# antibiotics for bronchitis?



## mayve (Oct 31, 2006)

Hi  

I am having serious doubts about the therapy given to LO for bronchitis. He is 15 months old and has had for a week now a runny nose (clear), and a cough which worsens when laying down and for a couple of days he also had a temperature of 38° (that went away with ibuprofen). He is happy and running around and generally in a very good mood. The dr visited him on Thursday and says he has bronchitis and that she noticed a lot of mucus running down his throat and that we need to prevent it from becoming pneumonia. The therapy prescribed is a course of antibiotics, salbutamol, and bentelan. Due to the ABs he now has raging diarrhea and is off solids (and will only nurse, but won't take any other liquids). He is also cutting 3 pre-molars and it is obviously bothering him. 

I've been reading on the internet that antibiotics do nothing at all for viral infections. Why on earth would the dr. prescribe something that has no effect on the symptoms? We were also told to stay in the house (a very hot and dry house) for the entire time he is on antibiotics. 

I think the doctor is from old-school medicine. I was too stupid to question the therapy to the doctor. 

Does this sound at all like a normal therapy? And what about being housebound for a week? I've also read that household pollution can worsen the symptoms. We live in a city with high airborne particle pollution but what about taking him out to the mountains in the cold air - isn't that the best medicine for opening up the bronchial passages? 

thanks for any comments 

mayve xx


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## gerbera (Aug 4, 2008)

hi 
is he talking about broncholitis or bronchitis? antibiotic treatment is relevant in some cases of the latter. however he must think him wheezy to give hime ventolin. is his breathing faster and/or laboured? clear mucous doent normally indicate infection but maybe he has reduced air entry, did he listen to his chest? what antibiotics is he on? 
have u raised the head of his cot etc? going outside rarely does harm, tho it can make some wheezers woese/or better. 
why did the dr come? u must have been worried to call him out to your house?
andrea


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## mayve (Oct 31, 2006)

Hi Andrea -

Thanks for your reply. We are in Italy, where it is common (but not free  )  for the doctor to do house calls so rather than dress DS up and take him to the clinic, the doctor came to us. The exact diagnosis was "asthmatic bronchitis" in Italian but I can't differentiate that from bronchitis or broncholitis. There is reduced air entry (his tummy puffs out and he seems to have difficulty exhaling at times -- not inhaling, but exhaling -- as if he pushes the air out with difficulty - and the doctor did listen to his chest and say that it was "crackly" and had a "whistle" and that one ear is looking pink. He doesn't seem to wheeze, though - or at least I don't see him either gasping for air or wheezing. His cough is phlegmy. 

He is on amoxicillin and he is supposed to be using the nebulizer for the salbutamol but getting him to stay put for it is out of the questions, so it is in a syrup form. 

We are in Milan which is a nasty and filthy city so a big walk outside for fresh air isn't possible, but a walk outside for cold air is. Our house collects dust like a magnet and I try my best to keep it clean to no avail.  We have a cat - might it be an allergy? DS has been sneezing a lot. This the the third time since December that he has had the runny nose, wet cough, and has been put on the salbutamol. He was born at term at 7lbs and is in the higher % for height and weight. 

I have brought him in a steamy bathroom once a day as was suggested. Should I also leave the humidifier on at night? It is very dry in our house. 

thanks for your time and expertise 

mayve 

I still breastfeed him too, and hoped to be giving him super-antibodies against these types of things


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## gerbera (Aug 4, 2008)

sounds like he did the right things, shame he wont tolerate the nebuliser as it is a much more effective way of delivering salbutomol to the area it is needed. sometimes it takes 2 of us to administer it at work. one to hold the child still and on to give the neb. it may feel cruel but it is truly the best way to have this medication effectively. after a few goes they sometimes get used to it!
sounds like he is prone to thease symptoms when he gets a cold. What GP'S here might do is prescribe inhalers to be given prior to the ilness becoming so bad.
the humidifier may help.
andrea


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