Temperature with pneumonia is one of the characteristic signs that can persist for a long time. This symptom indicates the body is fighting the infection. If the child has a fever and other signs resembling pneumonic are observed, you should immediately contact a therapist.
Temperature types
There are three main types of temperature for pneumonia in children. It depends on the stage of development of the disease.
- Subfebrile – a temperature in the range from 37.1 ° C to 38.0 ° C for a long time.
- The second type of temperature is febrile. Indicators vary within 38–39 ˚С.
- Indicators from 39 ˚C to 41 ˚C indicate a critical body temperature.
Main reasons
Why does the temperature appear with pneumonia in children:
- Subfebrile temperature, as a rule, indicates the body’s fight against infection. Confirms the presence of a sluggish process of inflammation, does not get confused by drugs.
- Febrile temperature indicates that the inflammatory process is intensifying and the body cannot cope with the infection.
- Finally, if the temperature reaches critically high levels, we are talking about a condition that poses a serious danger to the child’s life. An ambulance must be called immediately.
Associated symptoms
At the beginning of the disease, the temperature is 37.1–38˚С. In this situation, we are talking about subfebrile fever: the baby is weak, apathetic, and loses his appetite. In the morning, the temperature can be kept within normal limits. This condition can persist for a week if the child has strong immunity. But parents, with a slight increase in temperature, may begin to knock it down, mistaking a symptom for a manifestation of acute respiratory infections. If the temperature does not drop within 4 days, you cannot postpone the visit to the doctor, because the earlier the diagnosis is made, the more effective the treatment.
Children’s pneumonia happens even without fever, therefore, as soon as other signs of the disease join, it is necessary to consult a specialist. In some situations, the temperature rises to 39-40˚С. If pneumonia is detected in a child, a long course of therapy is prescribed.
Diagnosis
Pneumonia at the initial stage is easily confused with acute respiratory infections due to cough, runny nose, lethargy and other similar symptoms. At the same time, the temperature remains mainly at a level of up to 38 ° C (with the exception of atypical forms of pneumonia in newborns). If untreated, it persists for 3 days or longer, while with bronchitis, the temperature usually exceeds 38 ° C or drops to this mark within 1-3 days.
If the child was ill with acute respiratory infections, and after a few days there was a repeated increase in temperature, this may indicate pneumonia.
In any case, you must immediately call a therapist or an ambulance. After examining the baby, the doctor can detect typical pneumonic symptoms, such as wet wheezing in the lungs. The doctor will write a referral to the hospital, and the child will be X-rayed to confirm the diagnosis.
If the X-ray is clear, there is no pneumonia. The opposite situation also happens : outwardly, pneumonia does not appear, and the X-ray clearly shows the darkened areas. In this case, the indicators of X-ray examination are priority.
How to cure a temperature with pneumonia
Reducing the temperature is allowed only with those medicines prescribed by the doctor. You can independently use traditional medicine:
- a drink with raspberries is a good antipyretic;
- linden tea increases perspiration;
- Vitamin C, found in large quantities in honey, currant drinks and citrus fruits, strengthens the immune system and helps fight disease.
In the vast majority of cases, pneumonia requires immediate hospitalization of the child. Antibiotics, which are usually given by injection, are a reliable therapy. The doctor chooses the appropriate drug based on the results of the examination. If the medicine does not have the desired effect, a replacement is made after 3 days.
For viral pneumonia, antibiotics are not prescribed. Therapeutic methods depend on the age of the child, the severity of the disease and the type of pathogen. In severe cases, the baby is in the intensive care unit, oxygen therapy is needed .
For the treatment to be effective, you must strictly follow the daily routine and the doctor’s prescriptions. It usually takes 3-4 weeks to fully recover. A child with a strong immune system may feel good after 14 days, whereas a weakened baby needs more time to recover. It is desirable that during the recovery period the child goes for a walk and moves. The main thing is to prevent overheating and hypothermia, to dress the baby for the weather.
Is it possible to warn the temperature
Preventing pneumonia in children is one of the main components of strategies to reduce child mortality. The vaccine against HIB, pneumococcal infection, pertussis and measles is an effective preventive measure against pneumonia.
Proper nutrition plays an important role in strengthening the child’s immunity, in particular, only natural feeding during the first six months of life (ideally, a year). It helps prevent pneumonia and shortens the duration of the disease.
It is also necessary to fight against unfavorable environmental factors, such as air pollution in the house, and strictly observe hygiene rules in densely populated dwellings.
To reduce the risk of developing the disease in HIV-infected children, every day they are given an antibiotic drug Ko trimoxazole .
Possible complications
It is important to diagnose pneumonia in a child in a timely manner. You need to start treatment immediately, because at this age, complications develop rapidly. They can appear both during the course of the disease, and after the arrival of a short remission.
The most common are the following complications:
- Pleurisy is an inflammation of the membrane that covers the lungs. Typical symptoms are chest pain when breathing and coughing.
- Infectious toxic shock caused by bacterial or viral endotoxins. The temperature exceeds 39 ° C, the pressure is low, the child experiences psychomotor agitation, characteristic rashes appear. The kid can even fall into a coma.
- Pulmonary failure is a common complication of childhood pneumonia. Concomitant signs: rapid shallow breathing, shortness of breath, bluish tint of the lips.
- Pulmonary destruction – destruction of lung tissue due to the vigorous reproduction of pathological microorganisms. This condition poses a threat to the life of the baby.
- Cardiopulmonary failure is also a fatal provocateur. Pneumonia has a detrimental effect on the heart and blood vessels.
The tendency to pneumonia in childhood is a reason for a thorough examination and detection of the causes of this situation. There is a possibility that the child has genetic pathologies of the lungs and bronchi, as well as chronic diseases such as cystic fibrosis. In this case, the baby needs regular monitoring and adequate therapy.