Antibiotics are drugs that can kill various bacteria in the body or stop their reproduction.

Antibiotics are not used to treat viruses; their spectrum of action is different. Also, drugs of this type do not have antipyretic properties.

However, often, with a prolonged increase in body temperature above 38 °C, doctors prescribe antibiotic treatment, although they do not bring down the temperature and generally do not affect it. This happens for a number of reasons, but before prescribing treatment for a particular disease, the nature of its occurrence should be taken into account.

For example, when a patient presents with ARVI, the doctor should recommend taking antipyretic and immunomodulatory drugs, and you can also take antiviral drugs. In addition, the patient is advised to comply bed rest, drink more warm fluids to prevent dehydration due to increased temperature.

Medicines are also prescribed to eliminate other symptoms, for example, for a sore throat: gargles, sprays, lozenges. When there is a runny nose, it is recommended to rinse the nose, instill vasoconstrictor drops and do inhalations. Children should only be given antibiotics under the strict supervision of a doctor.

In what cases should antibiotic therapy be prescribed?

In case of elevated temperature of more than 38 °C during ARVI, antibiotics are often prescribed, especially for children. Why is this happening? Viral infections in some cases carry the risk of bacterial complications. To be on the safe side, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

It’s worse when patients start taking antibiotics on their own or start giving them to children uncontrollably, only after reading the instructions and relying on the opinion of their friends or pharmacist. Unfortunately, you can purchase such a drug quite easily, since not all pharmacies follow the rule of dispensing drugs as prescribed by a doctor.

Antibiotics can only be given when the virus is complicated by a bacterial infection. Then the antibiotics will really be given desired result. And the harm caused to the body will be justified.

However, elevated temperature in children and adults is not a sign bacterial infection and a number of other tests must be prescribed to identify it.

What tests indicate a bacterial infection?

The best way to determine the presence of a bacterial infection is to culture the sputum and urine. But in a clinic setting, this analysis is done extremely rarely, as it is too expensive.

If you want to confirm your diagnosis and find out which medications are best to take, this test can be done for a fee in a private laboratory. An indicator of the presence of certain types of bacteria are swabs from the nose and throat. But they won't show the full picture.

As a rule, patients undergoing outpatient (home) treatment do not undergo bacteriological tests. They are prescribed mainly to hospital patients with more severe cases. Children are tested more often for bacterial infections than adults.

In addition to tests that can directly reveal the presence of infection in the body, you can find out about this indirectly based on the results general analysis blood and urine.

Signs of complications

Antibiotics for high temperatures (38 °C or more) should be prescribed immediately after complications of the infection occur. Such complications include:

If several of these symptoms are present in adults or at least one in children, there is a risk of developing complications. In this case, a course of antibiotics should be prescribed if the presence of a bacterial infection is confirmed. At the same time, neither adults nor children should take the first antibiotic they come across. Selection suitable drug should be handled by the attending physician.

Prescribing antibiotics in the absence of complications

There are a number of exceptions when patients can be prescribed antibiotics for children and adults, even if ARVI proceeds without any complications:

Commonly prescribed medications for high fever

Antibiotics for high temperatures (38°C or more) can only be prescribed when certain diseases, even in a child. The most common indications for antibiotics are the following diseases:

It should be borne in mind that most patients with fever suffer from acute respiratory diseases or viral infections.

The diseases listed above occur in medical practice much less often. Therefore, antibiotics also cannot be prescribed based on temperature alone, even in an adult, much less for a child.

They should be prescribed only when necessary. The choice of drug depends on various factors:

For diseases accompanied by high fever in adults, it is prescribed various types antibiotics. The most effective are:

• Klacid – bacteriostatic wide range action, has a high degree of purification of components;
• Sumamed - used to treat atypical bacterial infections;
• Cefaclor – characterized by a low probability of bacterial resistance to the drug;
• Cefoperazone - has a short treatment period, just 2 injections 12 hours apart are enough to achieve a positive effect;
• Spiramycin - has a cumulative effect and acts even after the end of the course of treatment.

