Guidelines for the care of children with acute nasopharyngitis

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Nam Phong - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital

Acute nasopharyngitis is a fairly common disease in children, especially in the changing seasons, children are very susceptible to colds. If acute nasopharyngitis is not detected and treated promptly, it can cause complications of respiratory tract infection, otitis media, acute glomerulonephritis...

Causes due to living environment Sudden change in weather, wet rain, low temperature Car smoke, cigarette smoke, pipe tobacco, coal, dust in the environment... New children go to kindergarten, kindergarten. .. exposed to new environment. Newly weaned baby or change to weaning diet. Cause by virus, bacteria, fungus Virus: flu, measles, Adenovirus... the main cause of the disease is a virus, antibiotics won't work, so parents need to follow the doctor's instructions, not Give your child antibiotics voluntarily. Bacteria: pneumococcal, staphylococcus, streptococcus... In which, the most dangerous is group A streptococcus (S.pyogenes) which can easily cause complications: acute arthritis (progressive rheumatic fever), streptococcus acute kidney. Fungi: usually Candida.

The first manifestation of acute nasopharyngitis in children is: runny nose, sneezing, headache, fatigue in hands and feet, accompanied by fever or high fever that can reach 39 - 40 degrees Celsius. Older children will complain of feeling Chills, swallowing pain, pain in the whole person, poor sleep because when the nose is inflamed, it will produce fluid that flows down the throat, causing a sore throat.
In case of acute viral nasopharyngitis, there will be manifestations such as: runny nose, cough, diarrhea, viral rash, conjunctivitis... If the child has at least one of the following signs, it should be thought of inflammation. pharyngitis caused by group A hemolytic streptococcus: red throat, swollen tonsils and white discharge, swollen neck lymph nodes, fever over 38.5 degrees Celsius... This is a dangerous disease for children because of the risk of causing it. many serious complications. In case of illness, it is necessary to have the right treatment and enough antibiotics to prevent acute rheumatic complications that can affect the heart, which is very difficult to treat later.

Nasopharyngeal hygiene If the child begins to show signs of mild stuffiness, the nasal discharge is still loose, you can wipe the child's nose with a soft cloth. In case the nasal discharge is thick and accompanied by a lot of runny nose, you should put 2-3 drops of physiological saline in each nostril, wait for a while for the saline to infuse, soften the runny nose, and then gently rub it with your hands. on the side of the baby's nose to soften and peel off the nose, use a cotton bath or soft towel to wipe it.
If the child's nasal discharge is excessive and thick, a nasal aspirator may be needed to aspirate the child. However, note that you should not abuse the nasal aspirator because this can create pressure and damage the nasal mucosa. Absolutely do not use the mouth of an adult to directly suck the drool on the child's nose because it is not hygienic, even spreading more bacteria from the mouth to the child.
After using a soft tissue to wipe your nose and drool, throw it away immediately. Do not use a towel to turn the towel and reuse the old towel because bacteria / viruses still cling to the towel. Note: When a child has a nasopharyngitis, physiological saline can be used to rinse the nose and gargle for the child, but must follow the doctor's instructions.
Can give children vasoconstrictor drugs prescribed by the doctor.

Children should only eat foods rich in nutrients, soft, easy to digest and easy to swallow. Feed children according to their needs, should divide many meals a day and the amount of each meal should be less than usual, do not force children to eat all the food that parents have prepared. You can use steamed kumquats with honey, steamed roses with sugar, ginger and lemon for children to drink to treat coughs according to folk methods, paying attention to hygiene when processing. Take antipyretics and antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor.

Keep the body warm, especially the neck, chest, and soles of the feet in cold weather. Clean throat and mouth by brushing children's teeth after eating, before sleeping and after waking up. Get rid of the habit of putting your hands in your mouth to close your mouth, and picking your nose with your hands because this is a habit that makes children prone to nasopharyngitis. Parents should help children avoid this bad habit. Follow the doctor's instructions to avoid relapse: Do not arbitrarily give the child antibiotics, do not reuse the old prescription of the previous visit. Do not arbitrarily instill drugs with long-lasting vasoconstrictor components for children. Ensure a clean living environment, avoid smoke, dust, mold... Minimize exposure of children to sources of infection: sick adults or children.

Parents need to pay attention when a child has one of the following symptoms, they need to bring their child to the hospital as soon as possible, to avoid serious complications:
The child has a high fever continuously, using fever-reducing medicine and applying warm compresses does not reduce it. fever. Children cough a lot, have a fast breathing rate, have difficulty breathing. Children have symptoms of vomiting and loose stools many times a day. The child begins to have pus discharge from the ear. All of the child's symptoms did not improve after 2 days of treatment.

Department of Inter-Specialization (compartment department of specialty: Eye - Ear, Nose Throat - Maxillofacial) - Vinmec Times City International Hospital - specializes in examination and treatment of common ENT diseases, regional tumors head, face and neck, congenital malformations of the ear, nose and throat area by the most optimal internal - surgical methods for patients, both children and adults. In particular, the Department of Otolaryngology specializes in treating common diseases such as: acute pharyngitis, tinnitus, non-allergic rhinitis, throat cancer, perforated eardrum, otitis media, tonsillitis, V.A. Acute osteomyelitis, vocal cord polyps, laryngeal cancer...
Coming to Vinmec Times City, patients will receive direct, dedicated and professional examination from a team of highly qualified, experienced medical staff. Experience:
Master, Doctor Tran Huu Tuan : Many years of experience in the treatment of Ear - Nose - Throat diseases and has 3 years of working and training as a Master of Medicine, Master of Doctor. Residency in the French Republic. Currently, the doctor is the Head of the Interspecialty Department of the Outpatient System of Vinmec Times City International General Hospital. Doctor CKII Nguyen Ngoc Lan: With more than 25 years of experience in ear, nose and throat specialist. Before working at Vinmec, Dr. Lan used to work at the National Children's Hospital. Dr. Phung Thi Phuong Loan: With over 40 years of experience in examining and treating pediatric ear - nose - throat and respiratory diseases. Master, Doctor Nguyen Vinh Toan: With 15 years of experience in the Ear - Nose - Throat industry, he attended courses on surgery at the National Hospital of Otolaryngology, Thailand and Singapore.