Question
A 7-year-old child went swimming on July 28 and swallowed water. They had a dry cough in August, which was treated with medication, injections, and IV fluids but was ineffective. Later, there was just a bit of dry cough. On September 18, an X-ray revealed pneumonia. After 12 days of hospitalization and IV fluids, there was no significant improvement. On October 2, they were transferred to Quanzhou Children’s Hospital for 6 days of IV fluids. There was still a little dry cough, and they were discharged on October 7. They have been taking medication since then and are feeling much better, but still cough at night when sleeping. This pneumonia has been characterized by a dry cough without phlegm. No fever. They are in good spirits and have a good appetite.
Answer
The most common cause of a child’s cough is infection. If the cough is frequent or lasts less than three days, it’s necessary to have a urine test to check for bacterial infection, viral infection, or mycoplasma infection and use symptomatic medication accordingly. Have the doctor percuss the lungs or take a chest X-ray to see if there is bronchitis or even pneumonia. If pneumonia does not respond to oral medication, intravenous fluid treatment is required. Also, be aware of the duration of the cough. If the child has an allergic constitution, check for allergic coughs and improve allergens by carefully checking what the child is allergic to and identifying hidden allergens.