Treatment of upper respiratory tract infections in the first year of life without antibiotics and antipyretics.
There is still no consensus on the question whether it is necessary to use prophylactic antibiotic therapy and on the febrile states in infectious diseases. The present study aims at solving these problems. Between 1996 and 1997, 128 children under one year of age with upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) were hospitalized in the department and examined using clinical, laboratory and instrumental methods. We found no significant difference in the percentage of complications in the children treated with or without antibiotics. We conclude that prophylactic antibiotic therapy is not justified for the predominating viral etiology of URTI in children less than one year old. URTIs can be managed without antipyretics, which entails no risk for the patients.
Patchev
H
H
Department of Pediatrics, Higher Medical Institute, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Patcheva
I
I
Dimova-Ianeva
D
D
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012279:Rickets / Q000209:etiology
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents