Question
My baby, who is 2 years and 5 months old, started coughing at around midnight on Tuesday. There was some wheezing, a lot of phlegm, no fever. I gave her Ceftriaxone and Pulimoxylin combination until Friday, but there was no improvement. The cough has eased, but she’s been sniffling. Starting Friday, we began nebulizer treatment, but the child was not cooperative. She had a high fever at night after taking Ceftriaxone, which helped her cool down. On Saturday, we went to the doctor again. Blood tests showed normal blood counts, and the doctor diagnosed it as a viral infection. He prescribed new cough medicine and said that if she has a fever again, she should be treated with intravenous fluids. This afternoon, the baby had a fever of 38.5 degrees Celsius again. Do we need to consider intravenous treatment?
Answer
Based on the description, the baby’s cough has been persistent with wheezing and a lot of phlegm, and oral medication has not shown significant improvement. In this situation, intravenous treatment can be considered to enhance the efficacy of the medication because intravenous administration ensures that the drug dosage is sufficient and acts more quickly. At the same time, continue to use cough medicine and ensure that the baby drinks plenty of water, reduces physical activity, and gets adequate rest to help her recover sooner. If the baby has a fever again, it is recommended to follow the doctor’s advice for intravenous fluid treatment.