In pediatrics, milder types of antibiotics are used, for example:

• Cefpodoxime – as a result of taking the drug there is low probability development of allergic reactions;
• – one of the most non-toxic drugs, least damaging to the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Cefotaxime is an inexpensive drug that is well tolerated by children.

Side effects of antibiotics

Why should you be very careful when taking antibiotics? In fact, the use of this group of medications is not always justified. And you can verify this by reading the list of side effects.

Antibiotics are those drugs that, in addition to harmful bacteria, pathogens of dangerous diseases, kill and suppress and beneficial flora, necessary for our body to function normally. A list of the main problems that may arise when taking antibiotics:

Thus, antibiotics for fever should be prescribed only in cases where it is truly justified. In many diseases, the temperature is reduced by taking antipyretic drugs and traditional medicine.

A child's cough is always a cause for concern not only for the child himself, but also for his parents, who often immediately use antibiotics for children with a cough without fever. It can be called for various reasons, more often, viral diseases and colds and bacterial infections. In this case, a cough spasm can be of a different nature, and can also be accompanied by other symptoms of a cold infection. However, the presence of a cough is not always the reason for the need to take antibacterial drugs; only a doctor can determine their importance in therapy.

Before deciding on treatment, the local doctor must determine the true cause of the cough spasm. Medicines are chosen depending on the source of the cough, for example, allergies are often accompanied by severe irritation mucous membranes, causing lacrimation and all the symptoms of acute respiratory illnesses. In this case, the use of antibacterial drugs will not make any sense, but will only harm the already weakened child’s body.

Cough spasm can be caused mechanical damage mucous membrane of the throat, in this case, the use of any drugs against bacteria will also not make sense, since its signs will disappear along with healing. Some parents, preferring not to consult a doctor again, begin to treat cough caused by a viral infection with antibiotics. However antibacterial drugs have absolutely no effect on viral formations, but only reduce immunity child's body, necessary to combat external stimuli.

The use of antibacterial drugs for a cough in a child makes sense if the doctor has accurately determined a bacterial infection in the body. This can be determined by the following signs:

1. Symptoms increase gradually, and within a few days a cough, runny nose and fever appear.
2. There is shortness of breath.
3. An increase in temperature above 38 degrees, and after it has been brought down by antipyretic drugs, after their effect ends, it rises again. A high temperature due to a bacterial infection can last for more than three days.
4. Availability various signs intoxication of the body by pathogenic microbes, they can even manifest themselves in the form of vomiting and diarrhea.
5. Lethargy and drowsiness, as well as noticeable fatigue due to prolonged high fever.
6. One hundred percent indications for taking antibacterial drugs are ailments such as whooping cough, tracheitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis and pleurisy.

However, even the presence of these symptoms is not a reason to independently prescribe antibacterial drugs without the participation of a pediatrician. Many antibiotics not only have strong side effects, but are also contraindicated in childhood. Only a qualified doctor can select a drug.

What is special about children's antibiotics?

Treatment with antibacterial drugs is dangerous action, especially for children’s fragile bodies. However, in some cases it will not be possible to do without such medications. There is a certain group of antibacterial medications approved for use specifically in childhood. Such drugs have a special composition that does not harm children's health, since their effect is gentle.

The main feature in choosing antibacterial agent is to determine the need to take them.

Only a doctor can engage in such activities, since attempts to self-medicate mean the risk of endangering the child’s health. Since in early childhood there is a certain problem with taking medicines, preference should be given to suspensions and other liquid forms. Tablets are not suitable for all children, since swallowing them can cause gag reflex. That is why most often antibacterial drugs are prescribed to children in the form of a dry substrate, which is converted into a suspension using conventional boiled water. The measuring spoon included with the medicine will allow you to accurately calculate the dosage.

If the child’s body categorically does not take medications in oral form, the only way out of the situation is intramuscular or intravenous administration. In the first case, the attending physician prescribes injections, which is an equally common practice for complicated infectious diseases; in the second, a course of IV drips is administered, which is preferably carried out in a hospital setting.

