Differentiation of pneumonia in children

How to diagnose neonatal pneumonia? This is a difficult question for parents. In fact, we know too little about this aspect. Every parent does not want their children to suffer from this disease, but should we know more about pneumonia in daily life? Here I will introduce to you the basis for identifying pneumonia in children.

Parents should pay attention to the general condition of the newborn. If the child has difficulty feeding, convulsions, lethargy, wheezing, fever or no temperature rise, they should immediately realize that the child has a serious illness and must go to the hospital for a clear diagnosis and timely treatment. The easiest way to diagnose pneumonia is to count the breaths and observe the chest retraction.

Neonatal pneumonia is defined according to the Acute Respiratory Infection Control Program (ARI) developed by the World Health Organization: When infants under two months old breathe more than or equal to 60 times per minute in a quiet state, it can be considered as tachypnea; if the number of breaths per minute is greater than (or equal to) 60 times for two times, it can be determined that the child has tachypnea; when infants under two months old inhale, the lower end of the chest wall can be seen to be obviously concave inward. This is called chest concavity. This is because when suffering from pneumonia, the child needs to inhale more forcefully than usual to complete gas exchange. If the newborn has both tachypnea and obvious chest concavity, it can be diagnosed as severe pneumonia and must be hospitalized.

Newborns (from birth to 28 days old) with pneumonia often do not have fever. Sometimes they feel cold all over, their body temperature does not rise, and they do not even cough. Parents should pay attention to the general condition of the newborn. When the child refuses to drink milk, has convulsions, does not cry, is drowsy, wheezes, has fever or does not have a fever, they should be aware that the child has a serious illness and must go to the hospital immediately for a clear diagnosis and timely treatment.

Doctors may not hear any moist sounds in the lungs during examination, but a lung X-ray can confirm the diagnosis. When you have pneumonia, it is best to be hospitalized. Those with a low body temperature should be kept warm, those with pale or cyanotic complexion and difficulty breathing should be given oxygen and antibacterial treatment, and those with thick secretions and sputum that is difficult to cough up should have their sputum suctioned to keep their airways open.

The above is a detailed introduction on how to diagnose neonatal pneumonia. We also hope that parents will pay attention to this disease. It is also quite painful for children to suffer from this disease. If you find any abnormalities in your child in life, please go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time to avoid the disease from harming your baby and allow the baby to grow up healthily.