The weather is getting colder and colder, and many children around you are coughing and coughing. A friend of mine also told me that there are many babies in her outpatient clinic recently who come to see the clinic because of cough. Most of them were diagnosed with acute laryngitis — is very similar to the cold symptoms, but it is extremely lethal.
01Understanding acute laryngitis
Acid laryngitis is more common in children aged 1 to 3 years old. Viruses and bacteria that cause upper respiratory tract infection can cause acute laryngitis.
Common viruses are parainfluenza virus, influenza virus, adenovirus , and respiratory syncytial virus .
is more intuitive. We can use laryngoscope to see what changes acute laryngitis will bring to the child's throat.
Image source: UpToDate
Picture A: Endoscope image of the larynx and inferior vocal airways observed from above the vocal cords of children with viral upper respiratory tractitis.
vocal cords are swollen, with obvious subglottic swelling (arrow), and the opening of the inferior glottic airway is narrow.
Figure B: endoscopy image of normal child's throat.
VC: Vocal cords.
UpToDate
Children's laryngeal cavity is narrow, laryngeal cartilage is soft, submucosal lymphatic tissue is rich, the tissue is loose, and edema is prone to infection, so laryngeal obstruction and suffocation are prone to suffocation.
Therefore, if is not diagnosed and treated in time, it may be life-threatening.
02 teaches you to identify acute laryngitis
When parents find that their children have the following symptoms, they are likely to suffer from acute laryngitis and should be taken seriously.
. Typical symptoms of acute laryngitis
Acute laryngitis is generally acute onset, and may have symptoms such as fever, dog barking cough , inspiratory laryngeal rumbling and inspiratory dyspnea .
Acute laryngitis, usually has mild symptoms during the day, and after falling asleep at night, the symptoms worsen due to loose laryngeal muscles and blocked secretions. Therefore, many children will go to the emergency room in the middle of the night.
. How to detect acute laryngitis in time?
Because the condition progresses very quickly, once the child is found to have symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, there is a "cneck" cough or hoarse voice similar to a dog barking, etc., it is necessary to find out in time that the child may have acute laryngitis.
. Acute laryngitis VS cold
Acute laryngitis often occurs after a cold, so it has symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, and systemic symptoms such as chills, fever, and fatigue.
You can see that the symptoms of acute laryngitis and cold are similar. How to distinguish them, see the table below:
03 Children have the following conditions, and seek medical treatment as soon as possible
. It is very difficult to inhale. You can see the child supraster fossa, supra clavicle fossa on both sides, and lower intercostal space - medically called "three concave signs".
sternum fossa and supraclavicular fossa on both sides are obviously sunken. Source: https://v.qq.com/x/page/l05304gi6d8.htmlhtml
The lower intercostal space is obviously sunken. Source: https://v.qq.com/x/page/l05304gi6d8.html
. Facial complexion, lips and nails are black and purple. It is called "cyanosis" in medicine.
. Irritable and restless.
. In more severe cases, due to hypoxia, the mental state is extremely depressed and confused, and finally loses the reaction.
04 Treatment principles for acute laryngitis
Maintain respiratory unblocking, improve hypoxia, and relieve laryngeal edema. We must try our best to make the child breathe smoothly.
mild symptoms, can go to the clinic and take care of at home;
Severe cases need to be hospitalized or even admitted to intensive care unit , and tracheal intubation and other measures are required to rescue.
05 Home Care for Acute Laryngitis
. Minimize crying as much as possible and keep the child in a comfortable position to avoid aggravating laryngeal edema and increasing oxygen consumption.
. It is important to minimize the stimulation to children.
. Keep the air at home moist and circulating.
. Drink more water, eat nutritious, easy to digest, and be light.
. Closely observe the condition.
Acute laryngitis is prone to rapidly worsen within the initial 4-48 hours. If there is dyspnea, you should seek emergency medical treatment as soon as possible.
Certain acute infectious diseases, such as Measles , Venix Pox , Scarlet fever , etc., often have symptoms similar to acute laryngitis.
You should pay attention to 1-2 days after the child has fever, check whether the child's oral mucosa and skin have characteristic rashes, and whether the tongue has bayberry tongue changes, etc., so as to avoid misdiagnosis.
. Cooperate with the doctor for treatment.
Some cases require ultrasound atomization and oxygen inhalation treatment, and parents should guide their children to cooperate with atomization treatment.
Some children also need to use hormone drugs. There is no need to talk about "hormones" color change. For acute laryngitis, it is necessary to apply hormones in a short period of time to quickly control the condition, so that the child can be protected from greater harm and will not have adverse effects on the child.
06How to prevent acute laryngitis
. Wash your hands frequently, ventilate frequently, avoid going to places with a lot of people and air circulation, and reduce the chance of infection.
. Exercise appropriately to enhance resistance.
. Winter and spring are the peak periods of diseases. You should avoid taking your children to densely populated environments, and you can also wear masks for prevention.
07 Acute laryngitis Q&A
Q: Can I give my child cough medicine?
A: Don’t take cough medicine to your child yourself.
For patients with laryngitis , especially those with laryngeal, trachea, and bronchitis, when there are more or thick airway secretions, if central antitussive drugs are used to excessively relieve cough, it may prevent the cough reflex, thereby affecting the excretion of secretions. Therefore, it is not recommended to add cough medicine by yourself.
Chinese medicine cough syrup may contain opioids that are central anti-cough ingredients, so cough syrup is not suitable for use.
Q: Can hormones be used to treat acute laryngitis?
A: Hormone treatment occupies an important position in the control of acute laryngitis.
For mild symptoms, you can take prednisone or dexamethasone orally. You can stop taking the medication after dyspnea is relieved.
For those with laryngeal obstruction, the doctor will use atomizing hormone.
For those with obvious laryngeal obstruction or more airway secretions, hormones will also be intravenously infused.
References:
Shen Kunling Huang Guoying.National Health and Family Planning Commission Standardized training planning textbooks for residents: Pediatrics Publishing [M].People's Health Publishing House Published.2016
Shen Xiaoming Gui Yonghao.Clinical Pediatrics (2nd Edition)[M].People's Health Publishing House Publication Time.2013
Hu Pinjin Xie Canmao Edit-in-Chief.Different Diagnosis of Internal Medicine Diseases 6th Edition [M].People's Health Publishing House.2014
Ji Lianmei .Ji Lianmei Children's Safe Medication Manual [M]. Beijing Publishing House Publication time. 2019
Ou Xi. Do this like me Mom: Pediatrician Parenting Record [M]. People's Health Publishing House. 2015
