Child Is Asthamatic, Using Nebulizer. Had Cold And Cough. Giving Azithromycin And Clarithomcin But No Relief. Suggest?

Posted on Mon, 19 Aug 2013

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

Mon, 19 Aug 2013 Answered on

Tue, 10 Sep 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : My son is 4 years old and is Asthamatic. We have been using nebulizer since his child-hood. In the recent past, he had picked up cold which slowly progressed to cough and since past 4 weeks doctors gave him a) Azithromycin b) Budesal Nebulization ( 4 to 6 times per day) c) Cough Expectorant and as the infection didn't subside they changed anti-biotic to d) Clarithromycin. There has been fever of more than 100 F for days. Now fever subsided but there has been increased dry cough which is not getting less even after series of nebulization. We are confused....Please advise

Answered by Dr. Gyanshankar Mishra (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Please visit a Pulomonologist

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for posting the query on XXXXXXX After going through your query, I would like to comment the following:

1. Your son seems to be suffering from childhood asthma.
2. Investigations required for childhood asthma: clinical evidence of atopy/ wheezing episodes/ Chest Xray/ Serum IgE levels/ Evaluation by a Pulmonologist.
3. In childhood asthma inhaled therapy is the cornerstone of management and considering the age of your son, a metered dose inhaler with spacer with baby mask can be used for maintenance therapy rather then routine use of nebulisation.
4. Also oral medications of the class of bronchodilators and preventive medications )antihistaminic and leukotreine inhibitors) may be required if the symptoms are uncontrolled on inhaled therapy. Since the fever has resolved, the secondary respiratory infection should subside gradually.
5. Avoid all the identified allergens and triggers.
6. Thus you need to visit a Pulmonologist and get your son evaluated and get an optimised treatment regime for him which needs to be continued regularly and not intermittently.

I hope I have answered your query. I will be glad to answer follow up queries if any.
Please accept my answer if you have no follow up queries.

Regards

Dr. Gyanshankar Mishra
MBBS MD DNB
Consultant Pulmonologist

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