Treatment usually involves antibiotics such as clarithromycin or roxithromycin. Your doctor can confirm the diagnosis with a chest X-ray and a blood test. Over the course of the infection, the cough tends to become worse and your child may develop shortness of breath. It usually occurs in epidemics among confined groups, such as families and boarding schools.Ĭlassically, Mycoplasma pneumonia develops gradually, with symptoms such as a sore throat, cold, low-grade fever and a general feeling of being unwell. It is rarely seen in infants and young children. The organism known as Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most common causes of pneumonia in school-aged children and young adults. Most children will have a cough that lasts for some weeks after the infection. Usually children with viral pneumonia will get better by themselves over a period of time that can range from days to weeks. Symptoms can be more variable than with bacterial pneumonia, in terms of whether the illness comes on quickly or gradually, and whether or not there is an associated fever.Īntibiotics will not help viral pneumonia. Viruses tend not to confine themselves to a single lobe of the lungs, but have a more widespread, patchy effect. Pneumonia that is caused by a virus is probably the most common type of pneumonia affecting children of any age, although it tends to affect infants and preschool-aged children most frequently. However, with the introduction of vaccines that protect against pneumococcus (Prevenar, and more recently Prevenar 13) into the childhood immunisation schedule, the number of cases of pneumococcal pneumonia has dropped.Ī penicillin-based antibiotic is the standard treatment that doctors use for bacterial pneumonia. The type of bacteria found varies with age, but the most common type of bacteria responsible for bacterial pneumonia in children is Streptococcus pneumoniae (or pneumococcus), with toddlers being the most at risk. It is most likely to be associated with a very high fever and a cough that is productive of sputum (phlegm), although children tend to swallow sputum rather than cough it up. Bacterial pneumonia can affect children of any age, and can develop very quickly. Pneumonia that is caused by a bacterial infection commonly affects one lobe (or section) of the lung. But symptoms are usually mild, so you likely won't need bed rest or a hospital stay. With walking pneumonia, you may feel like you have a cold. Your doctor can make the diagnosis of pneumonia based on your child’s symptoms, physical examination, and chest X-ray results. Symptoms usually appear within two to three weeks of becoming infected and can continue for weeks. Chest pain may occur, but it is probably less common than in adults with pneumonia. Pneumonia (Child) Cough Fever, chills Vomiting Fast breathing, wheezing, or trouble breathing Fussy behavior Poor appetite Belly (abdominal) pain Chest. Sometimes a child with pneumonia will develop abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting (especially after coughing). Other signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include:
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