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Suggest Treatment For Fever And Cough In Infant
Question: My son 12 months old.he was having fever n cough last week.blood,urine tests n chest xray was done.blood test showed elevated c reactive protein.diff leucocyte count showed leucocytes counts are within normal,no abnormal cells,platelets r adequate.Hb 8.8 gm/dL. Rbc 4.4 lacs/cmm.dr has given amoxycillin for 5 days.fever has gone after antibiotic started.but his cough is not going.he is given nebulization with levolin.for cough,dr has given deriphylin which out of fear i havent started giving.from yesterday,he is showing slight elevation in temp. between 99 to 100 when measured on forehead.whether the temp rise is associated with cough?.winter has started here.he takes breast milk without any difficulty though hesitates to take solid food.he goes to day care n since fever started i didnt send him.i am afraid if the slightly high temp is another infection?if then,y is he getting infection even when he is not going to daycare?what other symptom should i check to consult a dr for finding if theres anything serious?
Brief Answer:
It may take a few more days to recover. No need to worry.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I have carefully gone through your query. Let me mention that most often respiratory infection in children is due to viral cause. Sometimes there can be superadded bacterial infections associated. In such cases the C-Reactive Protein (CRP) may rise. However, no increase in leucocyte count needs to occur in viral infections. So, even if the bacterial component gets controlled by the antibiotic, the viral component may still persist. Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics and irrespective of treatment, it takes 5-7 days to recover. It is likely that the cough and slight elevation in temperature are due to this cause. You would have to be patient. Give Relent Plus Syrup (contains Cetirizine) 1 ml once daily for a few days. Also give steam inhalation. Just sit with the child on your lap and place the source of steam before you. Water vapour will be in the air and automatically the child will breathe it in. It would help in diluting the cough and would provide relief.
The viruses and bacteria are all around us and the source need not be the day care only. Moreover, the infection has probably been contracted a few days before the symptoms first appeared. So, even though your child is presently not going to the day care, the presence of symptoms can be explained. It does not mean that there has been a re-infection. It is likely to be the continuation of the one you have described.
You need to check for signs of lethargy and rapid breathing (rate more than 60 breaths per minute). If any of these appear, you need to visit a doctor without delay. Else, you need not worry.
Hope that helped.
Regards
It may take a few more days to recover. No need to worry.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I have carefully gone through your query. Let me mention that most often respiratory infection in children is due to viral cause. Sometimes there can be superadded bacterial infections associated. In such cases the C-Reactive Protein (CRP) may rise. However, no increase in leucocyte count needs to occur in viral infections. So, even if the bacterial component gets controlled by the antibiotic, the viral component may still persist. Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics and irrespective of treatment, it takes 5-7 days to recover. It is likely that the cough and slight elevation in temperature are due to this cause. You would have to be patient. Give Relent Plus Syrup (contains Cetirizine) 1 ml once daily for a few days. Also give steam inhalation. Just sit with the child on your lap and place the source of steam before you. Water vapour will be in the air and automatically the child will breathe it in. It would help in diluting the cough and would provide relief.
The viruses and bacteria are all around us and the source need not be the day care only. Moreover, the infection has probably been contracted a few days before the symptoms first appeared. So, even though your child is presently not going to the day care, the presence of symptoms can be explained. It does not mean that there has been a re-infection. It is likely to be the continuation of the one you have described.
You need to check for signs of lethargy and rapid breathing (rate more than 60 breaths per minute). If any of these appear, you need to visit a doctor without delay. Else, you need not worry.
Hope that helped.
Regards
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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