What are the treatments for tuberculosis in children?

Tuberculosis in children is a typical type of lung disease. Severe cases can also cause pneumonia. Therefore, parents must pay attention to their children's health. Tuberculosis has a great impact on children's physical health, even affecting their breathing, and tuberculosis is contagious. Let’s take a look at the treatments for tuberculosis in children.

1. Systemic therapy

On the basis of systemic therapy, the child's body's ability to resist disease is fully mobilized so that the special anti-tuberculosis drugs can better exert their antibacterial effects. First of all, you should pay attention to proper nutrition and rest, and choose foods rich in protein and vitamins. Among them, vitamins A and C are particularly important. Children should live in a well-ventilated and sunny room. Those with severe tuberculosis who have fever and other poisoning symptoms and are extremely weak should stay in bed. Those with milder illnesses can engage in appropriate indoor and outdoor activities depending on the specific situation.

2. Anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy (chemotherapy)

Chemotherapy has made significant progress since the discovery of streptomycin and isoniazid in 1944, their synthesis and widespread use in 1950. The treatment effect of tuberculosis patients is greatly improved. There are 12 commonly used anti-tuberculosis drugs, including 6 antibiotics, namely streptomycin, kanamycin, ciliaryomycin, puromycin, cycloserine and rifampicin. The first four are for injection; the other six are chemical preparations, namely isoniazid, sodium para-aminosalicylate 1314-TH and 1321-TH, ethambutol, pyrazinamide and thiosemicarbazide.

3. Hormone therapy

Adrenal cortex hormones can alleviate symptoms of poisoning, reduce allergic reactions, reduce inflammation and inhibit connective tissue proliferation. Therefore, appropriate and early application of hormone therapy can reduce fever, increase appetite, and promote secretion absorption. However, it has no specific effect on tuberculosis lesions, and in some individual cases it is difficult to stop taking hormones once they have been used, otherwise the symptoms will reappear and the side effects are severe. Therefore, it should not be abused and the indications must be strictly selected.

4. Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment is mainly used for segmental lobectomy or unilateral lung resection, sometimes with intrathoracic lymph node removal and pleural decortication. The indications are generally as follows:

1. Patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis whose cavities do not close after chemotherapy

2. Caseous lesions or tuberculomas that have not been effectively treated with medical treatment

3. Patients with extensive caseous changes or liquefaction of hilar lymph nodes that are ineffective with chemotherapy, or with persistent bronchial stenosis and atelectasis may undergo intrathoracic lymph node removal.

The above are the treatments for tuberculosis in children. Among the many treatments, not every treatment is suitable. To find a suitable method, children should carefully consider the use of medications and avoid letting the side effects of drugs affect the children's development.