Child Having Cough. Not Getting Cured. Lung X-ray Done. What Are The Findings Of X-ray?

Posted on Sat, 2 Mar 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 2 Mar 2013 Answered on

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : My 5 year old daughter has had a cough for the last few days which doesn\t seem to be going away. We went to the doctor here and they did some xrays of her lungs. Could you please look at the xrays and offer your opinion on what you can see?

Answered by Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (1 hour later)

Hi and thanks for your query,
In technical terms the X XXXXXXX summarily reveals a bilateral interstitial syndrome. The heart and lung silhouttes are normal, but greater opacifications on both lung bases.
Diagnosis. Bilateral interstitial syndrome suggestive of a bronchopneumopathy.
Your needs shall certainly need antibiotics for at least seven days for the treatment of a community acquired pneumonia. A control X XXXXXXX shall be done 2 weeks later to see the evolution of these symptoms. Generally antibiotics based on essentially Amoxicilline and Clavulinic acid are usually sufficient.
Thanks and best regards,
Luchuo, MD.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (11 minutes later)

Thank you very much for reviewing her xrays. She is currently taking Clarithromycin, is that sufficient? Right now, she doesn't stop coughing, every 30 seconds she coughs ... dry cough. Is there any evidence to suggest that there is a foreign object inside her lung? Four weeks ago, we were worried she inhaled a very small piece of plastic, could that be causing a frequent dry cough after a month?

Answered by Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (8 minutes later)

hi and thanks for the questions,
The chest X XXXXXXX reveals actually no evidence of a foreign agent in the lung. The specific sign is not seen. Clarythromycin to me is sufficient and covers an equally wide spectrum of probable germs.
Cough syrups to stop cough are not usually very good in children, because coughing up is a good sign first to monitor clinical response and secondly clearing her respiratory tract.
But if the cough becomes really disturbing, simple syrups like Terpone or Carbocysteine could be used.
Thanks and best regards,
luchuo, MD.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar