Recently, Mycoplasma pneumoniae has been prevalent in some areas, and some hospitals have seen an increase in cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children. What is Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection? What symptoms should we be vigilant about? How to do a good job in prevention and control? In response to social hot topics, the reporter interviewed experts such as Xu Baoping, director of the Respiratory Department of Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, Zhao Shunying, director of the Respiratory Department of Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, and Zhang Haidi, a pediatrician at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, to provide explanations.
Q: What is Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection?
Answer: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a pathogenic microorganism that is between the size of bacteria and viruses, with a diameter of 2 microns to 5 microns. It is a prokaryotic pathogenic microorganism and lacks cell walls. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is mainly transmitted through droplets and direct contact, with a incubation period of 1 to 3 weeks.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is more common in any season, with autumn and winter prevalent in northern regions and summer and autumn prevalent in southern regions. Regional outbreaks occur periodically every 3 to 7 years, with a duration of up to 1 year. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is a common respiratory infectious diseases in children in China, which is mostly seen in children aged 5 years and above, but children under 5 years old can also get sick.
Q: What are the symptoms of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection? What symptoms should we be vigilant about?
Answer: The clinical manifestations of children infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae vary greatly: mild cases may not occur, or only manifest as upper respiratory tract infections; Severe cases can cause pneumonia, lung consolidation, pleural effusion, etc.
The main clinical manifestations of this disease are fever and cough, which can be accompanied by headache, runny nose, sore throat, ear pain, etc. Continuous high fever suggests that the condition may be severe. Some children have wheezing symptoms, which are more common in infants and young children.
If parents find their child suffering from severe coughing and persistent high fever, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible. If the child experiences symptoms of suffocation and difficulty breathing, parents can pat the back hard, clean the airway, and then seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Q: The symptoms of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection are easily confused with diseases such as influenza. How to distinguish and distinguish them?
Answer: There are many methods for diagnosing Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, such as serum antibody testing, nucleic acid testing, etc. Whether it is Mycoplasma pneumonia or not, doctors need to make a comprehensive judgment based on the patient's medical history, symptoms, and signs, combined with relevant routine laboratory tests.
In addition to combining clinical and imaging manifestations, as well as pathogen and serological tests to make judgments, parents can also observe the cough situation of the child. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection usually presents with paroxysmal and cluster coughing, which is initially dry cough and can be severe, even affecting eating and sleep.
Q: How to do a good job in prevention and control?
Answer: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is inherently resistant to antibiotics that act on the cell wall, such as penicillin and cephalosporins. At present, the main first-line treatment drugs are macrolide antibiotics, commonly used drugs include azithromycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin, etc. Children who are resistant to macrolide antibiotics may need to use other antibiotics.
Antibiotic drugs belong to prescription drugs and must be used under the guidance of a doctor. Children with refractory and severe Mycoplasma infections require comprehensive treatment, such as glucocorticoid and bronchoscopy intervention. In February of this year, the National Health Commission issued the "Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines for Mycoplasma Pneumonia in Children (2023 Edition)", aiming to further improve the standardization level of diagnosis and treatment. The key is to identify and seek medical attention in a timely manner, and the optimal treatment window is within 5 to 10 days after fever.
To prevent Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, it is necessary to develop good personal hygiene habits, such as maintaining social distance, hand hygiene, frequent ventilation, and wearing masks when necessary. During autumn and winter, indoor ventilation should also pay attention to keeping warm.
Q: Does mycoplasma pneumonia cause "white lung"?
Answer: This type of pneumonia may cause mucus clots to block the bronchi, leading to "atelectasis", which is a decrease in lung gas content and resulting in "white lung" on imaging. But this is a different concept from the "white lung" with diffuse lesions in both lungs.
Through methods such as back tapping to expel phlegm, medication to remove phlegm, and bronchoscopy treatment, the child can be cured in a relatively short period of time without causing life-threatening situations. Most children infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae have a good prognosis, while severe and refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections may leave lung structural or functional damage, requiring long-term follow-up.