To choose the dosage and frequency of administration children's antibiotic It affects not only the disease itself, but also the age and weight of the child. The duration of the course is usually determined by complications that are possible with a particular disease. In addition, if the onset of improvement takes too long, the doctor may consider it appropriate to extend the duration of treatment to the maximum allowed.

Children's antibiotics may be narrowly targeted and may not be suitable in every case. If no visible improvement occurs during treatment with an antibacterial drug, adjustment of treatment and change of drug is required, while this action Only a pediatrician can.

Since antibacterial medications have a large list of side effects, important point is constant monitoring of the child’s condition. In addition to the pediatrician, his parents must monitor the baby’s condition. The slightest deviation from the previous condition for the worse requires a re-examination by a doctor.

Names of the best antibiotics for cough in a child with and without fever

Treatment of cough, regardless of the cause of its occurrence, as well as its presence accompanying symptoms, is carried out through one drug. Changing it is possible only if there is no positive dynamics of treatment, and prescribing new drug Only a doctor can. Most often when children's cough broad-spectrum antibacterial medications are prescribed that have negative influence to various pathogenic microorganisms.

Prescribing a highly targeted drug is difficult to determine the type of pathogen. This type of analysis is not available in every clinic, and the waiting period can be up to two weeks, which can be a critical moment for the child’s body.

Each drug is prescribed based on the type of illness, as well as the age and weight of the child. In this case, it is worth considering the possibility of individual allergic reactions to one or another component in its composition.

The most common drugs in pediatrics are the following:

1. "Flemoxin Solutab". Indicated for chronic bronchitis, pneumonia and various forms of sore throat, accompanied by high body temperature. Can be used from an early age childhood. Prohibited for food-type allergic reactions.
2. "Amoxicillin." One of the most widely used cough medications, prescribed regardless of the presence of high fever, provided that a bacterial infection has been diagnosed. Allowed for newborn babies, even those considered premature. The use of the drug for intestinal diseases is not recommended. renal failure, asthma and blood diseases, as it affects the composition of plasma.
3. "Augmentin". Indicated for ENT diseases, sore throats and bronchitis varying degrees gravity. It is approved for therapy from the age of three months, but it is strictly not recommended for use in cases of liver disease.
4. "Ecoclave". Preference is given to this drug for any form of bronchitis, it is used to eliminate an outbreak of pneumonia with high fever and is effective against sore throat. Approved for use from birth, but prohibited for diseases of the renal system.
5. "Amoxiclav". An analogue of Augmentin, used for the treatment of obstructive bronchitis accompanied by severe cough. Also effective for laryngitis and tracheitis, allowed from birth.
6. "Suprax". It is effective for bronchitis accompanied by high fever, but its use is allowed only from the age of six months. Chronic kidney disease is the main contraindication for use.
7. "Sumamed." Another option for a broad-spectrum antibacterial drug. Most often used to treat bronchitis with high fever and pneumonia. Allowed from six months.

Choosing an antibacterial drug for a child is thus a serious undertaking that requires qualified knowledge. After examining the baby, the pediatrician will be able to make a diagnosis, determine the advisability of taking antibacterial drugs, and also make a choice of medication and determine its dosage, frequency and duration of therapy.

There is an opinion that if a doctor prescribes it, then he no longer sees any other way to recovery. After all, these, as most consumers absolutely rightly believe, have many contraindications and side effects. And it’s no secret that antibiotic therapy is impossible without simultaneous compensation of favorable intestinal microflora.

Let's figure out what types of antibiotics there are, their names and the advisability of use.

In medical reference books antibiotics is a group of very strong substances that inhibit the development of certain microorganisms or provoke their death. They can be of natural, synthetic or semi-synthetic origin. Characteristic feature These drugs have an effect on both pathogenic and beneficial microflora, but at the same time the vital abilities of bacteria are suppressed gradually and in small concentrations.

Did you know? Pear is natural antibiotic. Herbalists recommend these fruits for people with chronic inflammatory processes, as well as for cancer.

Antibiotics only have an effect on certain type pathogens, which is determined by the results of a blood or patient culture test. But, despite the effectiveness of these tablets, they should not be considered omnipotent. An incorrectly selected medicine will only harm the body, and even more so a child’s body. Therefore, under no circumstances do not self-medicate and do not test all the contents of homemade medicine on your child.

