Many children have pneumonia with symptoms that are easily confused with the flu

The National Children's Hospital receives 30-40 children each day with pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma bacteria, symptoms of cough and fever are easily confused with common cold.

Currently, the Respiratory Center receives 150-160 hospitalized patients every day, of which 30% are infected with Mycoplasma. In the previous months, the hospital only received a few cases.

On June 26, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hong Hanh, Director of the Respiratory Center, National Children's Hospital, said that Mycoplasma, also known as "atypical bacteria", is an important cause of pneumonia in children. .

It is not clear why this bacterial disease has emerged so much recently. However, Prof. Hanh noted that after Covid, diseases caused by Mycoplasma, Adeno virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) developed irregularly. The disease can increase, rampant at a certain time, especially in the transitional seasons such as spring - summer, winter - spring...

Pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma is very easy to confuse with pneumonia caused by viruses or other bacteria because they all have symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath or chest X-ray with lesions. When misdiagnosed, the baby is treated with the wrong regimen, the disease lasts long and easily turns severe, respiratory failure, according to Assoc. Hanh.

Typically, an 8-year-old girl, from Lao Cai, has a high fever continuously, coughs and sore throat, a local hospital doctor diagnosed a viral fever. The baby was brought to the National Children's Hospital on the 5th day of illness, the rash all over the body, the X-ray showed lobar pneumonia, the PCR test was positive for Mycoplasma bacteria. After 5 days of treatment, the baby now has no fever, no difficulty breathing, and his lungs have improved markedly.

Sharing the room with this girl is a 10-year-old boy, from Thai Binh province, with symptoms of cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, rash all over, left pleural effusion. This baby was treated for 9 days at a local hospital, transferred to the National Children's Hospital, and was diagnosed with Mycoplasma infection. Now, after more than 10 days of treatment, the baby is awake, no chest pain, no difficulty breathing.

This disease occurs in all age groups, especially older children. According to an annual study in the US, 16% of 5-10 year olds have pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma, this rate of 10-17 year olds is 23%.

The incubation period is about 2-3 weeks, after which the onset of symptoms. At first, children have symptoms of respiratory inflammation such as sneezing, runny nose, and fever. When pneumonia, the baby has a high fever continuously from 39 to 40 degrees Celsius, coughs a lot, coughs with intermittent hangovers, coughs with difficulty breathing, rapid breathing. Older children feel chest pain, headache, muscle pain, muscle stiffness. Children may experience other complications such as conjunctivitis, urticaria, cardiovascular or gastrointestinal and urinary complications.

Unlike the flu, to diagnose Mycoplasma bacteria must test serum, or respiratory secretions to determine the bacterial DNA sequence, or PCR test. The treatment regimen is anti-respiratory failure, antibiotics. There is currently no vaccine to prevent the disease.

The route of infection with Mycoplasma bacteria is through droplets, similar to the mechanism of infection with viruses or many other infectious diseases. Children with signs of respiratory tract inflammation, high fever, cough and difficulty breathing, should be taken to the hospital for examination and treatment promptly.

Doctors recommend prevention by washing hands with soap, keeping a clean and cool living environment, and not letting children come into contact with babies who are coughing or having fever. The right diet and nutrition help strengthen children's resistance. Give children vaccines for other diseases on time, because Mycoplasma infection can co-infect other bacteria such as pneumococcal, Hip.

* SOURCE: https://vnexpress.net/nhieu-tre-viem-phoi-voi-trieu-chung-de-nham-cam-cum-4622051.html