Question

The child experienced nausea and vomiting on the evening of the 7th and diarrhea and dry heaves on the morning of the 18th. After two days of persistent symptoms, the child was diagnosed with bronchitis and hospitalized on February 20th. Treatment was provided until February 28th when the child was discharged from the hospital. After discharge, the condition seemed to fluctuate, and further treatment advice is sought.

Answer

Bronchitis in children often occurs secondary to upper respiratory infections and is common during late autumn and cold winter months. This inflammation can be caused by bacteria, viruses, physical or chemical factors, or allergic reactions and can be classified into acute and chronic types. Adult bronchitis is often caused by adenovirus or influenza virus, while children are more commonly affected by respiratory syncytial virus or parainfluenza virus. Here are treatment suggestions for different symptom types:

  1. Wind-Cold Cough Type: Symptoms include a loud and acute cough, white and thin phlegm, nasal congestion with runny nose, aversion to cold without sweating, sore throat, fever or no fever, and headache. Treatment formulas include almonds, pinellia, schizonepeta, prehneta, perilla leaves, ephedra, ginger, etc.
  2. Wind-Heat Cough Type: Symptoms include thick and sticky phlegm cough, thirst, sore throat, runny nose with turbid mucus, fever with headache, sweating, slightly yellow tongue coating. Treatment formulas include mulberry leaves, chrysanthemum flowers, forsythia fruit, loquat leaves, almonds, prehneta, Platycodon grandiflorus, scutellaria baicalensis, etc.
  3. Heat-Phlegm Obstructing the Lungs Type: Symptoms include frequent cough with thick and sticky phlegm, fever with flushed face, red eyes and lips, irritability and restlessness, yellow urine with reduced volume, dry stools, yellow tongue coating, slippery pulse. Treatment formulas include ephedra, raw gypsum, almonds, etc.