In modern pediatrics, it is practiced to prescribe antibiotics for children with symptoms that last for more than 3 days, as well as in cases of acute and severe forms of the viral type. Doctors draw the attention of parents to the aggressive effects of such drugs on the digestive tract. By destroying “bad” cells, they have the same effect on “good” bacteria. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to give your baby antibiotics when he has a sore throat. In case of admission similar drugs At the same time, you need to drink recovery products intestinal microflora. It could be "Yogurt". If your attending physician “forgot” to prescribe such therapy for you, then there is reason to doubt his qualifications.

Important! The average course of antibiotic therapy cannot last less than 5 days. Typically, medications are recommended to be taken for 7 to 10 days. IN special cases when the patient has recorded serious complications illness, he is prescribed treatment for up to 3 weeks or longer.

Moreover, with frequent use of antibiotics, especially when the medicine was incorrectly selected and used chaotically in the initial stages of the disease, the body begins to show resistance to it. This means that the immune system ceases to resist pathogens and over time becomes practically insensitive to a number of drugs. This is why penicillin, cephalosporin, and fluoroquinol types of antibiotics are justified for children only in cases where bacterial flora is associated with the infection. Usually these processes begin no earlier than 4 days from the moment of illness.

What Antibiotics DO NOT Do

It should be noted that these medications are not capable of curing all ailments, especially in cases where their causative agent is toxic substances. In particular, we're talking about about botulism, tetanus, various kinds fungi and A similar situation arises regarding influenza and flu, which are caused by viruses. This is due to the fact that most antibiotics act only on the simplest microorganisms.

Every parent must know that antibiotics have absolutely nothing to do with treatment and... They do not reduce fever and do not promote expectoration, and are also powerless against diseases of fungal origin and, which often cause infectious infections and inflammatory processes in internal organs.

Important! Antibiotics in large dosages are dangerous not only for children, but also for adults. At the same time, if you stop taking medications without permission, or reduce the number of times recommended by your doctor, the pathogenic microorganisms will survive and, having lost sensitivity to the medicine, quickly adapt to it.

Can antibiotics be replaced?

Trying to protect their child from the harmful effects of these substances that are aggressive to all living things, many mothers are thinking about alternative treatment options. IN similar situations herbal medicine comes to the rescue and offers to replace synthetic drugs natural. Traditional healers advise using propolis for a runny nose and instead of antibiotics for children, essential oils and a number of medicinal herbs.

• burdock root, which is very effective in treating diseases caused by streptococci and pneumococci;

• bearberry, which is indicated for cystitis, urethritis and pyelonephritis;
• garlic is an excellent remedy in the fight against fungi and bacteria, especially with enteritis, amoebic dysentery, candidiasis and colpitis;
• barberry root, which is used mainly for viral and fungal infections, as well as for the treatment of diarrhea, hepatitis and cholera;
• Eucalyptus is very effective for nephritis and;
• Echinacea officinalis flowers have proven themselves well against herpes, bronchitis and flu;
• various drugs propolis kills pathogenic microflora in case of otitis media, herpes and influenza;
• essential oils (especially tea tree) help to recover from sore throat, colds, laryngitis, and itchy skin.

Important! In cases where the causative agents of the disease are unknown, it is best to use broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Along with a large selection alternative options antibiotics, some luminaries modern medicine talk about the harmful effects of herbal medicines and the need complex therapy. In addition, there is an opinion that the above treatment methods are relevant only in the initial stages of the disease, and when a person develops a fever and the disease progresses, he needs to resort to radical methods.

According to experts, some essential oils, under the influence of a number of physicochemical reactions in the patient’s body, become transporters of other drugs. Therefore, many doctors intensify antibiotic therapy in this way.

To achieve positive results from antibiotic treatment, every father and mother should know the basic rules for taking these medications by children.

