Nasal Congestion In Children Essay

As such, the diagnosis and management of AOM has a significant impact on the health of children, cost of providing care, and overall use of antibacterial agents (AAFP, 2004). Watchful waiting can have many benefits for the children and the provider if used properly. Diagnosing AOM can be tricky. The signs and symptoms can also be related to other illnesses such as an upper respiratory virus. Throwing antibiotics at any illness use to be the course of action. However, now that there is evidence that bacteria have become resistant to some antibiotics, clinicians are testing out other means of treating illnesses. If the child presenting with symptoms of AOM has no underlying conditions and has means to follow up with the doctor if the symptoms progress, watchful waiting is an appropriate approach for treating the child. According to the research, placebo controlled trials have shown that children have responded well without antibacterial intervention. Giving the opportunity for the illness to resolve without antibacterial intervention not only benefits the child but, the caregivers and the clinician. It benefits the child by not being exposed to antibiotics that are not needed, therefore creating a potential resistance to that antibiotic. It benefits the caregiver by not spending money on a medication their child does not need. Last, it benefits the clinician by preventing resistance to an antibiotic that may be useful in the near future.

McCracken, G. H. (1998). Treatment of Acute Otitis Media in an Era of Increasing Microbial Resistance.

The prescribing of antibiotics for AOM can have an impact on the health of the treated children and increases the cost of providing care. Watchful waiting is the recommendation from the AAFP & AAP in cases of uncomplicated AOM that are a result of other illnesses such as an upper respiratory virus. In the past doctors would immediately prescribe antibiotics for the signs and symptoms of an ear infection, however new evidence shows that over time bacteria have become resistant to certain antibiotics and so other means of treatment must be explored. If a child presents with symptoms of AOM and has no other underlying illness or condition, then watchful waiting is an appropriate avenue of treatment for the child. The research showed placebo trials had favorable outcomes and children responded without antibiotic interventions. If watchful waiting is used the child is not exposed to unneeded antibiotics and this reduces the chances of antibiotic resistance in the future. In addition, it also reduces the amount of money spent on health care needs in the form of purchasing medications. It should be noted that watchful waiting should only be considered in cases of uncomplicated AOM and that education should be given to care givers on when to follow up if symptoms do not improve within 48-72 hours. In the even that symptoms do not resolve then antibiotics may become necessary.

Every year a familiar scene plays out in clinic waiting rooms, chairs filled with miserable patients waiting to see their physician with complaints of a never ending cough and a constant nasal drip. More than likely, these patients will receive a prescription for antibiotics, but should they? Most acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs), do not require an antibiotic, the symptoms will resolve themselves over time without antibiotic treatment. Healthcare experts and scientists have warned the public about the dangers of overusing antibiotics, and there are thousands of studies to support that fact, but no one is listening. Patients are convinced they need to have antibiotic treatment, and somehow their time is wasted if they leave empty

Acute tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils secondary to an infectious process causing painful swallowing and is more commonly attributed to a viral cause rather than bacterial (Shepherd, 2013). A physical assessment of the tonsils may reveal an increase in size with edema and erythema. This is often associated with upper respiratory symptoms like, headache and cough (Shepherd, 2013). Another diagnosis is pharyngitis. Pharyngitis is also a sore throat which is secondary to inflammation noted at the back of the throat and associated with complaints of pain when swallowing (Shepherd, 2013). Viral pharyngitis is the most common and can be contributed to the rhino or coronavirus which lasts between 5-7 days and presents with associated symptoms like cough, headache, fatigue and mild fever (Ruppert & Fay, 2015). Finally, GABHS or more commonly noted as strep throat is a potential diagnosis. This bacterial infection is most common in children and adolescents. Often individuals present with symptoms including throat pain, fever, chills, headache, cervical lymphadenopathy and exudate noted to tonsils or in the pharyngeal (Ruppert & Fay, 2015). This infectious process in younger children may also present with gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain but is not accompanied by cough or nasal

