

Contraindications

Parents should be aware that some antibiotics are not recommended for children in the first year of life. Such drugs include:

• Aminoglycosides (Gentamicin, Kanamycin, etc.);
• Tetracyclines (Tetracycline, Doxycycline, Unidox, etc.), Levomycetin and some others.

These drugs negatively affect the development of individual organs and systems of the child’s body, and therefore their use is permissible only if indicated and only under the supervision of a doctor.

Also, when choosing a product, you should take into account the individual characteristics of the child and the body’s sensitivity to certain components of the drug. That is why parents should carefully study the instructions for the drug prescribed by the doctor, where all contraindications are indicated in detail. Parents of a child with allergies should be especially careful.

Recommendations for use

In order for the antibacterial medicine to be as effective as possible, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• Observe the duration of the course. If the doctor has prescribed the child to take the drug for 5 days, then you need to drink the medicine for the prescribed period, even if the baby feels better already on the third day of taking the drug. Failure to comply with the terms of administration leads to the development of bacterial resistance, relapse or the development of superinfection.
• Compliance with dosage and frequency of administration. Increasing the dose may cause overdose, side effects or serious complications. If the dose is reduced, there is a possibility that the drug simply will not work and the bacteria will develop resistance.
• Adhere to the admission rules. Some antibiotics are taken with food, others several hours before meals. All these features of the drug are described in the instructions and must be observed. Otherwise, the medicine will be less well absorbed and will be less effective.
• If there is no effect from the medicine on the third day after taking it, you should notify your doctor. The doctor will change this drug to an antibiotic from another group.
• After taking antibiotics, children are recommended to take a course to prevent dysbiosis, for example, with the drug Linex.
• If a child has a tendency to allergies, then before each antibiotic prescription, an allergy test should be performed so as not to provoke a dangerous allergic reaction.

Gedelix: instructions for use for children

Nasal polyps - symptoms and treatment are described in this article.

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conclusions

Antibiotics are effective medicines, without which many diseases cannot be cured. In case of cough in children, the doctor prescribes an antibiotic, taking into account the cause and severity of the disease, as well as the individual characteristics of the child’s body.

The widespread use of antibiotics sometimes leads to their thoughtless use. Remember that the prescription of antibacterial drugs should always be justified. When choosing cough medicine for your child, consult your doctor and follow his recommendations.

In addition to antibiotics, expectorant syrups for children, as well as traditional medicine, are very common.

Source: https://drLOR.online/preparaty/ot-kashlya/antibiotiki-u-detej-kriterii-vybora.html

Antibiotics for children with coughs - the main thing is not to do harm

It becomes doubly difficult for us when our little son or daughter is sick. A severe cough sometimes gives no rest, day or night.

What to do in such cases, how to help your baby? Can antibiotics be used for coughs in young children? As a rule, modern parents are educated and knowledgeable people.

Today they are “armed” with data from the medical literature, but they still get the main information from the Internet, which we present here.

Should children's coughs be treated with antibiotics?

Very often, cough is a consequence of diseases such as acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections. These infections are viral in nature, and they must be treated with antiviral drugs in combination with anti-inflammatory therapy.

Antibiotics for coughs in children in this case will not only be useless, but also harmful. Firstly, taking them will create an extra load on the weakened child’s body, mainly on the liver.

Secondly, it will destroy all the beneficial intestinal microflora, as a result it will also be necessary to normalize the function of the gastrointestinal tract (fight constipation or diarrhea).

It’s another matter if, against the background of an acute respiratory viral infection, the cough lasts more than two weeks and, in addition, purulent sputum (green) has appeared, the temperature remains febrile or subfebrile - then it is clearly necessary to prescribe antibiotics.

Important! When purulent sputum appears, one should think about the bacterial nature of the disease or its addition during the course of the disease. In this case, it is advisable to prescribe antibacterial agents.

General rules and principles for taking antibiotics for children's cough

Parents must learn one very important axiom for themselves - a specialist should determine a child’s antibiotic for a child’s cough! When there are symptoms of intoxication, the pediatrician visits the baby at home, examines him, and assesses his condition. If necessary, recommends hospital treatment (in case of increasing symptoms of the disease with the addition of shortness of breath, fever and severe general weakness).

When giving your baby antibiotics, you should not deviate from a few simple rules given below:

• The baby should be given the medicine at a clearly designated time, which is recommended by the pediatrician.
• Strictly follow the dosage of medications depending on age and weight.
• Consider the possibility of an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. If this has been observed before, be sure to inform your doctor about it. If necessary, he will prescribe a tolerance (sensitivity) test.

• In addition to antibiotic therapy, a comprehensive treatment will be prescribed, which will also include drugs that prevent dysbiosis (probiotics and prebiotics), other anti-inflammatory and antihistamine (antiallergic) drugs.
• It is strictly not recommended to shorten the treatment period. If the baby feels better after six days, and the course of therapy is designed for ten, then it is necessary to take the medications for the prescribed number of days. Otherwise, the disease may return, and treatment will be difficult (new drugs will have to be selected).

