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Suggest Treatment For Cough With Vomiting And Fever In A Child

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Posted on Mon, 9 Nov 2015
Question: My grand son 22months is sick since 4 weeks now. All started by a bad cough with vomiting and fever. At the doctor he was diagnosed with ear infection. He was given a course of antibiotics which were a grief to administer but finally he regain some kind of normality with a light cough time to time. However after 3 days that the antibiotics were finished fever started again but was easily monitored and everything appeared like a cold. However, after a week of running nose and light cough, fever picked again very high 40 degree Celsius. His parents went to hospital and they were told that it was just a virus nothing to worry about. The next day fever remained high despite medicine given to monitor it . And a rash started to appear on his body. Three days later fever and rash have disappeared and the kids seemed back to normal. Not for long within two days the cough was back but really bad with vomiting and very high fever again. This time was in the middle of the week so my daughter in law could see a doctor who diagnosed a pneumonia and gave antibiotics again this time in suppository considering the difficulty to make her son ingest the medicine. Back at home the little on seemed worse and worse and seemed having a lack of breathing. Mother went back to the doctor who diagnosed asthma. My daughter in law has asthma episodes time to time and what she was seeing in her son has nothing to do with her own experience. Nevertheless she came back with some ventoline that the child refuses to take. Now the problem is that the suppositories worked for a day and a half and now the child has a diarreah as soon as it is given to him. Surprisingly the suppositories for fever do not have this effect. There is a lot of anxiety in the family and they are considering to go to hospital. The fever has lasted this time a week, the cough is horrendous. The child has been vaccinated for the hooping cough. Thanks a lot.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Muhammad Sareer Khalil (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Hospital admission based on severity

Detailed Answer:
Hello and Welcome

I appreciate your concern and am sorry for your distress.

Route of administration of medicine can be an obstacle especially if oral intake is compromised. I would not recommend suppositories for this long to be continued. If there is oral intake , the medication should be given orally. If its not possible then IV or IM route should be utilized w.r.t antibiotics. With the history of recurrent fever in mind , blood counts and blood culture sensitivity testing should be done. Chest x ray would be a requirement and should be repeated. If the fever is low grade with or without a clear focus of infection, TLC on blood counts is normal or mildly elevated and chest x ray is normal with no sinister changes then home treatment can be advised for the possible LRTI (lower respiratory tract infection) with exacerbated asthma. If however, any complications arise in the above workup then a hospital admission can be considered, in consult with your doctor. For the inhaler a spacer device can be used in which the child has to breathe for a while after the puff of ventolin is released in the chamber.


Wishing you best of health

Thanks

Please consult your doctor before deciding on any further course of action.

For future follow up / correspondence you may ask me directly at the link given below

http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=68107

Dr. M.S. Khalil


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Muhammad Sareer Khalil (2 hours later)
Thank you for your answer. The child had just an X-ray no blood test was done to my XXXXXXX I will forward your answer to my son and daughter in law. They are in Canada and I am in Australia
Kind regards XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Muhammad Sareer Khalil (9 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Most welcome

Detailed Answer:
Hello again.

If the fever was mild and the child was stable then blood work could have been deferred based on clinical grounds.

Let me know if you have any other health related query.

I will be more than glad to answer.

Thanks.

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Dr. Muhammad Sareer Khalil

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2012

Answered : 2906 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Cough With Vomiting And Fever In A Child

Brief Answer: Hospital admission based on severity Detailed Answer: Hello and Welcome I appreciate your concern and am sorry for your distress. Route of administration of medicine can be an obstacle especially if oral intake is compromised. I would not recommend suppositories for this long to be continued. If there is oral intake , the medication should be given orally. If its not possible then IV or IM route should be utilized w.r.t antibiotics. With the history of recurrent fever in mind , blood counts and blood culture sensitivity testing should be done. Chest x ray would be a requirement and should be repeated. If the fever is low grade with or without a clear focus of infection, TLC on blood counts is normal or mildly elevated and chest x ray is normal with no sinister changes then home treatment can be advised for the possible LRTI (lower respiratory tract infection) with exacerbated asthma. If however, any complications arise in the above workup then a hospital admission can be considered, in consult with your doctor. For the inhaler a spacer device can be used in which the child has to breathe for a while after the puff of ventolin is released in the chamber. Wishing you best of health Thanks Please consult your doctor before deciding on any further course of action. For future follow up / correspondence you may ask me directly at the link given below http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=68107 Dr. M.S. Khalil