Bronchiolitis in children: symptoms and treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Bronchiolitis in children occurs as a result of complications of diseases such as SARS or influenza. This disease most often affects babies under one year old. The peak of infection is from the second to the sixth month. The reason is quite simple - the immune system is not yet strong enough to resist all viruses. Once in the body, the infection penetrates the bronchioles.

First warning signs

If there is bronchiolitis in children, the symptoms can be found as follows:

• Spastic cough, sometimes dry;
• body temperature does not rise much;
• whistling sounds appear during breathing;
• there is a runny nose or the nose, on the contrary, is blocked.

The disease develops quickly, and if nothing is done during this time, then a complication in the form of respiratory failure may occur.

How to identify the disease?

Suspicions of bronchiolitis in young children can be confirmed in this simple way. Attach an ear to the back of the baby, and if gurgling sounds are heard, then this most likely means that the diagnosis will be confirmed. It is worth noting thatit does not necessarily have frequent bouts of coughing and fever.

Acute bronchiolitis: symptoms

For a cold, treatment does not give a positive result for a long time? Perhaps this is manifested by acute bronchiolitis in children. Its symptoms are:

• appetite decreases or disappears altogether;
• skin turns pale, and in some places cyanosis appears;
• if you refuse to drink water and food, dehydration may occur, the signs of which are as follows: reduced urination, dryness in the mouth, no tears during crying, pulse quickens;
• the child is more capricious, irritable, does not sleep well;
• body temperature is elevated, but not much;
• presence of dry cough, sometimes with little sputum;
• may have difficulty breathing - grunting and groaning sounds occur, the wings of the nose swell, the chest retracts a little more, shortness of breath is pronounced;
• in more difficult cases, breathing may stop;
• with complications breathing occurs more than 70 times per minute;
• after examination, the doctor can diagnose clear moist rales;
• after taking a blood test, it can be seen that the rate of ESR and leukocytes are lowered.

It is important not to make a mistake

Bronchiolitis in children is characterized by respiratory failure, which, if severe, can lead to suffocation. In this case, medical assistance is urgently needed, but always qualified,as sometimes there are cases that this disease is confused with asthmatic bronchitis or pneumonia with obstructive syndrome.

Conditions for a small patient

While the doctor has not yet arrived, it is necessary to create all conditions so as not to aggravate the serious condition of the baby. To do this, you need to follow two basic rules:

1. The air in the room should not be hot and dry, as this provokes drying of the mucous membranes and heavy sweating, which is fraught with a rapid loss of moisture in the body. The temperature should not be higher than 20 degrees, and the humidity should be between 50 and 70 percent.
2. Make sure your child is drinking plenty of fluids. Newborns should be brought to the breast more often, and older ones should be given those drinks that they can drink. This must be done in order to prevent dehydration of the child's body.

It is forbidden to do these things

In such cases, it is strictly forbidden to undertake such methods of help at home:

• perform any physiotherapy in the chest area;
• do hot inhalations;
• use any non-medical pharmaceuticals.

Bronchiolitis obliterans: symptoms

What can happen when an acute form of the disease starts? Obliterating bronchiolitis can be observed in children. This means that bronchioles and small bronchi narrow, after which there is a violation of pulmonary blood flow. After some time, they may begin to developpathological processes of the lungs and pulmonary heart failure.

The following symptoms will help to recognize the disease:

• appearance of dry non-productive cough, which is accompanied by a small amount of sputum;
• dyspnea is observed not only after physical exertion, but also (with a progressive disease) in a state of calm;
• you can distinguish wet wheezing, breath as if wheezing.

Such signs can be observed for a long time - even more than six months.

Bronchiolitis in children, especially young children, is very widespread. It goes on a par with pneumonia, which is also one of the complications after SARS. Grudnichkov with this diagnosis is immediately sent for hospitalization. But with premature babies, as well as those children who have congenital heart and bronchopulmonary defects, which is fraught with dehydration and hypoxia, it is more difficult. In some cases, it ends in death.