Attention! During outpatient treatment, if there is no positive effect within two days, you should inform your pediatrician about this. It may be necessary to replace the drug with another antibiotic or conduct a further examination of the baby.

Selecting the right medication for a child

Some parents are of the opinion that it is strictly forbidden to use any antibiotics for young children; they will only cause harm. This is a mistake, and in some cases unforgivable. Without antibacterial therapy, it is impossible to cure such terrible diseases as pneumonia or even tuberculosis (unfortunately, it also affects children; specific therapy cannot be avoided here).

And, on the contrary, at the slightest appearance of a cough, caring mothers sometimes try to cure the child with the most effective (in their opinion) antibiotics. This is also incorrect, since the disease may have a different, non-bacterial nature. For example, viral. In this case, such therapy will also not be effective.

The list of cough medications is long, but the ideal option for determining the optimal antibacterial agent in the laboratory is a microbiological examination of sputum to determine the causative agent and its sensitivity to a number of drugs.

If there is no improvement within two days and the baby continues to cough the same way, the drug is replaced.

List of antibiotics for children with cough

When choosing drugs, you should take into account contraindications to the use of antibacterial agents, especially if these are children under one year of age. You should be aware that drugs of the tetracycline group and aminoglycosides have serious side effects and are not recommended for use in very young patients.

Doxycycline, Minocycline, Tetracycline disrupt the formation of tooth enamel, and representatives of fluoroquinolones (Ofloxacin, Pefloxacin) interfere with the normal development of cartilage tissue in children. As for Levomycetin, it inhibits hematopoiesis, becoming the “culprit” of aplastic anemia.

The following is a list of some of the most commonly used antibiotics for severe coughs in children based on age. Can be used in the form of tablets and suspensions.

Amoxicillin. The most commonly used and inexpensive medication with minimal side effects. Available in granules for making syrup. The contents are dissolved in boiled water and consumed in dosages strictly prescribed by the doctor.

This drug is the main component of such medications as Solutab, Flemoxin, Augmentin, Amoxiclav. Can be taken for wet and dry cough. For children under two years of age, with prolonged symptoms, doses of 20 mg/kg three times a day are used.

Augmentin. The drug for children is available in powder to obtain a suspension. Active ingredients: in addition to amoxicillin, contains clavulonic acid.

It is best to give this antibiotic to a child starting from three months. It has a slightly stronger effect than the previous medicine, as it contains more active ingredients.

However, it also gives more side effects.

Zinacef (Zinnat) is a cephalosporin. It should be prescribed to children by injection for severe forms of pneumonia and other respiratory diseases with bacterial infection. Take as prescribed by a doctor, mainly in hospitals.

Suprax is a strong antibiotic containing cefixime. Available in granules for preparing a suspension for children.

Allows you to treat complicated infections of the ear, nose and throat, and long-term bronchitis.

This antibiotic for children is prescribed for cough and fever in cases where other, “weaker” drugs do not have an effect. It is forbidden to prescribe to babies under six months.

Ceftriaxone, a cephalosporin, is often used for complicated respiratory tract infections. Available in solution for injection, administered intramuscularly in strictly defined dosages. The course of treatment is at least 4–5 days, depending on the severity of the condition.

Sumamed Forte, a potent drug containing azithromycin.

It is used both for a strong, “barking” cough, and for a wet cough with purulent sputum. Available in powder, from which a suspension is prepared for oral administration.

It is recommended to drink this medicine once a day in strictly prescribed dosages.

Parents should know that in addition to the therapeutic effect, these drugs, like all medications, have side effects. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account a number of individual characteristics of this particular child when choosing treatment.

A negative effect can manifest itself as nausea, vomiting, digestive disorders (diarrhea, constipation), dysbacteriosis, allergies in the form of skin rashes, etc.

 In more complex situations, a general reaction of the body may be observed that requires immediate medical attention (to avoid this, a special tolerance test is necessary).

For reference! The most convenient form of antibiotic for children is syrups. They have a pleasant sweetish taste with fruit fillings and are easily and happily accepted by children.

Tablets are more often used in older children: they can be used from the age of four, washed down with a small amount of water.

For convenience, some mothers dilute this medicine in crushed form with a small amount of sweet tea, compote or homemade syrup. In this form, the child will take the medicine without being capricious.

Conclusion

Any illness in a child is a problem for parents. Moreover, if it is accompanied by a cough with phlegm and has been going on for about a month. Of course, this condition of the baby is not the norm and requires treatment. And if this symptom is accompanied by a temperature reaction and purulent sputum, you should think about prescribing antibacterial therapy, which should be selected by a specialist.

Source: https://MyKashel.ru/rebenok/antibiotiki-pri-kashle-u-detej.html