• Firstly, it is strictly forbidden to give such medications to a patient of any age without the advice of a qualified specialist. As already mentioned, spontaneous chaotic therapy will only worsen the child’s body’s resistance to other pathogenic microbes.

Did you know? People first learned about the antimicrobial effects of penicillin mold in 1928. This discovery happened by chance during routine experiments of the British bacteriologist Alexander Fleming.

• Secondly, antibiotics must be used taking into account age restrictions. For example, the well-known drug “Tetracycline” is recommended only from the age of eight. There are also a number of drugs approved for children after they reach 12 years of age.

• Thirdly, doctors advise not to abuse the same name “for all occasions” and to change the drug if you get sick again soon. This recommendation is justified by the fact that the human body quickly gets used to the active substance, and pathogenic bacteria become less sensitive to it.

• Fourthly, it is important to strictly follow the dosage and method of use of the medicine recommended by the manufacturer. Before taking it, be sure to read the instructions for use, and also take into account contraindications and possible side effects.

• Fifthly, do not interrupt antibiotic therapy even if the baby’s condition has improved significantly - this is not yet an indicator full recovery. Such a prank can cost your child serious damage to the kidneys and heart.

Did you know? The first Soviet antimicrobial drug was called Krustozin. In 1942, it was developed by Russian microbiologist Zinaida Ermolyeva. By the way, after a thorough study, foreign scientists admitted that their antibiotics are almost one and a half times weaker than this. It was then that the author of the invention was given the title “Madame Penicillin”.

• Sixthly, the simplest and in a safe way Taking antibiotics for children and older is considered oral. In special cases, medical staff resorts to intravenous administration medicines. In this case, they act faster.
• Seventh, there are a number of medications that are intended only for injections. This is due to the fact that they are destroyed only in organs digestive tract.

List of drugs

Medicines in this group differ in their mechanisms of action and the types of bacteria sensitive to them. Therefore, the accuracy of determining an effective drug in each specific case depends on the performance of the smears given to the patient. However, doctors very often prescribe broad-spectrum medications without resorting to laboratory testing. This is due to the fact that it will take about a week to get their results, and when the patient’s disease progresses, there is no time to waste.

In inflammatory processes respiratory tract For children, the following names of antibiotics are most often used:

• - approved for children from 2 years of age, effective for tonsillitis, otitis, pharyngitis, inflammation of organs genitourinary system, and also when skin infections;
• "Augmentin" - recommended for newborns in liquid form for diseases caused by aerobic, anaerobic gram-positive and gram-negative strains, contraindicated for people with kidney and liver dysfunction;

• "Amoxiclav" is combination drug, used for acute abscesses, bronchitis, sinusitis, as well as infectious lesions of the skin, joints and bones;

• "Flemoxin Solutab" - even infants can take it, is an improved analogue of "Amoxicillin", suppresses the pathogens of staphylococci, streptococci and pneumonia.

IN important! If you have never treated your child with antibiotics before, then for the first time they give the weakest drugs.

In cases of complicated forms of respiratory infectious diseases with bacteriological flora, drugs with a stronger effect will be needed. Most often, for complicated forms of infectious diseases, bacterial flora of cough and runny nose for children, doctors prescribe semi-synthetic antibiotics from the list of cephalonosporins:

• "Suprax" - recommended for children over six months of age, treats infectious and inflammatory diseases of the ear, throat, nose, respiratory organs, but requires constant monitoring of liver function;

• “Cefuroxime” - it can be taken from the first days of life, it is effective for stomatitis, otitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, sore throat and inflammation in the urinary tract;

• "Zinacef" - prescribed from infancy for pleurisy, otitis media, bronchitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis, laryngitis and other ENT diseases;

Important! You need to take antibiotics strictly at the same time. If the doctor prescribed two doses, then make sure that there is a 12-hour gap between each of them.

• "Ikzim" is an effective antimicrobial medicine recommended for children from 6 months of age with chronic painful processes in the organs respiratory system.

Prohibited antibiotics in pediatrics

Taking advantage modern gadgets and popular applications for them, many parents are guided in the treatment of their child mobile versions medical reference books. At the same time, the decision to take antibiotics is made independently, giving preference to a list of over-the-counter tablets, which offers far from “childish” names in alphabetical order and advice on their use.