Treatment Methods

When bronchiolitis occurs, treatment in children can be delayed for more than a month. To do this, several methods are used:

1. Rehydration therapy, which means replenishment of the child's body with glucose and saline solutions. This can be done both intravenously and orally. It is carried out in cases where urgent care is needed.
2. Carry out emergency measures when respiratory failure occurs. In this case, both an acid mask and inhalation with drugs are used, the actions of which contribute to the removalasthma attack.
3. Use antiviral drugs, as the disease occurs virally. The basis of drugs, in most cases, is interferon.

Drugs

When bacterial infections, which include pneumococcal or streptococcal infections, are also observed in this disease, antibiotics are prescribed, mainly as follows:

• "Amoxiclav".
• Macrofoam.
• "Sumamed".
• Augmentin.
• Amosin and many others.

Antihistamines are prescribed to relieve swelling of the bronchi and facilitate breathing.

Chronic bronchiolitis

The disease itself develops very quickly. Although its symptoms may be present for less than five months. The result will be either a complete recovery, or it will develop into chronic bronchiolitis in children. It is divided into several forms of inflammatory processes:

• panbronchiolitis;
• follicular;
• respiratory.

Also, inflammation can be of the following types:

• constrictive;
• proliferative.

Constrictive (or narrowing) are characterized by the fact that fibrous tissue gradually grows between the muscle and epithelial layers and bronchioles. After some time, the lumen not only narrows, but can also close completely. Respiratory structures are no longer so pliable, and this is fraught with emphysema, as well as respiratory failure.

Proliferative are characterized by damage to the mucosashell, and granulomatous and connective tissues appear - Masson's little bodies. The respiratory section significantly reduces its diffusion capacity, and external respiration is disturbed.

Chronic care

Chronic bronchiolitis obliterans in children is treated with two methods:

• drug therapy;
• auxiliary.

In the first option, mucolytic, bronchodilator or expectorant drugs can be prescribed. If there is inflammation of a bacterial nature, then plus all this - also antibiotics.

Auxiliary therapies include chest massage, breathing exercises, exercise therapy, climatotherapy, speleotherapy and physiotherapy.

Consequences

If bronchiolitis has been observed in young children, the consequences can be very diverse (this is in the case when there was no timely treatment). Let's take a look at them now

1. Inflammation of the lungs. It affects the tissues in the respiratory system, resulting in a strong cough. Such a disease, if it proceeds in a neglected form, may be accompanied by a slightly high temperature. Complications with the breathing process are often observed. If in this case you do not undergo antibiotic treatment, then this is fraught with even more detrimental complications.
2. Bronchiectasis. This process is characterized by the fact that it expands and further damages the walls of the bronchi.
3. Heart and respiratory failure. In connection with the disease, gas exchangeis disturbed, and many of the internal organs do not receive enough oxygen. This primarily affects the heart muscles. As a result, this organ is overworked, and the blood no longer circulates in the volume necessary for the body. And this, in turn, disrupts the performance of other organs and systems of the child's body.
4. Chronic bronchitis. If left untreated, the consequences can be severe. In this case, such harmful factors as dust, gases and various allergens play an important role.
5. Bronchial asthma, which goes from an advanced stage of allergic bronchitis. The disease is characterized by swelling of the mucous membrane and periodic spams. This consequence of bronchiolitis is dangerous because asthma attacks occur.
6. Pulmonary emphysema. This outcome is extremely rare in children. It is characterized by the fact that gas exchange and their elasticity are disturbed in the lungs. In the early stages, this is manifested by shortness of breath in cold weather. But if there is deterioration, then in any other season.
7. Broncho-obstruction. It is characterized by heavy breathing, which is accompanied by a disturbed exhalation. The child does not have time to completely exhale the air, as he inhales again. As a result, the accumulation of these residues provokes increased pressure.
8. But the rarest consequence is cor pulmonale. It causes persistent high blood pressure. As a result, gas exchange is disturbed, the child is not able to do anything from physical activity.

Advice on disease prevention

Tobronchiolitis did not occur in children, you need to try to protect them from communicating with already sick babies. Also, do not ignore antiviral measures, hardening procedures and proper food intake.

It is desirable to create a hypoallergenic life, since allergies and bronchiolitis have a lot in common. Do not forget to monitor the children's nasopharynx. It is necessary that it is always clean, and there are no accumulations.