# recurrent chest infections



## kara76 (Dec 14, 2004)

Hi

It seems everytime my toddler of 23 months gets a cold it goes on her chest.

2 weeks ago she actually had pneumonia and was admitted for iv anti bs and fluids as she wasn't drinking, she caught rotavirus while there and iv anti bs were stopped as chest clear yet he we are 2 weeks later with yet another chest infection!

I've lost count now of now many she has had but feel something should be done! Is it asthma

I'm waiting for a call from my gp as we saw somebody else this morning that just prescribed anti bs and said some kids just get chesty and wouldn't listen to my concern

The pneumonia actually started as a throat infection and the anti bs didn't work and the infection travelled down her chest


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## nichub (Sep 2, 2010)

Oh dear poor thing, some children are chesty more than others but if the problem is bacterial infections this is different from asthma, here are a list of clinical symptoms of asthma for you

Clinical features
Wheezing attacks
Periodic shortness of breath
Symptoms often worse during the night
Cough is frequent – and often misdiagnosed as bronchitis
Nocturnal cough alone can be a presenting feature
Some patients can have chronic symptoms
Attacks precipitated by a very wide range of triggers

If she has been generally unwell with things like throat infection then pneumonia I don't think it sound like asthma, did she end up having ivs? Or did they think it was viral??


Nic
Xx


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## kara76 (Dec 14, 2004)

Yes she ended up on iv anti bs after they had her blood results through. Doesn't sound like asthma from that list

Is there anything that would cause recurrent chest infections like this or any way I can help prevent it


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## nichub (Sep 2, 2010)

Hi hun the main thing that can cause chest infections is passive smoking, chest infections are also exacerbated in the colder months

I have attached some info from an nhs site it is based in adults but the main points are the same and I hope you will find this helpful

Nic
Cx

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Chest-infection-adult/Pages/Introduction.aspx


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## kara76 (Dec 14, 2004)

Thank you

Thankfully tyler never is around passive smoking


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## nichub (Sep 2, 2010)

I'm sure a lot of the people on this thread are so careful about things like that but I just thought I'd mention it I hope I didnt offend you xx


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## kara76 (Dec 14, 2004)

Not at all hun. My dh smokes but always outside. One of my main concerns is the amount of anti bs she has had and how tyler seems to get better then it comes back in a couple of weeks


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## nichub (Sep 2, 2010)

Did you manage to speak to your gp, you could ask your gp to make a referral to a paediatrician with them being so frequent

Nic
Xx


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## kara76 (Dec 14, 2004)

No he hasn't called which isn't like him so hope he will call tomorrow. Atm her chest seems worst than this morning but as she is fine in herself I won't go back unless of course it does get worst as last time she went downhill extremely quickly and we ended up with an ambluance ride


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## nichub (Sep 2, 2010)

Yeah keep an eye on her and if she doesn't look herself at all you could always pop her to a walk in centre, did they send her home with an inhaler? 

Nic
Xx


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## kara76 (Dec 14, 2004)

No but she does have an inhaler from before but I won't use it without medical advice.

Can't believe this she now has severe runs which I'm assuming is the anti bs but this has never happened before. She seems fine in herself if not a little hyper


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## nichub (Sep 2, 2010)

Yeah it's probably from the antibiotics and I agree about not using the inhaler unless they suggest it, poor thing, it sounds like she is fairly well if she is still jumping about etc let me know if I can advise on anything further

Nic
Xx


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## kara76 (Dec 14, 2004)

Thank you for your advice

I called out of hrs and they suggest using live or probotic yoghurts to boost the good bacteria in tylers gut as the large amount of anti bs would have effected it


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## nichub (Sep 2, 2010)

Well I hope that works for her, 

Hope she is better soon 

Nic
Xx


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