Doctor's reminder: An 11 year old girl in Zhejiang has been diagnosed with "white lung"! This type of case has significantly increased, with Mycoplasma positivity

If your child has been experiencing persistent fever and coughing recently, be careful.

An An, who is 11 years old this year, had a fever and cough that did not improve for a week. One day, she even had a fever of 40 ℃. Her parents hurriedly took her to the pediatric department of Tongde Hospital in Zhejiang Province, and upon examination, it was found that she had a large white lung in her left lung. Pediatricians remind that the recent high incidence of atypical pathogens in the lungs should not be treated as a common cold or flu. Using antibiotics without authorization may delay the condition.

Parents give their children self medication

But the condition worsened, it turned out to be a mycoplasma infection

A week ago, An An had a slight cough and fever. Her mother thought it was just a common cold and gave her backup cold medicine at home, but her body temperature kept fluctuating. Later, her father gave her cephalosporin from home. After a meal of medication, her condition still did not improve: at the highest point, her body temperature reached 39 ℃, and taking antipyretic medicine can lower An An's temperature to below 38 ℃.

One day, because An An had been staying at home recuperating for days, she asked her parents to take her out to play. Unable to resist the child's entanglement, her parents took An An to a nearby complex to play for half a day. During this time, An An was happy and bouncing around. However, when she returned that night, she had a fever of 40 ℃. Even after taking medicine, her body temperature dropped to 38 ℃, and most of the time it hovered between 38 ℃ and 39 ℃. Her cough also increased.

Now, An An's parents were extremely anxious and brought their child to the pediatric department of Tongde Hospital in Zhejiang Province for treatment. A chest CT scan showed pneumonia on the left side, and the normal black part that should have been predominantly white had actually become very severe.

After seeing the CT scan, the pediatrician immediately arranged for the child to be hospitalized for treatment. After admission, relevant pathogen tests were completed, and it was found that Mycoplasma pneumoniae tested positive, which is likely the culprit of pneumonia. The doctor then carefully inquired about the onset of An An's illness, combined with epidemiological history and other test results, and finally determined that the pneumonia was caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. After targeted treatment by doctors, An An's condition gradually improved.

Doctor: There has been a significant increase in the number of children this summer

What kind of pathogen is Mycoplasma pneumoniae?

A pediatrician stated that this summer, there was a significant increase in the number of children diagnosed with Mycoplasma pneumonia at Tongde Hospital in Zhejiang Province. The vast majority of patients in the ward also suffer from Mycoplasma pneumonia, and there are also many cases similar to those of An An. The pediatric ward is operating at full capacity, and the ward is in a saturated state every day. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection must be taken seriously by parents.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a microorganism that lies between bacteria and viruses. The source of infection is patients with Mycoplasma pneumonia, which is easily transmitted through droplets or direct contact in densely populated, enclosed, and poorly ventilated environments. Although it is not a legal infectious disease, it has a certain degree of transmission in children and can cause small-scale outbreaks. It is one of the important pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia in children.

After infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the human body, it can directly invade the respiratory tract, causing direct damage to respiratory epithelial cells. At the same time, the abnormal immune response of the body forms immune damage inside and outside the lungs. So, in the early stage after infection, the main symptoms are fever and cough, which can be accompanied by headache, runny nose, sore throat, ear pain, etc. The typical cough is paroxysmal irritating dry cough, followed by phlegm. Some children may experience wheezing, and in some cases, it may cause chest pain and tightness. Meanwhile, Mycoplasma pneumoniae can cause a wide range of extrapulmonary manifestations, affecting almost every organ. Some children may be accompanied by rash, gastroenteritis, pericarditis, myocarditis, meningoencephalitis, hemolytic anemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, arthritis, and hepatitis.

Doctor's reminder: Do not blindly use medication

At present, serum Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibody titer testing and Mycoplasma pneumoniae nucleic acid testing can be used to determine whether a child is infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Combined with clinical and imaging manifestations, Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia can be diagnosed. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is neither a bacterium nor a virus. It is an atypical microorganism with no cell wall, high polymorphism, and a size between that of bacteria and viruses.

Therefore, drugs such as cephalosporin and penicillin are ineffective against Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Don't treat it as a common cold or flu. If a child is diagnosed with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, don't blindly use medication, otherwise it will delay the condition. The treatment of Mycoplasma pneumonia in children mainly relies on macrolide drugs, such as azithromycin, but the medication plan needs to be adjusted according to the patient's condition. Therefore, when the child experiences symptoms such as fever and cough at home that cannot be relieved, it is recommended to go to the hospital for medical treatment.

How should children at home prevent Mycoplasma pneumoniae?

1. Try not to go to crowded environments. Children with weaker resistance should try to avoid crowded environments as much as possible, but everyone has a love for playing. It is summer, and when playing outside in crowded environments, it is best to wear masks and take protective measures.

2. Strengthen exercise. Having a good physique can not only prevent Mycoplasma pneumoniae, but also prevent other diseases. Regularly engaging children in outdoor sports activities not only exercises their bodies, but also enhances their adaptability and immune function, thereby enhancing their ability to resist various diseases.

3. Pay attention to balanced nutrition. Children are hope and the future, and are in a normal stage of growth and development. They must pay attention to a reasonable diet, avoid picky and overeating, eat on time, pay attention to the comprehensive absorption of nutrients, and eat more foods rich in high-quality protein, such as lean meat, fish, eggs, and milk. At the same time, it is necessary to comprehensively strengthen the supplementation of vitamins and eat more fruits and vegetables such as carrots, spinach, tomatoes, apples, kiwifruit, celery, etc.

4. Pay attention to changes in ambient temperature and add clothes in air-conditioned rooms in a timely manner. Regularly open windows for ventilation in the room to maintain fresh indoor air.

5. If there are multiple children at home, once one of them is infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae, special attention must be paid, and isolation measures should be taken to minimize the risk of cross infection. Maintain good hygiene habits. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with tissues, towels, etc., wash your hands frequently, and try to avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth directly with your hands.

6. If a child experiences symptoms of recurrent respiratory infections such as fever or cough, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible, rest at home, and avoid entering the kindergarten or traveling with illness.