Question
An 8-year-old boy had a rash and high fever in early August. On the 20th, he began to cough and have asthma attacks, which made it difficult for him to eat or even take medication due to severe coughing. His parents took him to the hospital where a chest X-ray and blood test were conducted. His white blood cell count was 12,500, with elevated neutrophils, and his lung capacity test was only 14%. The doctor diagnosed him with mycoplasma infection and asthma. Allergy tests (venipuncture) indicated sensitivity to dust mites. After 5 days of ceftriaxone and azithromycin treatment, his white blood cell count remained around 11,000. I want to know if the diagnosis and medication are appropriate, as the child did not have continuous fever symptoms; does this also indicate a mycoplasma infection?
Answer
Case Analysis: Mycoplasma infection usually presents with severe symptoms but mild signs. Your child only had occasional mild coughing without other symptoms, and the mycoplasma test was negative, so it can be ruled out. The child’s sputum sounds after intravenous infusion may be due to fluid insufficiency. It is considered that the child may have developed a high airway reactivity after a cold. Mycoplasma infection usually involves high fever, coughing, and symptoms that last for a longer period. Pulmonary auscultation is not obvious, and chest X-ray examination can help confirm the diagnosis. Some children may also experience symptoms such as anemia or rash.