But the first thing every parent should remember is that not all antibiotics can be given to children. Among the prohibited ones: Doxycycline, Tetracycline, Minocycline, Ofloxacin, Levomycetin, Pefloxacin, Kanamycin, Gentamicin. These means are fraught with violations in cartilaginous joints a growing organism, thinning of tooth enamel, a stop in the development of the skeleton and tissue fibers.

Groups of medications by mode of action

All antibiotics are divided into several classes: beta-lactams, macrolides, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, glycopeptide substances, lincosamides, which, in turn, also have certain groups. We will not delve into the specifics of the classification, but we will take a closer look at the mechanisms of action of some of them.

Treatment of ARVI with antibiotics in children

For acute respiratory diseases Penicillin-type drugs have the strongest effect on pathogenic microflora. They block the synthesis of basic substances included in cell membranes"bad" bacteria. As a result of the physico-chemical chain, they die. “Flemoxin”, “Amoxicillin”, “Amoxiclav”, “Levofloxacin”, “Mezlocillin”, “Mecillinam” are popular.

Efficiency in diseases of the ENT organs

Experts call the group of macrolides the most powerful in terms of their impact on the growing human body. They are most active active substance regarding most pathogenic microbes that cause diseases of the respiratory system. Their main characteristics are bacteriostatic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and mucoregulatory qualities. This series in pharmacology is represented by the following names: “Sumamed”, “Azithromycin”, “Hemomycin”, “Klacid”.

Did you know? All fruits and vegetables fortified with vitamin C can be considered natural antibiotics. Ascorbic acid stimulates the natural protective functions of the body, destroys pathogenic bacteria and helps remove them from the body.

According to medical statistics, about 2 million children die every year due to water loss caused by diarrhea. Therefore, in cases of intestinal infection, even newborns are prescribed antibiotics. Among this group, the following drugs are in demand: Lekor, Cefix, Cefodox, Azithromycin, Zinacef. The medicine can be administered intravenously or orally.

In addition, the baby should take probiotics. In cases of hospitalization, he will be offered enzymes and a certain diet. It is allowed to accept before the ambulance arrives.

Important! At intestinal infections Drinking is strictly prohibited activated carbon- the medicine turns the feces black, which is why you may miss the first signs of bleeding in the intestines.

Antibiotics for children under one year of age

Every sane person should read the instructions for use before taking any medicine. Do not hesitate to check with your child’s attending physician about the compatibility of several drugs and the nuances regarding the method of their use.

In cases with infants, it is simply necessary to receive clear instructions from a doctor. After all, not all medications can be taken in infancy.

Your pediatrician may not tell you this, but it’s always better to play it safe and protect your child from severe consequences antibiotic therapy. Experienced moms and experts advise:

• Keep personal records of medications taken. The records should include the names of the drugs, the time when you gave them to the child, his illness, the duration of the course of treatment, the presence or absence of side effects (if any, you need to specify).
• You need to take antibiotics during meals or immediately after. In this case, you need to take the pills a large number drinking water(tea, juice, milk and compote are not intended for this purpose).
• If your baby is so small that the doctor has prescribed drops or a suspension, be sure to shake the bottle before each use. This is done so that the sediment that has settled to the bottom dissolves in the liquid.
• During the treatment period, it is important to exclude fried, fatty, smoked dishes And sour fruits. This requirement is explained by the fact that medications have a strong effect on the liver, and when poor nutrition the load on this organ increases significantly.
• If you gave your baby what the doctor prescribed medicine, and improvement has not occurred even after 2-3 days, immediately go to the doctor to adjust the treatment or call an ambulance.

In parallel with antibiotics, always take medications with bifidobacteria or lactobacilli.

Important! Expensive drugs do not guarantee their quality and effectiveness. The pricing policy for drugs is determined based on the country of origin and when they were invented or went on sale. Remember that almost every expensive medicine has its own cheap counterpart.