Many people don’t realize that sinus conditions can often be treated quite successfully. A careful examination combined with special imaging techniques can reveal the reasons for these sinus conditions. They can be the result of three main problems: allergies and pollutants that thicken the nasal tissues and cause nasal blockage; poor nasal breathing, which can worsen sinus conditions; or closed sinus openings which prevent adequate drainage of the sinuses. The new specialized techniques which have been recently developed use tiny endoscopes, to relieve specific blockage for the nasal passages. The treatment is done as an outpatient and does not require nasal packing. Patients can usually return to work in a few

Even though a person of any age can be diagnosed with acute pharyngitis, either viral or bacterial, 30% are childhood aged. Proper diagnosis and treatment are crucially important. Many times childhood aged patients will go undiagnosed because medical providers will underline the reason on performing a rapid or culture test. The proper treatment is of high importance allowing for the patient to get better soon and return to normal activities as well as eliminating the spread of germs from on to another. It is highly encouraged to seek medical attention if and when someone is not sure if that person could have a virus or bacterial

Croup is often the result of a viral infection and will not respond to antibiotic therapy. Nelson Essentials of Pediatrics, 7th, page 354.

In children, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea (may be yellow or green after a few days), sneezing, and cough are the most common symptoms, while fever may be present in the early infection stage. Other symptoms may include wheezing, sore throat, headache difficulty sleeping, decreased appetite, cervical lymphadenopathy, intermittently increased middle ear pressure, and conjunctival injection.

If your child becomes the virus victim, then he/she faces the flu symptoms, like- runny nose, fever and body aches. Here, the antibiotics won't work, as they are caused by the viruses. In such situation, we will give you the right medical advice and the remedy to treat your tonsillitis

Your sinuses are designed to lighten your skull, improve the sound of your voice and produce mucus that keeps the inside of your nose moistened to keep it protected from dust, dirt, pollutants and allergens. Like every other part of your anatomy, your sinuses are susceptible to a variety of conditions that can keep them from functioning the way they’re supposed to. Consider a balloon sinuplasty if you are suffering

Intracranial sinusitis (ICS) complications remain a difficult and ongoing problem. The progressive pneumatization and development of paranasal sinuses at birth and the late appearance of frontal and ventricular sinuses have caused some infec- tions to not appear until late childhood [Intracranial complications of sinusitis: a pediatric series Giannoni C, Sulek M, Friedman EM]. Despite better diagnostics since the introduction of CT (CT), better treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics and aggressive endoscopic sinus and neurosurgical complications, morbidity and mortality in ICS remains substantial. Mortality rates of 10% to 20% or greater, even in the last decade, have been reported, [1,5,6], although in recent studies a prevalence of less

According to Valkonen et al. (2015), there is a co-existing relationship between asthma and bacterial infection. Antibiotics are a group of drugs that focus on a various range of infections entailing fungal, viral, bacterial and even protozoan infections. More so, the use of antibiotics drugs in the management of asthma is still disputed. Most physicians have found there selves use antibiotics in the management of asthma in the pediatric population as viral upper respiratory tract infections are closely associated with asthma exacerbations in children (Kloepfer et al., 2014). National and international guidelines of practice suggest that antibiotics should not be used in the treatment of chronic asthma or acute asthma exacerbations, but can

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. The medical term is “rhinosinusitis”, because the disease affects the mucous membranes lining both the nose and the sinuses. The paranasal sinuses are air-filled cavities in the bones of the face and skull, all of which communicate with the nasal cavity through openings known as ostia. The largest are maxillary sinuses with the ostium situated in the superior aspect of the medial wall. This opening enables the maxillary sinus being both drained and ventilated, though the location of the ostium makes these functions difficult in upright position (Waldron 2009). The mucosa of the sinuses is lined with a surface layer of cilia, involved in, among others, transport of mucus and particulate

In case of clearly established bacterial infection to otorhinolaryngological evaluation or in the event of persistence of fever with painful symptomatology after the first 72 hours the antibiotic is necessary. Generally they use broad-spectrum antibiotics properly administered daily dose and duration. In the event of repeated infections, and in close suspicion of insufficient efficacy, sensitivity testing provides information useful sull'antibiotico to which the beat is sensitive or sull'antibiotico more effective for therapeutic treatment.