Question
A five-month-old baby has had a fever accompanied by cough and wheezing for a week. Initially, there were symptoms of sneezing and clear nasal discharge. The child has taken pediatric paracetamol granules, but later developed cough with phlegm and vomiting. The child has seen a doctor before. What should be done?
Answer
If the cough with phlegm and vomiting is mild and does not affect the overall condition, it may be possible to find the cause of the illness without necessarily using cough suppressants. However, if the cough is severe and causes discomfort to the patient, appropriate cough suppressants can be considered. There are many causes of cough, including acute or chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract, respiratory foreign bodies, respiratory compression, allergic reactions, and stimulation of the pleura. Therefore, for patients with cough, a comprehensive evaluation of the condition should be conducted first to identify the cause of the illness and decide whether to use cough suppressants based on the treatment of the underlying cause. Medications for treating cough are mainly categorized into three types: cough suppressants, expectorants, and bronchodilators: cough suppressants include codeine, morphine, codlemas, guaifenesin, and glycyrrhizin preparations, which are effective for cough caused by mild respiratory tract inflammation.