Consequences of using antibiotic drugs

All drugs in this group are prescribed only in cases of urgent need. This is due to the fact that any antibiotic has a destructive effect on the liver and can provoke allergic reactions and disorders of the digestive tract. That is why very often patients, after taking the medicine, experience signs of intoxication in the form of nausea and dizziness.

For children, these drugs should only be selected by a doctor. After all, inadequate treatment can result in hearing loss in a child or complications in the form of kidney disease. Also very likely.
But even if the drug was chosen correctly, we should not forget that long-term treatment will not give them the expected results. And all because over time, microbes adapt to the active substance and become resistant to it. In such situations, the solution is as follows: either increase the dosage or change the medicine. Even the most experienced specialist cannot predict the reaction of your son or daughter’s body to the proposed antibiotic.

Did you know? Penicillin in pure form was born only in 1938. Oxford University scientists Howard Florey and Ernst Chain managed to breed it.

How to restore a child's body after antibiotics

Treatment with antibiotics requires special attention not only during illness, but also after recovery. First of all, you should take care of restoring your immune system. And you need to start doing this with the intestinal microflora.

It is recommended to take probiotics along with antibiotics. Of these, the following are popular in pediatrics: “Linex”, “Bifiform”, “Laktiv-ratiopharm”, .
In addition, children with weak protective functions The body is advised to take immunomodulators: “Anaferon”, “Aflubin”, “Immunoglobulin”.

Remember that antibiotics are serious drugs that are prescribed only when their benefit is many times greater than possible risks diseases.

Antibiotics are very serious drugs, despite the fact that they are sold without a prescription in any pharmacy. Such medications should be taken only as prescribed by a doctor, otherwise you may encounter many complications and errors. For example, is fever when taking antibiotics normal or pathological? Of course, the answer to this question should be addressed directly to the attending physician, since it depends on the specific disease, the type of antibiotic used, its dosage and many, many other reasons. Nevertheless, let's try to briefly understand the problem.

Causes of fever when taking antibiotics

For most enlightened patients, it is no secret that antibiotics should only be used for infectious diseases that are caused by bacteria. Such drugs do not act on viruses and fungi.

It is also worth noting that in hospitals, when treating severe and complicated infectious diseases (for example, pneumonia or meningitis), responsibility for a well-chosen and correctly prescribed antibiotic lies entirely with the doctor, who constantly monitors the patient and has the results in hand necessary research and analyses. When treating simple infectious diseases that do not require hospitalization of the patient, the situation is different. Antibiotics can be used independently, indiscriminately, without any treatment regimen, which can not only not be beneficial, but can also be very harmful. IN best case scenario a doctor will be called, who, when prescribing treatment, will be confronted with a fact: for example, parents themselves ask to prescribe an antibiotic for their child, without having the slightest idea whether it is really necessary. Unfortunately, many doctors, instead of wasting time and nerves on explanations, simply dutifully prescribe the drug. The bottom line is that its use is absolutely inappropriate.

And yet, let’s return to the question of temperature during antibiotic therapy. Why does this happen?

• The antibiotic is prescribed inappropriately: the disease is not caused by bacterial flora, so the drug does not work.
• Any antimicrobial drug is selected taking into account the sensitivity of microorganisms to it. It often happens that a medicine is prescribed without sensitivity tests. In such cases, the selected drug simply does not affect the desired microbes, which means that it was initially chosen incorrectly.
• Incorrect dosage: an incorrectly chosen treatment regimen does not kill the infection - the bacteria simply slow down their development, continuing their harmful effects.
• Antibiotics are not prescribed to reduce fever: such drugs are designed to kill infectious pathogens and not affect thermoregulation centers. For these purposes, special antipyretics are used.
• Some antibiotics may cause fever, such as side effect from taking the drug.
• If the patient initially began to recover after taking antibiotics, but then the temperature rose again, there may be a possibility of another infection, which this antibiotic has no effect.

