What to do if a child is mycoplasma positive

My brother's youngest son is now two years and nine months old. He used to love playing, but now, for some reason, he keeps having fever, runny nose, and is in a very depressed state. After going to the hospital for a check-up, the doctor said that the child was positive for mycoplasma and was diagnosed with pulmonary mycoplasma infection. The doctor prescribed some medicine and gave him intravenous drips for a few days, but there was no obvious improvement, which made the whole family very anxious.

What exactly is that mycoplasma?

Mycoplasma is a tiny microorganism that is smaller than bacteria but larger than viruses; it is the smallest prokaryotic organism that can live independently, but has some characteristics of bacteria. There is a type of Mycoplasma pneumoniae that is a common pathogen that causes pneumonia in children. The "SARS" caused by the newly emerged SARS virus in 2003 was actually "stole" the name "atypical pneumonia" because the cause of the disease was unknown at the beginning. True atypical pneumonia is the old name for mycoplasma pneumonia, which accounts for 15% to 20% of pediatric pneumonia.

Symptoms of mycoplasma infection in children

The incubation period of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children is relatively long, up to 2-3 weeks. Most of the symptoms are pharyngitis, rhinitis, tracheitis and bronchiolitis, with fever, headache, chills, cough, general malaise, obvious fatigue and loss of appetite. The cough is dry at the beginning and then turns into a stubborn and severe cough without sputum or accompanied by a small amount of sticky sputum, especially at night. Infants and young children show wheezing and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, mycoplasma pneumonia may occur. Children who develop mycoplasma pneumonia account for 3% to 10% of all those infected with Mycoplasma pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection may also cause lesions in organs other than the respiratory tract, such as myocarditis, hepatitis, arthritis, nephritis, meningitis, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenic purpura, etc. Mycoplasma pneumoniae can also cause lesions in other systems and organs, such as measles-like rash, myalgia, migratory joint pain, liver function damage, hemolytic anemia, meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, pericarditis, nephritis, etc.

Treatment and prevention of mycoplasma positive in children

Correct selection of antibiotics is the key to the success of treating mycoplasma pneumonia. Clinical applications have confirmed that erythromycin has a very high concentration in cells and can kill mycoplasmas, but erythromycin has significant side effects and has been replaced in recent years by azithromycin, which has a longer duration of action, only needs to be taken once a day, and has relatively fewer side effects. Generally, the medication needs to be taken for 2 to 3 weeks, otherwise it is easy to relapse. It is more effective to use traditional Chinese medicine while taking antibiotics, because traditional Chinese medicine treats mycoplasma infection not only targets mycoplasma, but also mobilizes the body's immune function, promotes expectoration, and enhances respiratory function. Commonly used drugs include roasted ephedra, apricot kernel, gypsum, scutellaria, belamcanda, cicada shell, bombyx batryticatus, peucedanum peucedanum, and adenophora.

Children with Mycoplasma pneumonia should be treated early. During the illness, parents should let their children rest more and keep the air fresh in the bedroom. For children with Mycoplasma pneumonia, the best room temperature is 18℃~20℃ and the humidity is maintained at about 60% to prevent respiratory secretions from drying out and becoming difficult to cough out. You should also pay attention to your child's diet and nutrition, encourage your child to drink plenty of water, prepare some nutritious and easy-to-digest food for your child, and feed him or her small meals frequently. Since children are still in a period of ignorance, when treating children with mycoplasma positivity, parents should encourage their children to move more, give them appropriate vitamin C supplements, pay attention to weather changes, and even add or remove clothes for their children. Do not wait until your child tests positive for Mycoplasma pediatrics before you become concerned about your child.