• If the drug is prescribed expediently and competently, then the temperature may drop only on the third or even fourth day, so if you have a fever while taking antibiotics, there is no need to worry, you just need to continue the prescribed treatment.
• To begin with, it should be noted that antibiotics cannot be prescribed to a child all the time. Firstly, it suppresses the baby’s own immunity. Secondly, the child’s hematopoietic system, liver, and digestive system suffer. Antibiotic therapy in pediatrics is used only in extreme cases, if the bacterial nature of the disease is confirmed. If there is a reception antimicrobial agents, and the child’s temperature lasts 3-4 days or more when taking antibiotics, which means the treatment regimen was chosen incorrectly.
• If the temperature rises while taking antibiotics, an allergy to the drugs may occur. Penicillin drugs are especially dangerous in this sense, and usually an allergic reaction occurs when the medication is taken again. An increase in temperature can manifest itself as an independent and the only symptom allergies. As a rule, this occurs 4-7 days after the start of treatment and completely disappears when the antibiotic is stopped for several days. With allergies, temperatures can reach 39-40°C, from additional signs– tachycardia.
• If the antibiotic is prescribed correctly, then a temperature of 37°C while taking antibiotics may be associated with massive death of bacteria due to the start of treatment. The death of microbes is accompanied by release into the blood large quantity toxins - decay products of bacterial cells. This temperature is considered normal during antibiotic therapy and does not require special reduction.
• When taking an antibiotic, a temperature of 38°C or lower may persist for some time. The main thing is to monitor the results of blood and urine tests: there should be no pathology in them. Continue the treatment prescribed by your doctor.

Diagnosis of temperature when taking antibiotics

The most common method for determining temperature at home is to touch your forehead with your hand or lips. Of course, this method is not accurate, but is only a preliminary determination of the violation. In order to find out the exact indicators, you need to use a thermometer. The choice of thermometers is currently quite large: electronic, rectal, ear, oral thermometer, or in the form of forehead strips.

As for diagnosing the causes of fever, the doctor chooses the method, depending on the disease, the age of the patient, the temperature readings, the appropriateness of the prescribed antibiotics, etc.

Diagnostics may include:

• objective examination, anamnesis;
• blood test (general and biochemical);
• general urinalysis;
• allergy tests, consultation with an allergist;
• radiograph;
• functional examination digestive system(For example, ultrasound examination abdominal cavity);
• examination of the cardiovascular system (cardiography, ultrasound examination of the heart and blood vessels);
• inoculation of biological materials for sensitivity to antibiotics.

The diagnosis is confirmed by detection of the pathogen infectious disease during blood cultures.

Treatment of fever while taking antibiotics

It is up to the doctor to decide whether or not to treat fever while taking antibiotics. Of course, in order to accept right decision, it is necessary to know the reasons for such a reaction.

• If temperature is related to allergic reaction, then the antibiotic is canceled or replaced with another. Additionally, antihistamines are prescribed: suprastin, tavegil, etc., at the discretion of the doctor.
• If the increase in temperature is caused by an inappropriate prescription antimicrobial drug, then this antibiotic is canceled and a more suitable drug is prescribed. These may be antiviral or antifungal drugs, depending on the disease detected.
• If diagnostics simultaneously reveals concomitant diseases, then treatment of all pathologies is prescribed, taking into account the reasons that caused them. For example, if you were initially treated for bronchitis, and subsequently the temperature rose due to the development of pneumonia, then the doctor will definitely review the treatment, and the antibiotic will be replaced with another, more effective one (or even several).

Regarding the forecast for an increase in temperature during antibiotic therapy, the following can be said: if the antibiotic is prescribed and chosen correctly, then this temperature will stabilize over time and the patient will be cured.

When self-prescribing and taking antibiotics, the prognosis can be unpredictable. By taking pills on their own, without a doctor’s recommendation, the patient takes full responsibility for possible negative consequences.

Besides this, unfavorable prognosis There are cases with wave-like manifestations of temperature, when alternation of temperature indicators of different heights occurs at certain time intervals. This often indicates the development of complications.

In many cases, fever when taking antibiotics can be considered normal occurrence, but sometimes this situation also serves as a sign of complications. What happened in each specific case - normal or pathological - let him decide medical specialist. The task of each patient is to choose a competent doctor, strictly follow his recommendations and not self-medicate.